The mission statement of the School of Communication Systems Management, as stated in the School's Strategic Five-Year Plan, is as follows:

The School faculty, after considerable discussion, determined that this statement remains an accurate and comprehensive expression of what the faculty seek to accomplish. To accomplish this mission, the faculty articulated specific educational goals/objectives, which were listed in the University's response to the North Central Accreditation Report:

In reviewing the results of alumni surveys, Advisory Board planning exercises, and the results of faculty research activities and readings in academic and industry journals, the faculty determined that these goals/objectives continue to represent desired outcomes for the graduates of the program. The faculty, however, did decide that, in response to this accumulated information, the term "WAN" should be added to the second goal/objective. Students need to understand Wide Area Networks (WANs) as well as LANs in order to function as data communications professionals in an era of high-speed networks and Internet/intranet activities.

The faculty also articulated an additional goal/objective:

Alumni responses and Advisory Board input make it clear that new technologies are becoming increasingly significant as strategic tools, and that a successful professional in this field must have the capacity to understand new technologies and their ramifications.

The methodologies used to assess how well these goals/objectives are being accomplished include: 1) alumni feedback received from Institutional Research and placement information; 2) alumni surveys; 3) Advisory Board surveys; 4) use of a capstone course; and 5) internship evaluation.

The faculty analyzed the effectiveness of the assessment procedures undertaken during the 1995/96 academic year and determined the need for the following changes/enhancements:

The faculty regard alumni feedback as an important assessment tool. The voice/data telecommunications field is one of constant change; the faculty hope to equip students with a grasp of the basic technical and regulatory theories which will help them understand and respond to a changing field. For this reason, feedback from recent graduates and older alumni are extremely useful indicators to the faculty in judging effectiveness of curriculum, both regarding the relevance of the information included in the curriculum and how well that information is being acquired by students.

One source of alumni feedback regarding alumni satisfaction with their jobs; alumni satisfaction with their major courses; and alumni satisfaction with preparation for their career is the annual alumni survey conducted by Institutional Research. The latest Institutional Research report, titled "Ohio University Career and Further Education Study," revealed the following about the 1995 graduating class:

Alumni responses suggest that the School surpassed the University in alumni satisfaction with their jobs, their major courses, and their preparation. The faculty were pleased to see that responses to the "satisfaction with present position" were higher than those for the 1994 class. They were also pleased to see that all of the 1995 alumni expressed some level of satisfaction with their major courses and with their preparation for career goals.

Another dimension of alumni feedback measured by the "Ohio University Career and Future Education Study" is placement. For the five-year period 1991-1995, the report showed a consistently high placement rate for Communication Systems Management alumni:

From these figures, it is evident that placement for graduates of the CSM program continues to be high. The faculty regard ease of placement as one important indicator of whether students are acquiring relevant knowledge and skills. Another indicator of curricular effectiveness is the number of organizations which consistently hire CSM graduates and are well enough satisfied with the preparation of the graduates to make CSM a regular source for college hires. According to School records, as of the March 1997 graduating class, the following companies have consistently hired CSM graduates:

Indications are that this hiring pattern is continuing; MCI, LCI, NCR, and Ameritech have extended offers to June CSM graduates. Other companies are establishing consistent hiring patterns as well, with Progressive Insurance extending offers to five June graduates and consulting firms (Andersen, Ernst and Young, and Claremont Technologies) each adding at least one June graduate to the number of CSM alumni they already employ.

While the alumni surveys conducted by Institutional Research provide useful information regarding placement trends, the surveys do not provide specific information about the effectiveness of courses and course requirements. The faculty considered conducting exit interviews with graduating seniors as a way of acquiring this information, but determined that, given the dynamic nature of the field, it would be more useful to ask alumni, upon reflection and through the filter of "real-life" experience, to gauge the effectiveness of their preparation. In deciding on a structured, regular program of alumni surveys, the faculty determined that two types of information would be useful. Recent alumni would be able to speak to their preparation level for entry-level positions and their competitiveness for job placement; older alumni would be able to speak to their ability to adapt and prosper in the job market. Older alumni would also be able to respond to questions regarding future industry directions. As a result of these considerations, the faculty decided to survey alumni two and five years after graduation. Surveys were sent to graduates of the 1992 class and graduates of the 1995 class. Copies of the surveys are in the appendix of this report.

Surveys were sent to the fifty-eight alumni who graduated in 1992; sixteen surveys were returned. Of those sixteen alumni, eleven were still working in the voice/data telecommunications field; five were not. In response to the question about their preparation level for any of the jobs they have held since graduation, 3 replied that they felt less prepared; 6 replied that they were as prepared as other applicants; 7 replied that they were better prepared. Alumni were asked whether the CSM major provided them with skills which allowed them to be flexible in the job market; twelve responded that it did.

The faculty were especially interested in the 1992 class's response to the question, "What aspects of your current job were not covered as part of the CSM major?" The CSM curriculum was totally rewritten in 1993; responses from the 1992 graduates to this question would provide some indication of whether the new curriculum effectively addressed earlier shortcomings. Alumni responses to this question included suggestions that more hands-on experience was needed; significant lab components were added to the curriculum as part of the 1993 rewrite. Other alumni responded that there was a need for networking classes, for courses in sales and marketing, and for preparation for union negotiations. The curriculum in place since 1993 includes at least two networking classes (COMT 222 and COMT 325); the new curriculum also requires MKT 301 of all students. The 1993 curriculum instituted a required area of concentration in an area other than CSM; students seeking further study in sales and marketing may elect marketing as their area of concentration. The faculty saw no need to make preparation for union negotiations a required component in the curriculum; students seeking such preparation can attain it through their area of concentration. Alumni responded to the question regarding the most valuable aspect of the CSM major by pointing to the diversity of the courses required; that diversity has been maintained in the new curriculum. Alumni responses to the question of what was least valuable about the CSM major exhibited no discernable pattern, though most of the responses dealt with non-CSM courses. One alumnus cited the need for more CSM courses; required CSM courses were increased from 8 to 11 in the new curriculum.

The survey asked the 1992 alumni which industry developments or trends they believed should be covered in the curriculum. Most of the topics/issues are covered, or the faculty is planning to cover them: network design (COMT 325, COMT 429), LANs/WANs (COMT 222, COMT 325), ATM switching (COMT 325, COMT 429), PBX administration (COMT 220), Data Communications (COMT 222, COMT 325), regulatory issues (COMT 302, COMT 304), global activities (COMT 407), local competition (COMT 302, COMT 304, COMT 405), PRI-ISDN (COMT 325), SONET (COMT 222, COMT 325, COMT 429), wireless (topical seminar COMT 391), marketing and strategy of communication companies (COMT 405), Computer Telephony Integration (experimental COMT 369D). An alumnus mentioned Internet services; while the basic underpinnings of the Internet are covered (COMT 222, COMT 325) and Internet pricing is covered (COMT 304), there is no one course devoted solely to Internet matters. The faculty is considering whether such a course is needed.

While the survey of 1992 graduates sought input regarding flexibility in the job market and future industry trends, the survey of 1995 alumni sought feedback regarding ease of job placement and adequacy of preparation for entry-level positions. Of fifty-seven alumni surveyed, eighteen responded. Sixteen alumni were working in the industry; two were not. None of the alumni felt that they were unprepared for their first job. One alumnus did not respond to the question about preparation level; however, 5 felt they were as prepared as other applicants, while 12 felt they were better prepared.

One of those who responded that he or she felt better prepared than other applicants, noted that he or she had been hired at the same time as a graduate of the master's program at the University of Pittsburgh was hired. Another alumnus noted that he or she was better prepared than some existing employees, while one of the alumni noted that he or she saw and used "most of what I was taught in CSM" after graduation.

When asked whether the CSM major provided them with the skills used in their first job, most of the alumni responded affirmatively. One alumnus said that "the courses helped develop my skills, but I feel the courses prepared me on how to learn in this industry." Another alumnus cited "the theory and concepts behind the technology" as very useful. Alumni responded to the question of what aspects of their first job were not covered as part of the CSM major with a variety of responses. Some alumni noted company-specific items or specific equipment which it would not be feasible to cover in a general curriculum. Other alumni asked for better analysis of RFPs, more INCO classes, classes in network design, and project management. RFPs and project management are both components of COMT 444. COMT 429 is a course in network design. The curriculum includes an area of concentration which students can complete in the area of their own choosing, with advisor approval. That area of concentration can be completed in interpersonal communication.

Alumni replied to the question regarding the most valuable aspect of the CSM major by citing a variety of attributes: the broad overview of the industry; the diversity of the curriculum, the combination of both business issues and voice/data telecommunications; the internship program, the basics and theory of voice and data communications; and the history of the industry. One alumnus noted that "all CSM classes were valuable because they each covered a certain aspect of the industry." Most alumni left the question regarding the least valuable aspect of the CSM major blank. One alumnus cited a need for more PC classes, another alumnus suggested a need for more hands-on class work. The faculty continue to add lab exercises and lab components to the curriculum; many of these lab assignments require substantial use of PCs. The faculty have added a new internship/practicum requirement as a way of adding more hands-on experience for every student.

The vast majority of CSM majors transfer into the program, rather than entering as freshmen. Because of the high percentage of transfer students (72% of the active students in June 1997), and the lock-step nature of the curriculum, the faculty are concerned that a large percentage of students might find it impossible to complete the program. A high completion rate is one indicator that courses are being offered frequently enough and in a pattern which allows students to fulfill their requirements. According to School records, the number of CSM alumni as of December 1996 was 605; at that date, there were also 210 active students on the Athens campus. The number of inactive Athens campus students, since the inception of the program, was 46 as of December 1996. (These figures do not include students who transfer out of CSM and into other programs at OU.) The 46 inactive students, as a percentage of total alumni and active students, was 5.34%; last year's percentage was 5.5%, suggesting a steady rate of completion. The resulting completion percentage is in excess of 94%. While the faculty do not have the data to compare this percentage to that of other programs on campus, they do regard this as an acceptably high completion rate.

An important component of the Communication Systems Management program has been its paid internship program. In order to be eligible for an internship, students are required to complete the first four courses in the program; the internship sponsor may add a required GPA. Students function as full-time, paid employees for a summer or a quarter during the academic year; they are expected to keep a journal detailing their experiences and their sponsor is expected to evaluate their performance. A faculty member serves as internship coordinator, identifying and contacting internship sponsors, coordinating interviews and placements, reading journals and performance reviews, and assigning credit hours for COMT 401. Internship credit has not been a requirement; however, the faculty, after discussions with Advisory Board members and recruiters, and their own observations of student performance after an internship experience, have decided to require some hands-on experience of all CSM majors. Beginning with the 1997-98 academic year, students will be required to complete an internship or, should the student not be able to obtain an internship, an on-campus practicum.

In reading the internship journals and performance reviews, the internship coordinator tracks the projects and functions which interns are asked to complete and assesses how well students are prepared for their internship experience. The performance reviews for the interns during the summer of 1996/7 were positive. For example, the reviewer for Huntington Bank found that their intern "became valuable to us immediately." The reviewer for NCR described their intern as making "significant contributions with minimal direction."

The internship projects provide the faculty with useful information regarding the type of issues, topics, and tasks which are being addressed in the industry. This information, in turn, is useful in assessing whether the curriculum is covering these topics and tasks. Students on internship during the summer of the 1996/97 academic year dealt with a variety of tasks and issues, most of them covered in the current curriculum. Interns worked on RFPs (COMT 444); did cost/benefit analyses of T-1 networks (COMT 304, COMT 444); did moves, adds and changes on a PBX (COMT 220), performed network analyzes (COMT 429), calculated CCS/Busy Hours (COMT 429); programmed telephones (COMT 220); worked with video conferencing systems (COMT 220, COMT 222); tested circuits (COMT 222); worked with call accounting systems (COMT 220); did wiring on an MDF (COMT 220); programmed modems (COMT 222); added LAN stations (COMT 222, COMT 325); marketed ISDN products (COMT 304, COMT 405); worked with Centrex services (COMT 220); worked with call management software (COMT 220); performed network management functions (COMT 429; COMT 325); and did CTI applications (experimental offering of COMT 369D). While most of the topics encountered by the interns are covered in the CSM curriculum, two areas were not. Some interns were charged with ordering phone lines and circuits; this area is not covered in the current curriculum. The faculty agreed that this is a significant area, because it encompasses much more than merely ordering circuits; issues of provisioning, network design, relationships between carriers and customers, and standardized industry database systems are all involved in the ordering process. In reviewing the curriculum, the faculty determined that this topic could best be covered in COMT 220. The faculty member(s) teaching COMT 220 are considering how to incorporate this topic into the course. Another intern worked with voice mail systems, which are not covered in detail in the current curriculum; it is possible that this area can, and perhaps should, be incorporated into the Computer Telephony Integration course (COMT 369D). The faculty member developing that course will consider whether voice mail systems should be included.

The faculty found the full-blown industry survey which had been conducted in preparation for the School's master degree proposal to be of great benefit; however, such a survey is too time-consuming and costly to undertake on an annual basis. In lieu of an annual industry survey, the faculty decided that the fall meeting of the School's Advisory Board should include some form of structured "industry scan" exercise. The members of the Advisory Board represent all aspects of the voice/data telecommunications field: service providers like MCI, LCI, AT&T/Lucent, GTE, Ameritech; user organizations like Progressive Insurance, National City Bank, the Andersons; consulting firms; and the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. The exercise done at the October 1996 meeting involved a "planning for the future" survey; Advisory Board members were asked to list and rank the ten most important trends/topics which they believe will emerge in the industry over the next five years. A copy of the "Planning for the Future" exercise can be found in the appendix of this assessment report.

The trends/issues cited by the Advisory Board tended to fall into distinct categories, including regulatory issues, global topics, security issues, and others. The majority of these trends/issues are covered, or will be covered in the curriculum: the Telecommunications Act of 1996, new entrants into the marketplace, local competition, continued industry deregulation, and the importance of interconnection are all covered in COMT 302, COMT 304, and COMT 405. Systems security and disaster recovery issues are covered in COMT 379. Networking issues, ATM technologies, and net-centric computing are topics in COMT 325. Wireless technologies were covered in a COMT 391 topical seminar during winter quarter; international issues is the subject of COMT 407. CTI applications will be covered in COMT 369D. There were a few areas listed by the Advisory Board which are not in the curriculum. Several Board members listed Internet and intranet. The faculty noted that aspects of the Internet are covered in various courses in the curriculum (protocols are covered in COMT 325; pricing issues in COMT 405; web browsers and Java are touched on in COMT 335); however, there is no course devoted to issues like Internet commerce or intranet applications. Advisory Board members also listed strategic applications like telemedicine, distance learning, and virtual office technologies; though mentioned in courses, these applications are not addressed in depth in the current curriculum. The faculty discussed the possibility of developing a course which would deal with strategic applications and emerging technologies and services like Internet/intranet, telemedicine, distance learning, and other applications as they evolve.

COMT 444, "Management of Communication Resources," is required of all CSM majors; students complete COMT 444 after they have completed virtually all other program requirements. COMT 444 functions as a capstone course in which students are required to apply what they have learned as they have progressed through the curriculum to case studies involving communication technology, policy, and strategic issues. As a capstone course, COMT 444 serves two valuable purposes; the course measures how well individual students have mastered the subject matter of the CSM curriculum, and, just as importantly, the course measures the coverage of essential topics in the CSM courses leading up to COMT 444. One of the duties of the faculty teaching COMT 444 is to share with the rest of the faculty any trends or potential problems which he or she has detected in student knowledge and preparation.

The faculty member teaching COMT 444 this year shared with the rest of the faculty his perception that students come to COMT 444 without adequate skills and experience with using spreadsheet software as a problem solving tool. The faculty discussed appropriate areas of the curriculum in which spreadsheet use could be incorporated into course assignments and exercises. COMT 429 includes spreadsheet use, but COMT 429 is an elective, rather than a required course. COMT 222 and COMT 304, both of which are required of all CSM majors, appeared to lend themselves to use of spreadsheet software. The faculty member teaching COMT 222 will examine the inclusion of a spreadsheet-based exercise; the faculty member teaching COMT 304 has already been considering the possibility of incorporating work with a fairly complex, spreadsheet-based service costing model into that course.

As a result of last year's assessment activities, the faculty identified three possible changes or enhancements to the curriculum. After several faculty discussions during this past year, the faculty decided to take the following actions:

As a result of alumni surveys, Advisory Board exercises, internship projects, and the capstone course, the faculty determined that educational goals #1 and #2 were being met successfully; feedback suggested that regulatory issues and LAN/WAN applications were being adequately covered. The faculty did decide to consider the following enhancements or additions to the curriculum:

Submitted by the CSM Faculty: