B.A. in Business Administration Subject of Academic Program Review
The American University of Kurdistan (AUK) is actively pursuing institutional accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE). A component of satisfying the requirements of accreditation is participating in Academic Program Reviews. On the 11th and 12th of June, the Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Business Administration, offered through the AUK College of Business, welcomed such a review. In this review, a committee of four, composed of two members internal to AUK and two external to it, examined the College’s Self-Study and sets of data, in addition to meeting students, faculty, alumni, employers, and College and University leadership. The two internal reviewers were Dr. Dara Sherwani, of the Department of Computer Science & Information Technology, and Dr. Sarmad Majeed, AUK Legal Counsel. The two external reviewers were Dr. Rimi Zakaria, from the College of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Dr. Unsal Sigri, Vice Chancellor of Turkey’s OSTIM Technical University.
On June 11, the committee met with Dr. Randall Rhodes, AUK President; Dr. Nazar Numan, Provost; and Uzair Bhatti, Acting Dean of the College of Business. They also met with the directors of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness & Planning, the Admissions & Registration Department, the Office of Student Affairs, Career Services, the AUK Library, and the Center for Academic and Professional Advancement.
Student learning outcomes represent the most important metric for the evaluation of learning and teaching. The unifying thread of the reviewers’ questions for students was “rigor,” as they were trying to determine the students’ career preparedness. The reviewers asked the students about the style of assessments; the level of critical thinking; the depth of research; instruction promoting ethical and social awareness and cross-cultural sensitivity; and how “theory” and “practice” were bridged in the program (for instance, through internships). The end of the discussion focused on the entrepreneurship of the students and their plans to contribute to the social and economic development of Kurdistan.
The next day included a meeting with employers, a campus tour, and a wrap-up session with University administrators. In a meeting with faculty, the reviewers talked to them about case studies, simulations, and faculty and student research. In another meeting, College of Business alumni were asked for concrete examples of assignments at AUK from which they benefited; experiential learning and site visits were evidently the most memorable and helpful experiences. The reviewers and alumni also discussed AUK’s instilling of computer skills, leadership principles, and conflict resolution techniques so useful in business professions.
The four-member committee will submit a report, on the basis of which the College of Business will design an action plan for continuous improvement.