Strategic MBA Orientation

Our Expectations

As a UHV MBA student, you are expected to

• Be familiar with the mission and values of the School of Business Administration and the Master of Business Administration program and comply with the expectations outlined in this orientation, the course catalog, and your course syllabi.
• Be familiar with the strategic management process as a context for each of the required courses you will complete.
• Establish and maintain a positive relationship with UHV staff and faculty, and keep staff and faculty informed of any events or circumstances that will affect your relationship with UHV or your performance as an MBA student.
• Satisfy all requirements and conditions of admission to the program.
• Track your progress on your degree program and contact your advisor promptly to resolve questions about your enrollment.
• Verify that you have the appropriate prerequisites for your courses each semester.
• Maintain a GPA of 3.0 throughout the program, and receive no more than two Cs in MBA courses.
• Complete all degree requirements within seven years.
• Apply for graduation by the published deadline for the semester in which you will complete degree requirements.
• Ensure that the School of Business Administration has current contact information for you at all times, and visit the SBA webpage regularly for important updates as well as to obtain information on course textbooks and syllabi prior to each semester.
• Maintain high standards of academic honesty and ethical behavior.
• Use both rational and creative approaches to solving problems presented to you as learning opportunities in your courses.
• Function as a productive member of a student team when appropriate to meet course objectives.
• Conduct research that is both complete and authoritative and use the data gathered to support a position that you have taken on an issue.
• Engage in informal communication with faculty and fellow students that demonstrates your digestion of and reflection on required material, your respect for both faculty and students, and your desire for mutual edification.
• Conduct effective formal communication through application of your skills in writing papers and cases and giving presentations.
• Pursue your MBA degree in a manner that does credit to you, this program, and your current and future employers.

AACSB Accreditation Standards

The School of Business Administration is accredited by AACSB International, The Assocation to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. AACSB International accreditation represents the highest standard of achievement for business schools worldwide. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review. AACSB International accreditation is the hallmark of excellence in management education and, as such, adds value to your degree. The AACSB International accreditation standards require you to:

• Operate with integrity in your dealings with faculty and other students.
• Engage the learning materials with appropriate attention and dedication. (This standard recognizes the role students play in the creation of high quality education. You cannot be passive, nor can your participation be superficial).
• Maintain your engagement when challenged by difficult learning activities.
• Contribute to the learning of others. (Regardless of the delivery mode of the program, students should have opportunities to work together on some learning tasks. Students need to acknowledge their responsibilities to their fellow students by actively participating in group learning experiences.)
• Perform to standards set by faculty.

Teaching and Learning Partnership

Teaching and learning is a partnership between faculty and students. Faculty will fulfill their partnership obligations by serving as advisor, consultant, mentor and purveyor of general comments and clarifications of difficult or confusing concepts. You will fulfill your partnership obligations by being a fully participative, responsive, helping, and working team member of the class.

Homework, take-home exams, papers, projects, case assignments and class participation all play an important role in your education in your courses. They are an essential part of the learning process in that they require the synthesis and extension of concepts. They also help both the student and the instructor to evaluate the student's progress in mastering the material. Past experience indicates that generally the course material cannot be adequately mastered without active involvement on your part.

Discussion of homework assignments with others who are also struggling with them can be highly beneficial and is encouraged. Most real-life problems are solved through team efforts, and it is important to learn how to solve problems cooperatively. The interaction with others working on the same problem often reveals different approaches to common difficulties.

You will also satisfy your obligations as a student to the extent that you communicate with your faculty and with your academic advisor in a timely fashion.  Should you have problems with the material in a course, or situations in your professional or personal life which interfere with your ability to perform up to the School of Business Administration's expectations, you should contact your faculty and your advisor immediately to make them aware of your situation.  Do not wait until your grade in a course has already suffered before apprising the faculty and staff of your circumstances.

Academic Honesty

Each student is responsible for maintaining high standards of academic honesty and ethical behavior. In order that each student understands what is (or is not) acceptable behavior, the following guidelines are offered.

Discussions of assignments with other students and members of the faculty is both permitted and encouraged as a constructive educational practice. Students are expected to write their exams, quizzes and papers on their own, based on their individual level of progress with the material. Copying of another’s work and representing it as one’s own work is a serious academic offense, and will be treated as such. (See Student Handbook for a detailed description of the UHV Academic Honesty Policy).