University at Albany School of Business Weekend MBA ...

University at Albany School of Business Weekend MBA Program Faculty Handbook

2016-17 Academic Year

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Thank you for your interest and participation in the Weekend MBA Program! Since its inception in 1996, the program has achieved a reputation as one of the premier executive-level MBA programs in the Capital Region (and, since 2011, the only one headquartered here!). The program's reputation for high quality instruction is due to you, the Weekend MBA faculty. Without your support and dedication we could not have achieved this level of success. We look forward to your continued involvement with the program. Following is some information that will assist you in preparing your course for the Weekend MBA Program.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Director: Donald G. Purdy E-mail: dpurdy@albany.edu Telephone: 518.956.8381 (W) or 518.225.5754 (M) or via text

Program Administration: Maura C. Sarat E-mail: msarat@albany.edu Telephone: 518.956.8330 (W) or 813.928.2263 (M) or via text

COURSE SCHEDULE

In the event that we must change the dates of your course, which is highly unlikely, you will be notified by the Program Director. The academic year's course schedule is established for each cohort prior to the beginning of classes. Since students plan their personal and professional lives around this schedule, it will be changed only in response to unforeseen events. The schedule will not be changed merely as a matter of personal convenience to a faculty member.

PLANNING INFORMATION (THINGS TO DO BEFORE YOUR COURSE BEGINS)

Books, Cases, and Other Materials That Must Be Ordered Please send order information (title, edition, author, ISBN, publisher) eight weeks before your first class to the Program Assistant. Only books that will be given to the students should be included in this order. Professors are expected to receive instructor's editions of their chosen textbook from the publisher.

Class Materials In keeping with the executive nature of the Weekend MBA Program, students will receive copies of all class lecture notes and handouts. For most courses, the materials will be inserted into branded, personalized three-ring notebooks. In order to prepare the notebooks for students, we must have a master copy of all materials three weeks before your first class. The master copy should be given to the Program Assistant; she will make the copies and prepare the notebooks. NOTE: If your materials are submitted less than two weeks before your first class meeting, Weekend Program staff may not be able to accommodate your copying/binder preparation needs. In this case, you would be responsible for having your own copies/binders prepared through your department's administrative resources. PowerPoint presentations intended for distribution as student handouts should contain no more than three slides per page, leaving room for students to make additional lecture notes.

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Course Syllabus Please send a copy of your course syllabus to the Program Assistant at least three weeks before your first class.

Use of Blackboard Learning System Weekend Program students like to utilize all methods for easier, more efficient communication with each other as well as with faculty. We encourage you to integrate Blackboard Learning System into your course if at all possible. The bulletin board feature makes it easy to post Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files. The bulletin board feature also facilitates question and answer discussions between students and faculty. If you need help implementing the Blackboard component of your course, please contact Information Technology Services Monday-Friday at 518.442.3700, extension 4, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

Faculty Pre-Course Visitation You are required to meet with your students during the last weekend of the course that precedes yours; this will normally be two weeks before the first weekend of your course. Program administration will coordinate the visitation time with you and the faculty member teaching the prior course. During your visit, typically 15-20 minutes, you and program staff will distribute your textbook(s) and the notebook containing your class materials. You will have the opportunity to introduce yourself, provide a brief overview of your course, and make an assignment for your first class. The students in the program have requested pre-course visits and they have been very positive about the value of these visits in their evaluations of faculty.

Guest Speakers Please inform the Program Assistant of any guest speakers (name, title, and organization) who you will be inviting into your classroom throughout your course so that arrangements can be made for appreciation gifts and catering totals can be adjusted as necessary. All faculty members are strongly encouraged to utilize guest speakers.

Harvard Business Publishing Online Modules As you know, Weekend MBA cohorts are typically made up of a rich tapestry of diverse backgrounds. Some cohort members have quantitative experience and some do not. To level the playing field and deliver an educational experience as rewarding as possible, there are five online modules ? Excel, Finance, Financial Accounting, Mathematics-Finance, and Mathematics-Statistics ? that cost approximately $135.00 and take about 35 self-paced hours to complete. These are required for some individuals in lieu of taking the GMAT exam and recommended for all. I've told the students that taking advantage of this opportunity now will bolster their chances for success later.

FACILITY INFORMATION

Class Location Most courses are held at our Executive Education Center on 5 Computer Drive South, just off Wolf Road in Albany, NY. Here are directions to the Center:

Take the Northway (I-87) to Exit 4.

From the North, keep right on RT 155 W, and then turn left at the first light. Continue along RT 155 until the next light. Turn left at the light onto CR 151 (Albany Shaker Road). Take immediate right at the light onto Wolf Road. Turn right onto Computer Drive West. Take first left onto Computer Drive South. The Capital Region Chamber entrance will be on your right; there will be a sign at the entrance.

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From the South, turn right onto Wolf Road. Turn right onto Computer Drive West. Take first left onto Computer Drive South. The Capital Region Chamber entrance will be on your right; there will be a sign at the entrance.

After entering the building, the classroom will be to your direct left.

Class Times Class times for both cohorts are:

Friday:

Class: Dinner: Class:

2:00 p.m.-5:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.-5:30 p.m. 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m.

Saturday:

Class: Lunch: Class:

9:00 a.m.-12:00 noon 12:00 noon-12:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m.-4:30 p.m.

It is expected that you will arrive at least 15 minutes prior to the beginning of class, and stay for approximately 15 minutes after the end of class, so that students have the opportunity to speak with you if necessary.

Classroom Equipment A relatively new Dell laptop, overhead projector, screen, and two large whiteboards are available at the Executive Education Center in Albany; the wireless login is WeekendMBA and the password is ACChamber2012MBA. Similar equipment is available when courses are held on the UAlbany campus.

International Trip The International Business trip is a mandatory experience for the Weekend MBA students. We travel as a group to an international destination each summer. Weekend MBA faculty are encouraged to submit a proposal for our trip. The chosen faculty member is expected to work with program staff on planning the trip and will participate in all planned activities before, during, and after travel. This year, we traveled to Warsaw and Krakow, Poland for a week and it was, by all accounts, an incredible journey!

COURSE INFORMATION

Suggestions Based on Feedback from Students Meetings with selected Weekend students to discuss various aspects of the program, as well as written comments from course evaluations, have produced the following recommendations for course effectiveness:

1.

Clearly state the course objectives and learning outcomes in the course syllabus and verbally at

the beginning of the course. This information may be conveyed during the pre-course visit.

2.

Clearly state your expectations for students' work (e.g., reading material and/or reviewing

lecture notes prior to class) at the beginning of the course.

3.

Provide guidance on the format for written reports and/or case study write-ups. Showing

students examples of reports and/or case write-ups from other classes may be a good way to

accomplish this.

4.

Provide written feedback on reports and case studies so that students understand the strengths

and weaknesses of their work. Feedback should be timely so students know where they may

need to direct additional resources.

5.

Make an effort to know what material was covered in earlier courses, particularly case studies.

We want to avoid situations where the same topic is covered in different courses and where a

topic you presumed was covered earlier was, in fact, not covered (so that students are not

adequately prepared for your course).

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6. Vary your instruction style ... don't rely solely on lectures. The students would like you to

encourage peer discussion to bring greater connection to a subject.

7. More individual and fewer group assignments.

8. Where applicable, more practice with problems or examples to reinforce the course content.

9.

Provide more real life application to the concepts that are taught in class by drawing on your

own personal experience and/or scheduling guest speakers. And speaking of guest speakers,

consider inviting alumni to address the students. The Weekend MBA Program staff would be

happy to help you with locating alumni and arranging logistics to support guest speakers.

10. Time management, i.e., plan and prepare. Don't try to pack too much material into your course.

Doing so will put you in a frenzy and leave the students feeling overburdened and compromise

their retention. The students have frequently told us that they prefer the "big picture" whenever

possible rather than the minutia. With Weekend MBA students, it is often better to teach less

material, and teach it well, than to try to cover everything in a less than desirable way.

11. Ensure that your course materials, again particularly cases, are current and still relevant.

12. Teach with enthusiasm and a high level of energy ... students love to learn from instructors

who are passionate about their subject material!

13. Briefly mention the 698 during the beginning of your course and how you may be able to assist

them as their advisor.

14. Don't test on material that you covered just minutes or hours before.

15. Consider application over memorization.

16. Do not negatively curve course grades. There are no limits to the number of a particular letter

grade that is given. Students should receive the grades that they have earned.

17. Lastly, please keep in mind that our executive students are not typical of other students you

may have taught. Many of these people have high-level jobs and are balancing work, family,

and school with other interests. As their professor, you need to be mindful of the status these

students have achieved in their careers, and treat them with the respect that is more befitting of

a colleague than a subordinate. These students respond best to professors who respect them as

adults, and who avoid the stringent policies/strict classroom environment that is better suited to

undergraduate students.

Availability Outside of Class You are expected to be available to students to answer questions and clarify course matters continuously during the duration of your course. You should provide students with both a telephone number and an email address where they can contact you. We expect student inquiries to be answered promptly. Students often have questions or need assistance during the "off" weeks of the program, and you are expected to assist them during both the on and off weeks. You are expected to be available to the students after grades are submitted in case they have questions or concerns relating to the grading of the course.

Faculty members are invited to use the Executive Education Center to meet with students as needed. As we do share this space with the Capital Region Chamber of Commerce, please make arrangements with program administration for open classroom space.

Final Assignment Due Date The final assignment for your course should be due no later than Saturday of the week following your last class meeting. It is important to adhere to this due date so that students have an opportunity to begin work on their next course.

Teams Students are assigned to teams of varying numbers at the beginning of the program, and reassignments take place each semester. You will be provided with a list of the teams during orientation. If you would like a different team arrangement, please contact the Program Director at least one month in advance of your course so that we can create the desired team structure.

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