Assessment Plan for the Master of Health Administration Major
and Master of Business Administration Major
Overview
It is the only graduate health
administration program in
The Institute conducts vital health services research and
policy for State of
The Institute is recognized nationally as one of the most
integrated business-focused HA programs, due to its rigorous double degree,
integrated MBA/MHA degree program. The
business aspect of the healthcare industry is growing - currently the 2nd
largest in the
Educational
Objectives
To fulfill the educational goals program
graduates shall be able to:
1. Assess and understand the
health status of populations, determinants of health and illness, and factors
influencing the structure and use of health services in the community.
2. Understand the
organization, financing, delivery of health services and the role of
governmental policies based on social science disciplines to be able to identify
ways to meet the medical care needs of the community.
3. Understand and develop
skills in economic, financial, policy, and quantitative methods to analyze
health care operations.
4. Understand the values and
ethical issues related to the practice of health services administration, and
the development of skills in ethical analysis.
5. Understand and develop
skills in positioning organizations in the market place and managing these
organizations for continued effectiveness.
6. Provide opportunities for
development of leadership potential, including stimulating creativity,
interpersonal, and communication skill development.
7. Understand and develop
skills in the management of human, capital, and information resources through
strategic planning functions.
8. Understand and develop
skills in assessing organizational performance and, in particular, methods to
ensure continuous improvement in the quality of services provided.
Overall Continuous Improvement
Annual evaluation
based on data collected each semester is conducted annually and reviewed by Institute
faculty, HA Advisory Board, and HA Alumni Board to 1) verify consistency with
the program objectives, 2) identify program strengths and weaknesses, and 3)
propose necessary modifications to program, courses, and/or assessment methods.
Stakeholder Groups
A number of stakeholder groups are
involved at various levels of program evaluation. The role of each of these groups is discussed
where appropriate in the following sections.
These are:
- Dean's
Office,
- Graduate
Program Council, RCB
- Core
Program Faculty
- Faculty
Associates
- Students
- Alumni
-
Evaluation of
Responsibility for development of the
program's mission and objectives resides in the core program faculty, with
oversight provided by the Advisory Committee.
Revision of mission and objectives has been undertaken periodically,
especially for accreditation and APACE reviews.
Significant groups involved in the process included the Graduate Program
Council, the Dean's Office, core program faculty, and the Institute's Advisory
Committee. Since the adoption of the
Institute's mission and goals statement, faculty and the Institute's Advisory
Committee have discussed mission and goals on a periodic basis. Preparation of the Institute's strategic plan
and subsequent faculty and Advisory Committee meetings concerning mission and
goals resulted in validation of the mission and goals statement.
Involvement and Role of Stakeholders in
Evaluation of the Program
Evaluation of the program has taken place
on a number of different levels involving various stakeholders, as
appropriate. Evaluation of activities by
stakeholders is described below:
- Annual
Budget
Core program faculty
discuss and review program curriculum needs. The Institute director then meets with the
Dean's Office and a budget is adopted for subsequent approval by the
University.
- Master's
Program Review and Curriculum Changes
All curriculum changes are submitted to
the Graduate Program Council with final approval given by the College
faculty. Most recently the Graduate
Program Council has approved changes for curriculum changes in the MBA and MHA
programs, as well as proposed JD/Health administration degree programs.
- Strategic
Planning
On an annual basis the Institute's
Advisory Committee, which includes alumni representation, reviews the mission
and objectives statement. Input is also
solicited from the Institute's Faculty Associates in regularly scheduled
meetings. Input is also solicited at the
annual Alumni Board meetings. The
Institute's strategic plan was reviewed by the Dean.
- Curriculum
and Course Content Revisions
Primary responsibility for this activity resides
with the core program faculty. Decisions
related to the overall curriculum are made by the core faculty in periodic
meetings. Changes in content are made in
response to faculty concerns and/or input from students as part of routine
course evaluations, and from the Institute's Advisory Committee.
The Institute's Advisory Committee,
Faculty Associates, and core program faculty are involved in these
activities. Course outline and content
review is performed on a routine basis, at least annually and more frequently,
if there is a need.
All health administration (HA) courses
are formally reviewed on an annual basis by the core program faculty. This process has resulted in a number of
course content changes, in some cases the changing of course titles, and the
addition or substitution of courses.
All business administration (BA) courses
are the responsibility of the respective departments. Annually, the core program faculty review the
BA course outlines for changes in content, etc., which would have any relevance
or impact on the health administration courses or the MBA/MHA double degree
program. As mentioned, the substitution
of the required business administration macroeconomics course for the
microeconomics course evolved from this process. In preparation for the site visit, course
outlines were reviewed for content consistent with the ACEHSA content
areas. Business administration course
content is discussed at meetings of the Institute's Faculty Associates. Here information is exchanged as to content,
objectives, and major project assignments.
One important "plus" to this exchange is the identification of
faculty who explicitly incorporate health care material into their courses, as
a result of their professional interests.
The program employs the following means
to assess student accomplishments of the learning objectives:
- Faculty
evaluation of course work
- Faculty
evaluation as part of the academic advisement process
- Faculty
evaluation as part of the administrative residency placement process
- Faculty
and preceptor evaluations of the administrative residency
Evaluation of Course work
Principal evaluation of student
accomplishments is through evaluation of Course work performance. Evaluations are made by a variety of means
and may include individual or team written or oral presentations, papers, case
analysis, participation in computer-based exercises. On a semester basis, an individual student
record is provided by the Office of Academic Assistance, Robinson College of
Business. These records are reviewed
every semester by the Institute Director to chart academic progress and to take
corrective action as needed. Both the
College and the program have standard procedures for monitoring performance and
for formally notifying students with deficiencies.
Academic Advisement Process
As mentioned above students who do not
make satisfactory academic progress are notified. This "triggers" a meeting with the
program's academic adviser. The
student's academic record is reviewed, goals and objectives are agreed upon,
and progress is monitored by the faculty.
The academic advisement process for students is both informal and
formal. Informal advice in course
sequencing and selection is provided on an ad hoc basis. Formal assistance is provided by the
program's academic adviser. An initial
course of study is determined upon entry to the program. Subsequent meetings may result in
modifications of course selection and sequencing.
Evaluation as Part of the Administrative
Residency Process
In the initial faculty meetings where
students and their residency placement is discussed,
consideration is given to student academic strengths and weaknesses. These discussions assist the faculty in the
placement process. This provides a means
to convey to students and to preceptors, where appropriate, the nature and type
of residency experience which will be of the greatest benefit to the student.
Faculty and Preceptor Evaluation of the
Administrative Residency
Faculty evaluation of student progress is
made through evaluation of required semester project reports, review of the semester
preceptor evaluation form, review of the semester residency evaluation form,
and the on-site review with the preceptor and the student. The residency process and related role of the
preceptor is a important aspect of the program. The residency serves as a bridge between
academic and practitioner work, somewhat similar to the internship/residency
role in medical education. Faculty
assess on-site and through residency reports the specific chronological
activities of the residency, the guidance of the preceptor, a formal personnel
assessment of the resident, and feedback on the strengths and improvements
needed in the curriculum both from preceptors and residents. In certain instances if an on-site review is
not possible a telephone conference call is arranged.
Evaluation of Curriculum and Courses and
Student Learning Outcomes
Three principal methods are used: (l)
student evaluation of instructors and courses; (2) annual curriculum/course
student conference 3) Exams and projects in early courses (pre-test) compared
with exams and projects in later courses (post-test) . At the end of each semester, students
complete a course evaluation form for each course, using a checklist and
written comment sections. These forms
are reviewed by faculty and changes are made where appropriate.
Student comments indicated some
difficulty in organizing material for study purposes, and, consequently,
changes were made in both courses. Now
textbooks are assigned as the major readings, and a much smaller number of
copied articles are designated as supplemental readings.
A joint student/faculty curriculum conference is held annually. Faculty and second-year students discuss the
strengths and weaknesses of each course in the curriculum. An example of a course change resulting from
this effort was the establishment of the health information systems course HA
8670.
Faculty Selection and Performance
Prospective faculty are
invited to campus to make a presentation to faculty and students. The presentation is used as an opportunity to
observe presentation skills and to assess the candidate's research
interests. One measure of faculty
performance is the course evaluation form which is completed for all
courses. In general, the faculty feel that the evaluation forms are helpful in making
changes in course content, methods of presentation, and amount of required
readings.
Recruitment and Admissions
Students, faculty, and alumni are
actively involved in the recruitment and admission process. Recent and planned recruiting sites include
University of Alabama, Atlanta University, Auburn University, Clemson
University, Davidson College, Emory University, Florida A & M University,
Florida State University, Furman University, Georgia Institute of Technology,
University of Georgia, University of Florida, University of Tennessee,
Vanderbilt University, and Wake Forest University.
Once new students arrive on campus,
current students participate in a new-student orientation. Formal assessment of the advisement process
is conducted annually in the curriculum/course student conference. Feedback from these
assessments over several years indicate that the advisement process is
working in a satisfactory manner.
4.
See Figure I.A. to illustrate outcome measures used routinely by the
Program to evaluate the extent to which each Program objective is met.
5.
Assess the Program's evaluation process highlighting its strengths
and/or problem areas. Suggest desired changes
in the process and identify steps and a time frame for making changes.
The faculty believe
that the Program's overall evaluation methods and processes are beneficial and
adequate. In particular, the Institute's
Advisory Committee, Alumni Board, and Faculty Associate members provide both
knowledge of current practice in the field and curriculum advice. Alumni of the Institute have participated in
the Advisory Committee meetings along with preceptors and other health care
leaders in
Continuous monitoring of the external and internal
environments and adjustment in missions, goals and objectives in response to
changes.
Overall Continuous Improvement
Annual evaluation
based on data collected each semester is conducted annually and reviewed by Institute
faculty, HA Advisory Board, and HA Alumni Board to 1) verify consistency with
the program objectives, 2) identify program strengths and weaknesses, and 3)
propose necessary modifications to program, courses, and/or assessment methods. The evaluation activities and processes
discussed above describe in general the various ways in which changes are made
in the various aspects of the program.
The faculty recognizes that periodic evaluation of the program is
critical in these dynamic times to ensure that the program is at the forefront
of health administration education.
Several significant changes in the program have been made recently and a
number of them were discussed previously.
These include:
- Reassessment
and modification of program mission and objectives;
- Approval
to offer JD/Health administration degrees;
- Significant
changes in course content for several courses.
- Increased
effort at marketing the program through contact with college campuses.
Other efforts and decisions have also
been made as a result of the evaluation process. In order to provide guidance for students with
respect to elective courses, faculty have developed an
improved list of recommended courses and their sequencing. The assessment process has also reaffirmed
the desirability of maintaining a residency requirement based upon input from
the Advisory Committee, alumni, and residents.
Expected
Outcomes and Measures
A host of outcomes and outcome measures have been identified and tracked for the Institute degree programs. Most of these have been specified and required in the self-study for the recent ACEHSA accreditation visit. The curriculum and student, as well as research and service outcome measures are shown in Figure 1.A..
FIGURE I.A.
1. The primary educational objective
of the Institute is to provide an integrative educational experience of both
course content and field work to enable graduates to become effective
functioning members of a health care team.
|
|
Outcome Measure |
Assessment Process |
Frequency of Assessment |
Most Recent Assessment |
|
a. Identify, analyze, and interpret
economic, social, political, environmental, ethical and medical issues
affecting health care organizations. |
1. % of students in good academic
standing 2. Rating of course (Scale Score 1-5) 3. Rating of educational
preparation by student while a resident 4. Rating of educational
preparation by preceptor 5. Student evaluation of curriculum 6.
Student learning outcomes |
Course grades Student Evaluation of Instructor
Form Student Evaluation of Residency
Form Preceptor Evaluation of Student
Resident Form Student Evaluation of the Institute
Form Early-curriculum and
later-curriculum tesst/projects |
Semester Semester Semester Semester Annual Annual |
Summer 2004 Summer 2004 Summer 2004 Summer 2004 Fall 2003 Fall 2005 |
|
b. Demonstrate integration of
course work and field work |
1. Rating of student work
performance by preceptor 2. Achieve a passing grade on
required residency reports |
Preceptor Evaluation of Student
Resident Form Faculty Evaluation of Residency
Reports |
Semester Semester |
Summer 2004 Summer 2004 |
|
c. Demonstrate ability to function
effectively as members of management in health care organizations |
1. Rating of student’s ability to
function cooperatively in the work setting by preceptor 2. % of graduates in health
management positions, controlling for year of graduation |
Preceptor Evaluation of Student
Resident Form Alumni Directory |
Semester Annual |
Spring 2004 Spring 2004 |
FIGURE I.A.
(CONTINUED)
2. The research goal objective of the
Institute is to encourage faculty and student research, scholarly endeavor, and
publications related to the improvement of the management of health care
organizations, through the creative application of theory to operations.
|
|
Outcome Measure |
Assessment Process |
Frequency of Assessment |
Most Recent Assessment |
|
a. Engage in individual and
collaborative research projects |
1. Number of collaborative research
proposals submitted for funding 2. Number of individual research
proposals submitted for funding 3. Number of funded research
grants/contracts 4. Dollar value of funded research
grants/contracts 5. Number of student graduate
research assistant positions |
Faculty Activity Report Faculty Activity Report Faculty Activity Report Faculty Activity Report Core Budget plus external projects
budget |
Annual Annual Annual Annual Annual |
Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 Spring 2004 |
|
b. Increase recognition of the
Institute by academic faculties and practitioners through scholarly endeavors |
1. Number of refereed articles
published 2. Number of non-refereed articles,
book chapters, reports & books 3. Number of papers presented at
academic professional meetings |
Faculty Activity Report Faculty Activity Report Faculty Activity Report |
Annual Annual Annual |
|