FROM: Hisham Ahmed, Chair

TO: Beth Dobkin, Provost

FROM: Hisham Ahmed, Chair Academic Senate

DATE: March 3, 2016

RE: Senate Action S-15/16-35CA New Undergraduate Concentration in Business Analytics

At the March 2, 2016 meeting of the Academic Senate, the attached Proposal for a New Undergraduate Concentration in Business Analytics from the Business Administration Department was approved on the Consent Agenda.

The proposal was unanimously (11-0-0) approved by the Undergraduate Educational Policies Committee at the February 22, 2016 meeting. It is noted that the proposal contains two experimental courses that are to be presented for permanent status after they are offered once.

All documents related to this proposal can be viewed at the UEPC website (http://www.stmarys- ca.edu/faculty-governance/undergraduate-educational-policies-committee-uepc/agendas.) This action was assigned Senate Action #S-15/16-35CA.

Attachment cc: President James A. Donahue Dean Zhan Li Proposal Submitted to the UEPC by the Business Administration Department

Undergraduate Concentration in Business Analytics

November 5, 2015

Contact Person: Anh Nguyen

Undergraduate Program Committee Faculty Approval: October 15, 2015

SEBA’s Administrative Council Approval: November 4, 2015

UEPC Review: February 22, 2015

Proposed Implementation: Academic Year 2016-2017 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page

I. INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………………………………… 3

II. CONCENTRATION IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS ADDRESSES A NEED ………...... 3

III. CONCENTRATION IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS SERVES THE OBJECTIVES OF SEBA AND THE MISSION OF THE COLLEGE ……………………………………...... 3

A. Competitive analysis ………………………………………………………………………. 4 B. Industry/employment trends …………………………………………………………….… 5 C. Student feedback …………………………………………………………………………... 6 D. Business analytics careers ……………………………………………………………...... 6 E. Number of additional sections needed …………………………………………………..… 7 F. Number of additional faculty and other resources needed ……………………………….... 7

IV. CONCENTRATION IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS LEARNING OUTCOMES AND STRUCTURE ……………………………………………………………………………... 8

A. Learning Outcomes ………………………………………………………………………... 8 B. Structure of the Business Analytics Concentration ……………………………………….. 8 C. Course Descriptions, Role of Courses in the Concentration …………………………….… 9

V. STUDENT POPULATION ……………………………………………………………… 11

VI. RELATIONSHIP TO PRESENT COLLEGE CURRICULUM ………………………… 11

VII. MANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAM ………………………………………………… 11

VIII. IMPLEMENTATION, TIMING, AND ASSESSMENT ………………………………... 11

IX. LIBRARY RESOURCES ………………………………………………………………... 12

X. CONCLUSION …………………………………………………………………………... 16 I. INTRODUCTION

This is a proposal for a Concentration in Business Analytics. The Business Analytics Concentration will be housed in the School of Economics and Business Administration. The Concentration will consist of courses from SEBA and the Mathematics Department which will address the concentration’s learning outcomes. The proposed Business Administration concentration in Business Analytics aims to develop graduates who can extract value from data and analytics for actionable business opportunities and decisions.

II. CONCENTRATION IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS ADDRESSES A NEED

Since the advent of Internet technology, companies have been collecting far more data than they can analyze. Yet over this time analyzing large data sets — commonly called big data — has become a key competitive asset, fostering new waves of productivity, growth, and innovation. As a result, the Harvard Business Review has identified the business analyst position the “sexiest job of the 21st century.” Despite this enticing description, we have a scarcity of talented and qualified people who can elicit managerial implications from the data and present them for decision making. This lack prompted a 2011 McKinsey report estimating that by 2018 the United States will have 140,000 to 190,000 unfilled data analytics positions. Responding to this situation, the Undergraduate Concentration in Business Analytics aims to develop students who can perform sophisticated analytics for actionable business decisions, and thus have access to the lucrative jobs in this new field.

Few schools offer Business Analytics as an undergraduate concentration. In the Bay Area, there are only four schools offering a concentration/major in Analytics/Data Science. Clearly, the breadth and depth of both new and old economy companies in the region indicates a market need that Saint Mary’s could serve.

III. CONCENTRATION IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS SERVES THE OBJECTIVES OF SEBA AND THE MISSION OF THE COLLEGE

The proposed BUSAD concentration in Business Analytics aligns with SEBA’s strategic plan of advancing academic excellence and enhancing student success by developing new academic programs with minimum cannibalization. This proposal is also consistent with the College’s goals of raising academic profile and distinction – “Discovery in Dialogue” – and supporting the student lifecycle – “Access to Success” – by developing opportunities for engagement and intellectual sustenance through new programs.

This Concentration will draw on SMC’s liberal arts mission with its emphasis on critical thinking skills. Scrutinizing big data to discern useful information requires minds that can identify what is relevant and why. The proposed BUSAD concentration in Business Analytics will provide the skills needed to mine the data by using first principles to recognize the nuggets of information that will be useful for addressing problems, such as social-justice, in the world. Business Analytics is designed to be a student-centered concentration because it focuses on enhancing students’ abilities, and guiding them to meaningful and sustainable employment. This is consistent with SMC’s mission to develop the whole person, academically, spiritually, and professionally.

The Concentration will also emphasize clear communication of the findings to various stakeholders by preparing students to communicate effectively the problem formulation, solution, and the course of actions, as well as to possess the skill set to influence others in their organizations. Critical thinking and communication skills are the hallmarks of SMC’s liberal arts tradition.

A. Competitive analysis

Since Business Analytics is a relatively new field, the market for an undergraduate concentration is not very competitive. Only four Bay Area schools offer a concentration or major. The University of San Francisco offers a Data Science major offered through its Mathematics and Computer Science departments, but this program is theoretical and highly technical: it is not a business degree and so we do not see it as a competing program. The degree by Devry University is offered entirely online, so will not be in direct competition with our proposed degree. This leaves San Jose State University and San Francisco State University as the head-on competitors in the Bay Area.

San Jose State University of San San Francisco State Devry University University Francisco University College of Business and Lucas College and College of Arts and Management Graduate School of Sciences Business Type Business Analytics Data Science Major, Concentration (BSc Online Business Concentration with 3 concentrations: in BA) Intelligence and Computational Analytics Management Analytics, Economic degree specialization Analytics and Mathematical Analytics Number 6 17 7 7 of Courses Required 1. Statistical Base Curriculum, 14 1. Managerial Courses Analysis courses Applications of 2. Business Concentration, 3 Business Analytics Analytics courses 2. Applied Business Analytics 3. Database Concepts in Business Intelligence 4. Introduction to Internet Analytics 5. Operations Strategy 6. Operations Analysis 7. Business Analysis Elective Select four: Select four: Courses 1. Supply Chain 1. Data Analysis Analytics with Computer 2. Soft Skills Applications 3. Marketing 2. Computer Research Simulation 4. Decision Making 3. Applied Under Management Uncertainty Science 5. Data Mining 4. Business 6. Spreadsheet Forecasting Modeling 5. Data Mining 7. Data with Business Visualization Applications 8. Simulation 6. Quality Modeling and Management Analysis 7. Sustainable 9. Analytic Supply Chain Strategy Management 10. Introduction to Select three approved Business electives. Programming 11. Database Management Systems

B. Industry/employment trends

We are at the start of an era when analytics will be a key competitive advantage of organizations. However, a McKinsey Global Institute report estimates that by 2018 the U.S. could face a shortage of 190,000 data scientists and 1.5 million managers and analysts who have the know- how to use the analysis of big data to make effective decisions. Added to these specialists, the industry will also need over a million analytical managers who possess a specific blend of skills in programming and database management, statistical analysis, and domain knowledge.

Similarly, the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects management analyst jobs to grow at an average rate of 19 percent over the next decade. Prior growth in demand for business analytics jobs ranged from 50% to 500% as the figure from Indeed.com below shows. To address this demand, students who graduate with the proposed BUSAD concentration in Business Analytics will provide employers with analytically trained specialists with knowledge in the use of data and analytics to solve business problems, make informed decisions, and effectively communicate the course of actions.

C. Student feedback

We presented the proposal to a Student Focus Group on October 30, 2015 and the SEBA Student Advisory Board on November 3, 2015 to seek their feedback. Both groups unanimously supported the Business Analytics concentration.

D. Business analytics careers

The job opportunities for graduates with data analytical skills are abundant as evidenced by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and McKinsey & Company. According to Computerworld’s “Forecast 2014 Survey” business analytics expertise is ranked as the second most difficult skills to find. The proposed Business Analytics Concentration is designed to meet this need by equipping our graduates with business analytic skills needed to crunch huge data sets into meaningful information to facilitate actionable decision-making.

The following are descriptions of three analytics jobs (from Indeed.com):

 Business Analyst: As an entry level Business Analyst the individual will be responsible for providing user support for the various applications developed by the Business Systems Development team. This includes learning internal systems, answering user questions, troubleshooting issues, testing new features, and managing ongoing enhancements to the internal applications. Additionally, the individual will make recommendations on ways to utilize and leverage these applications across departments. http://www.indeed.com/cmp/Kacee-Technology-Services-Inc/jobs/Entry-Level-Business- Analyst-d9a4d97c8224ea5b?q=business+analyst+entry+level

 Operations Analyst: The Operations Analyst is a key position in ZypMedia that helps drive revenue and strategy for the company. A multi-faceted role, the ideal candidate will embrace working in a fast paced environment and thrive at thinking analytically about ways to solve problems as ZypMedia scales up. The analyst will interface with sales, engineering and product teams to improve the existing product. The role is highly visible throughout the organization and will give ideal candidates a great platform to grow and be heard amongst leaders in the organization. https://www.firstjob.com/jobs/1w1pyin_ydc2g/zypmedia-entry-level-analyst/

 Quantitative Analyst: As a member of the team responsible for the supervision of Wells Fargo & Company at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, the individual will work with other members of the Financial Resiliency Team to track and develop key metrics and design analytical reports related to—but not limited to—liquidity risk, investment portfolio risk, and performance measurement. Responsibilities relevant to this position include working with large structured and unstructured datasets, utilizing data visualization techniques, and developing and implementing analytical reporting that enables supervisory decision making. This position requires effective collaboration with a variety of subject matter experts. https://frb.taleo.net/careersection/12l_external/jobdetail.ftl?job=425820&src=JB-10080

E. Number of additional sections needed

The proposed BUSAD concentration will require two new courses and two additional sections for existing courses. Currently, there is only one section of BUSAD 137: Advanced Quantitative Methods offered in the spring for our Finance concentration students. We will need to add another section of BUSAD 137. We will also need to add one more section for the MA/CS 21: Programming I course which is offered every spring by the Mathematics Department.

F. Number of additional faculty and other resources needed

Although the Business Analytics Concentration will be housed in SEBA, the concentration is interdisciplinary in that it will draw faculty resources from the Business Analytics Department and the Mathematics Department. Currently the Business Analytics Department is in the process of hiring a Visiting Assistant/Associate Professor with expertise in Data Science, who will have a combine teaching load of six (undergraduate and graduate) courses per year. IV. CONCENTRATION IN BUSINESS ANALYTICS LEARNING OUTCOMES AND STRUCTURE

A. Learning Outcomes

The Business Analytics Concentration is designed to fulfill three learning outcomes. Graduates of this program will be able to:

1. Perform advanced quantitative analysis

2. Extract value from data and analytics into actionable organizational decisions

3. Demonstrate proficiency with programming and software tools for analytics

B. Structure of the Business Analytics Concentration

The Business Analytics Concentration will consist of four courses that together fulfill the concentration’s learning outcomes. There will be four required full-credit courses, which will address and integrate the learning outcomes, as shown in the “Learning Outcome Map” below. (The acronyms used are also shown below). These courses are drawn from SEBA and the Mathematics Department.

Math 27: Calculus I is a prerequisite for all four of the required courses in the proposed concentration. Therefore, students in this concentration are required to take Math 27 for their math requirement.

Learning Outcomes (LO):

QA = Perform advanced quantitative analysis AD = Understand the connection between data analytics and actionable decision-makings TO = Demonstrate proficiency with programming and software tools for analytics

Unit Course Options Learning Outcomes QA AD TO Required BUSAD 137: √ √ √ Advanced Quantitative Methods Required MA/CS 21: √ Programming I

Required BUSAD 138: √ √ √ Business Intelligence and Visualization

Required BUSAD 139: √ √ √ Business Analytics & Big Data C. Course Descriptions and Role of Courses in the Concentration

BUSAD 137: Advanced Quantitative Methods and MA/CS 21: Programming I are existing courses. BUSAD 138: Business Intelligence and Visualization and BUSAD 139: Business Analytics and Big Data are new courses. These new courses will be offered primarily for business majors. They will have a one-unit value and will include assessment methods consistent with existing SEBA courses (e.g., midterm and final exams and class participation).

Business Administration 137: Advanced Quantitative Methods

Course description: This course covers the theories and practices of diverse quantitative methods and procedures that enable managers to judiciously use data in solving complex decision-making problems. Topics include logistic regression, non-linear regression, time series analysis, decision analysis, optimization, and simulation. Real-life examples and cases are presented from different applications including finance, marketing and supply chain. The course involves an extensive use of Excel and an introduction to SAS.

P rerequisites: All lower-division common business core courses and Math 27.

Learning goals: 1. Understand the conceptual framework of quantitative methods in the decision-making process. 2. Apply advanced statistical tools and techniques for quantitative analysis to support conclusions drawn from empirical evidence in a variety of business situations. 3. Interpret the results of quantitative analyses and think critically about the potential issues that arise when trying to draw conclusions from such results. 4. Use computer software to conduct quantitative analyses.

Computer Science 21: Programming I

Course description: This course aims to provide students with an understanding of the role computer programming can play in solving problems. Topics covered include top-down design with a structured programming language, bottom-up testing, control statements, and structured data types. No prior knowledge of programming is required. The class will use the Python programming language. P rerequisite: Math 27 or permission of instructor.

Learning goals: 1. Appropriately use the vocabulary of computing and computer science. 2. Demonstrate an understanding of the syntax and semantics of variables, assignments and expressions. 3. Explain the purpose of existing code segments, modify existing programs and program segments to meet new requirements or to eliminate semantic and syntax errors. 4. Document a program with written comments using both plain English and programming terms so that a knowledgeable reviewer can immediately understand the logic of the program. Select and use appropriate types and built-in data structures (int, float, bool, string, list, and tuple) and control structures (functions, loops, decisions, and recursion) to perform given tasks. 5. Perform basic algorithm design and analysis. 6. Indicate an intuitive understanding of program flow, memory use, and information passing in Python. This includes storage, assignment, input/output and function parameters/arguments. 7. Develop the logic of a program from problem specifications.

BUSAD 138: Business Intelligence and Visualization

Course description: This course prepares students to develop systems to measure, monitor and predict the evolution of key enterprise variables and performance indicators and present them in the form of usable information supporting the business decision-making process. Students also learn techniques to present analytical results visually and communicate the business insights revealed by analytics effectively. Topics include data warehousing, business reporting and performance management, visual querying, and dashboards. Structured Query Language (SQL) and Tableau will be used in the course. Offered every semester, beginning in Spring 2017. Prerequisites: Lower-division common business core courses and Math 27 or Math 13/14.

P rerequisites:  Lower-division common business core courses: o BUSAD 10 Global Perspectives in Business and Society o BUSAD 40 Business Statistics o ACCTG 1 Financial Accounting o ACCTG 2 Managerial Accounting o ECON 3 Micro-Economic Theory o ECON 4 Macro-Economic Theory  Math 27: Calculus or Math 13/14: Calculus with Elementary Functions I and II

Learning goals: 1. Manage data for various business applications. 2. Discuss the process of formulating or refining business objectives, data selection, data preparation, model selection and evaluation that lead to actionable business opportunities and decisions. 3. Examine the implications of business intelligence and visualization on finance, marketing, and supply chain.

BUSAD 139: Business Analytics and Big Data

Course description: This course covers predictive modeling techniques. Students will also be exposed to a collection of current practices and computer technologies used to transform business data into useful information and support the business decision-making process. Topics include data mining, text and web analytics, and big data strategies. RapidMiner will be used in the course. Offered every semester, beginning in Spring 2017. Prerequisites: Lower-division common business core courses and Math 27 or Math 13/14.

P rerequisites:  Lower-division common business core courses: o BUSAD 10 Global Perspectives in Business and Society o BUSAD 40 Business Statistics o ACCTG 1 Financial Accounting o ACCTG 2 Managerial Accounting o ECON 3 Micro-Economic Theory o ECON 4 Macro-Economic Theory  Math 27: Calculus or Math 13/14: Calculus with Elementary Functions I and II

Learning goals: 1. Gain a fundamental understanding of big data and learn how to apply complex analytics methods. 2. Explore how predictive analysis can improve the business model and efficiency. 3. Examine the implications of analytics and big data analysis on finance, marketing, and supply chain.

V. STUDENT POPULATION

Expected students include Business majors. We do not believe that there is much overlap with our current BUSAD concentrations in terms of student target. The proposed SEBA concentration in Business Analytics requires incoming students to possess sufficient aptitude for quantitative analysis, and builds on their competence in analytical methods and tools. This is unlike our current BUSAD concentrations that focus on Marketing, Finance, Global Business, Entrepreneurship, and Digital Media and do not have quantitative requirements.

VI. RELATIONSHIP TO PRESENT COLLEGE CURRICULUM The proposed BUSAD concentration in Business Analytics is unique in that it participates in a newly developing field. Its particular focus is not available anywhere else on campus. Furthermore, the Business Analytics Concentration provides Saint Mary’s College an opportunity to get ahead of the curve by offering a much needed resource to the market in the form of well-developed graduates who have been trained to extract value from data and analytics for actionable business decisions.

VII. MANAGEMENT OF THE PROGRAM

The Business Analytics Concentration will be managed by the Business Administration Director. The current Director is Kim Clark. The Director will advise students, address special action petitions, answer inquiries about the Concentration, and lead Concentration reviews.

VIII. IMPLEMENTATION, TIMING, COSTS, AND ASSESSMENT

If the proposal is approved, we hope to launch the BUSAD Business Analytics Concentration in fall 2016. The concentration is available to new incoming students. In addition, current students will be able to switch from their current concentration and pursue the Business Analytics Concentration if they fulfill all requirements. Since there is only two new courses, we anticipate that the launch will not be difficult. The proposed concentration requires faculty time to develop the two new courses. Faculty will be designated to serve as advisors for students enrolled in the new concentration. If the number of students in the proposed concentration increases, the workload for oversight and advising for the concentration may increase. In that event, workload issues for such faculty designees may need to be revisited.

Due to its concerted efforts to obtain the AACSB accreditation, SEBA has developed the culture of assessment. Although SEBA has successfully obtained the initial accreditation, the School needs continuous assessment of all its programs to ensure the reaccreditation. The proposed BUSAD Concentration in Business Analytics will be treated exactly the same as all other undergraduate concentrations in that its learning outcomes will be assessed in an ongoing basis. The Director of the Business Administration Program will lead the timely completion of the necessary concentration assessments.

IX. REVIEW OF LIBRARY RESOURCES AND INFORMATION LITERACY

A copy of the revised library review report was prepared by Sarah Vital and is attached to this proposal.