Program Evaluation
When choosing an undergraduate business administration program, student comparison data from a variety of business programs may help you in the decision process. At Colby-Sawyer, student success is regularly assessed through internship evaluations, competency exams, and the rate at which students secure jobs or go on to graduate school.
Key Performance Measures
One of Colby-Sawyer’s most important metrics for determining program quality is the internship supervisor evaluation. These evaluations reflect student performance in the workplace during their required 200+ hour internship. All evaluation questions are important, but the college takes special interest in how students compare to interns from other institutions.
Since 2009, Colby-Sawyer business administration majors have performed well above average or greater in all categories surveyed.
Business administration majors also complete a national Peregrine competency exam during their final semester to compare the knowledge of Colby-Sawyer’s graduating seniors to those from other institutions.
In 2017, Colby-Sawyer business administration majors performed better than average in all categories compared to students from other Accreditation Council for Business School and Programs (ACBSP) institutions.
The 2018 graduates are comprised of students from the healthcare management major, business administration, and the four available concentrations in the business major: sustainability, accounting/finance, marketing and management.
Job or Graduate School within Six Months
One indicator of our student’s performance is their ability to secure jobs or attend graduate schools after graduation from our program. The table below reflects the most recent three years of data.
| Employed or in Grad School by Major | Fall 2017 | Fall 2018 | Fall 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
B.S. Business Administration |
100% |
94% |
97% |
Accreditation Matters
Colby-Sawyer’s Business Administration Department is approved by the Accreditation Council for Business School and Programs (ACBSP), ensuring that Colby-Sawyer’s programs provide you with the skills employers want. As a leading specialized accreditation association for business education, ACBSP supports, celebrates and rewards teaching excellence and certifies that the teaching and learning processes within the college’s business programs meet rigorous educational standards.
Other Key Performance Measures
Learning Outcomes
Learning outcomes are defined for each major and minor in the business administration program. The outcomes are assessed in a variety of ways including in-class projects and exams, the Peregrine national competency exam and surveys. The following table reflects the results of a new graduating senior learning outcome survey completed in January 2020. This survey of graduating seniors will be completed each April going forward.
Survey of Graduating Seniors: Grouped Student Learning Outcomes: Feb 2020 (N=23)
Percentage reflects the proportion of students who answered “very much agree” or “somewhat agree.” Read the full report.
| Survey of Graduating Seniors | |
|---|---|
Global Business |
88% |
Problem Solving |
91% |
Critical Thinking |
96% |
Financial Statements |
91% |
Economic Principles |
91% |
Computer Analytics |
87% |
Management |
87% |
Marketing |
87% |
Presentation Skills |
95% |
Career Readiness |
90% |
Ethics |
100% |
Alumni Survey
An alumni survey was completed during the fall of 2019. The survey was sent to all alumni who provided contact information. Future surveys will be limited to students having graduated in the last five years.
Highlights from the survey using a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (excellent):
| How Well did Your Colby-Sawyer Business Education Help Develop these Skills | |
|---|---|
Innovation (think like an entrepreneur) |
3.6 |
Connections (solve business problems, teamwork) |
3.9 |
How well did the business program prepare you for grad school or your career? |
4.2 |
How likely are you to recommend the business program(s) at Colby-Sawyer College to friends or colleagues? |
4.3 |