Business Administration Program Review Summary

The Post-Degree Business Diploma allows students to build upon their existing education (3-4 year undergraduate degree from a recognized institution) with a strong understanding of business practices. Students enrolled in this program acquire skills appropriate for managers and entrepreneurs.

Program and Self-Study Summary

The review was initiated by the Centre of Learning Transformation (COLT) in January of 2019. The Self –Study Team (SST)comprised of three BADM faculty members, the program chair, and Dean of Instruction. The data was collected, and self-study report (SSR) written in 2019-2020.This review is not intended to provide a historical overview but rather focus on curriculum design, articulation and transferability, student success and satisfaction, program performance and opportunities for growth. Our work was supported by the Institutional Research department, the Registrar’s Office, and COLT.

Recently, BADM has created a post-degree diploma in an effort to attract international students. The college has also set up international pathways for students to complete their degrees, which have been used by students to attend universities in Europe in direct transfers. The program has also begun to offer field schools which allow students to learn directly in the community in a new, experiential place-based way.

 A survey of students in the past five years have found over a 90% satisfaction rate in the program. 82% of the students surveyed who have completed the program are currently in the labour force and 92% of that group are in jobs related to their studies. These results have seen a large increase in registration into the program, particularly from international students. Registration has spiked from 100 students to over 300 students regionally.

 In the midst of rapid growth and the changing demographics of students in the program, the Self Study team has identified some areas for improvement in curriculum. Some students are graduating from the program with inadequate skills in written English, insufficient experience of business technology such as accounting software, and poor soft skills such as time management, financial literacy, and problem solving. From an institutional standpoint, the program has weak articulation agreements with other colleges and universities, as well as to professional bodies such as the Chartered Professional Accountant’s Professional Education Program.   

A series of recommendations have been provided to address the above concerns and improve the program overall. Recommendations include areas such curriculum and articulation opportunities, technology integration, communication proficiency, improved alignment with professional programs, and the introduction of a Program Advisory Committee.

External Review Process

An external review and virtual site visit were conducted between February and March 2021 due to Covid-19 pandemic restrictions. An External Review Panel (ERP) was nominated by the SST, and appointed by VP, ESSI.  This is a panel of three experts was comprised of one panelist who was a college instructor from a different Cluster than the program under review. The other panelists were an academic peer from British Columbia Institute of Technology and an Industry peer from Terrace (Manager of a local bank).

The ERP gave a written report at the end of March 2021 that confirmed the Self Study Report and furthered the teams existing recommendations. All of the recommendations were taken into consideration by the SSR as they worked to integrate and develop learning from the report into an Action Plan.

Action Plan

The BADM action plan was developed in April of 2021 to support program growth and quality assurance priorities. Prioritization of the recommendations for implementation through this action plan is completed by BADM Cluster. Action plan items that have budgetary considerations will require approval of the Dean to move forward with implementation.

In March of 2023, the SST gave a One-Year Update on the Action Plan. This Program currently aligns with CMTN’s institutional priorities, including the college’s Strategic Plan and the three core values of CMTN: Adventurous, Transformative and Integrity.  With continued efforts completions of this Action Plan the Program will continue to improve and build on these core values.