4. Report from the Senate Budget Review Committee
2. UCUI REPORT TO UNIVERSITY SENATE
PROGRAM PROPOSAL FROM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
FOR A BACHELOR OF SCIENCE DEGREE IN
FINANCIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS
February 5, 2002
The University Committee on Undergraduate Instruction (UCUI) submits this program proposal (available in revised form through the Senate website) to the Senate Steering Committee with the recommendation that it be advanced to the Senate for discussion and approval. Our review of this proposal satisfies us that it is a well conceived program that grows naturally out of current SBA offerings in Accounting and Finance. It makes use of existing faculty strengths in the sponsoring school and seems a timely addition to SBA undergraduate offerings.
REASONS FOR SUPPORT The projected program is designed to prepare information and systems specialists capable of integrating financial information services and information technology in a variety of business environments. It goes beyond the existing minor in Accounting Information Systems and should prove attractive to students now moving away from Accounting toward Management Information Systems. As an innovative program that improves on programs offered in this area, the major in Financial Information Systems may well draw new students to Oakland University. Its sponsors have reported widely on their proposal at professional meetings and drawn upon state-of-the-art thinking about ways in which students can learn to apply IT in business settings that are no longer limited to accounting divisions.
The curriculum builds on the pre-core and core requirements already used by SBA and relies on existing courses, redesigned courses, and a few new ones. Plans for course rotation, advising, and assessment seem reasonable.
SENATE ROLE UCUI has been reviewing this program proposal concurrently with the Senate Budget Committee and Senate Planning Review Committee, and we have attempted not to duplicate their roles. We defer to the Senate Budget Review Committee for advice to the Senate regarding the program’s resource needs and to the Senate Planning Committee for advice on its relation to university mission and goals. UCUI’s principal concerns have been those we consider it our role to determine: whether the program provides a valuable and attractive learning opportunity for our students; whether it avoids infringing on existing academic programs in any schools; whether the sponsoring unit is adequately prepared to introduce the program without putting undue stress on its other programs; whether the program adequately prepares students for their career goals; and whether the curriculum is well planned in terms of meeting university requirements as well as those of the proposed major. We are satisfied that the proposal for in Financial Information Systems meets our criteria, and so we advance this proposal to the Steering Committee and recommend that it be brought to the Senate for approval and, from there, be recommended to the President and the Board.
3. Report from the Senate Planning Review Committee
February 1, 2002
To: University Senate
From: Senate Planning & Review Committee
Frances Jackson, Chair
Re: Financial Information Systems Major Proposal
The Senate Planning & Review Committee (SPRC) received and evaluated the proposal from the School of Business Administration to initiate a new undergraduate major in Financial Information Systems. This degree merges the traditional skills of an accountant with the technological training and expertise in information systems. This major will be offered by the Department of Accounting and Finance.
Strengths
It is noted that no new resources are required for this proposal. The Department of Accounting and Finance has sufficient faculty to teach this new major. The course offerings outlined in the proposal were impressive and offer these students a wide array of choices and electives. There are ample physical and computer resources to accommodate this new major. The faculty are outstanding.
Concerns
There are no major concerns. It is noted that there were no student surveys to ascertain the level of interest in this degree. However, this was not an oversight, but a deliberate omission as it is believed the average student would not have sufficient knowledge of the market to respond to such a query. The Advisory Board for the Department of Accounting and Finance was presented with this proposal, as was the Advisory Board for SBA. While there is no formal analysis of market interest in this degree, SPRC is satisfied that there will be ample employment opportunities to support this new venture.
Recommendation
SPRC recommends that the University Senate approve the new degree proposal in Financial Information Systems.
4. Report from the Senate Budget Review Committee
MEMORANDUM
March 4, 2002
TO: Oakland University Senate
FROM: Senate Budget Review Committee
SUBJECT: Review of Proposal for a new B.S. degree in Financial Information Systems
We have reviewed the proposal for a new B.S. degree in Financial Information Systems, to be offered within the Department of Accounting and Finance in the School of Business Administration. Our review was concentrated on the budget information provided in the proposal, considering both the anticipated incremental revenues and the incremental expenditures. While not our primary charge, we also considered the academic merit of the proposed major, and the ability of the department to deliver a viable program.
We conclude that, with the expenditures requested per the proposal’s budget amounts, the department will be able to deliver a strong program. Additional requested resources are quite modest, for a new major. However, the proposal points out that some of the FIS courses are currently being offered under the ACC rubric, so that the number of new courses will be limited. Further, existing A&F faculty members have the necessary skills to deliver the new major. Assuming the number of FIS majors does not exceed the projected maximum of 50, we believe the requested expenditures to be adequate.
While analysis of the expenditures is straight-forward, analysis of the incremental revenues is somewhat more difficult. As with all new major programs, determining an exact estimate of students is difficult. Further, distinguishing between incremental new enrollments at Oakland University due to the new major (students who would not enroll at Oakland if the new major were not available) and students who would enroll at Oakland University in another major, but transfer to the new major, is difficult. We do conclude that there is considerable demand for the new major, and that it is likely that the availability of the FIS major will likely result in incremental student enrollments at Oakland University.
Furthermore, we recognize that there is an intrinsic value in having a wide range of majors available for students, even if that major does not "make a profit". We believe that this major is desirable and would enhance the offerings of Oakland University, especially given the level of additional resources requested.
RECOMMENDATION: The Senate Budget Review Committee recommends that the University Senate approve the B.S. degree in Financial Information Systems.
3/7/02