University of Finance - Marketing

Sep
16

Assessment-to-Improvement

9 ACBSP

From Assessment Findings to Meaningful Improvement

At the University of Finance – Marketing (UFM), assessment is not viewed as an end in itself. Assessment results are systematically used to identify strengths, improvement needs, and priorities for action.

For the High-Quality, Fully English-Taught Undergraduate Programs in Marketing, Business Administration, and International Business, the assessment-to-improvement process connects program review with concrete improvement planning and implementation.

The process follows a continuous cycle:

Assessment → Findings → Improvement Priorities → Action Planning → Implementation → Monitoring → Further Improvement

This approach enables each program to use evidence and stakeholder input to strengthen its educational quality and ensure that improvement activities are aligned with program objectives and student learning.

Our Assessment-to-Improvement Process

1. Assess

The programs conduct systematic assessment and review across key areas of educational quality, including program objectives, Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs), curriculum, teaching and learning, student assessment, faculty, student support, learning resources, facilities, stakeholder engagement, and graduate outcomes.

2. Identify

Assessment results are reviewed to identify areas of strength as well as areas where further enhancement is needed.

3. Prioritize

Improvement priorities are established based on the identified needs and the program's development objectives.

4. Plan

Specific improvement actions, responsible units, and implementation timelines are established through formal improvement plans.

5. Implement

The approved improvement actions are implemented by relevant academic and administrative units.

6. Monitor and Review

Implementation is monitored and reviewed through subsequent program assessment and reporting.

7. Continue the Cycle

Results from the improvement process provide inputs for subsequent planning and further quality enhancement.

Three Programs, One Continuous Improvement Approach

The assessment-to-improvement process has been implemented for three High-Quality, Fully English-Taught Undergraduate Programs:

Marketing
Business Administration
International Business

Although each program has its own characteristics and improvement priorities, the three programs follow a consistent institutional approach to assessment, planning, implementation, and review.

Marketing Program

The Marketing Program's improvement plan addresses identified opportunities for strengthening program quality across 11 standards. The improvement priorities include program learning outcomes, curriculum alignment, teaching and learning, student assessment, faculty development, student support, learning resources, facilities, quality monitoring, stakeholder engagement, and graduate outcomes.

Key Improvement Priorities

AreaImprovement response
Program Structure and CurriculumReview and update curriculum content and course structure to maintain alignment with program requirements and stakeholder needs.
Teaching and LearningStrengthen teaching and learning approaches and promote appropriate improvements based on feedback and assessment results.
Student AssessmentReview assessment practices and strengthen the use of assessment information to support student learning and program improvement.
FacultyStrengthen faculty development, evaluation, professional development, and the capacity to deliver the fully English-taught program.
Students and Student SupportEnhance student support mechanisms and use student feedback to improve educational services.
Learning ResourcesContinue to improve learning resources, information technology, library resources, and related student support.
FacilitiesReview and enhance facilities and equipment supporting teaching and learning.
Quality AssessmentStrengthen mechanisms for collecting, analyzing, and using quality-related information.
StakeholdersStrengthen engagement with students, alumni, employers, and other stakeholders and use feedback for improvement.
Graduate OutcomesImprove the collection and monitoring of graduate, alumni, and employer information and use the results in program development.

The Marketing improvement plan includes actions related to the use of survey results for teaching improvement, feedback collection and utilization, quality survey mechanisms, stakeholder relationships, alumni and employer engagement, satisfaction monitoring, and improvement planning.

Business Administration Program

For the Business Administration Program, the improvement process focuses on strengthening the alignment and effectiveness of the program from program objectives and curriculum through teaching, assessment, faculty development, student support, resources, stakeholder engagement, and graduate outcomes.

Key Improvement Priorities

AreaImprovement response
Program Learning OutcomesReview and update PLO-related documentation and strengthen alignment between PLOs and the curriculum.
Program Structure and CurriculumUpdate program descriptions, course information, curriculum components, and PLO contribution matrices.
Teaching and LearningStrengthen communication of educational philosophy and PLOs and promote active teaching and learning approaches.
Student AssessmentReview assessment practices and strengthen assessment-related processes and faculty capacity.
FacultyUpdate faculty recruitment, development, evaluation, and professional development mechanisms.
Faculty Capacity for English-Medium DeliveryStrengthen faculty capacity and conditions for delivering courses in English and supporting student learning.
Students and Student SupportStrengthen student recruitment, support, monitoring of student progress, and mechanisms for responding to student feedback.
Learning ResourcesContinue improving learning resources, information technology, library services, and support for student activities.
Facilities and Graduate OutcomesImprove facilities and learning resources while strengthening monitoring of graduate outcomes.
Stakeholder EngagementStrengthen external expert and employer feedback and use stakeholder input to improve teaching and learning.
Alumni, Employers and Research EngagementExpand relationships with institutions and employers, improve graduate/alumni information, establish relevant KPIs, and strengthen policies encouraging student research and professional activities.

The Business Administration improvement plan specifically includes actions to expand relationships with other institutions and employers, strengthen graduate and alumni data, and establish policies, KPIs, and periodic review mechanisms for student research and professional activities.

International Business Program

For the International Business Program, improvement priorities respond particularly to the program's international orientation and the need to ensure continued alignment between program learning outcomes, curriculum content, stakeholder expectations, teaching and learning, and graduate outcomes.

Key Improvement Priorities

AreaImprovement response
Program Learning OutcomesReview PLOs and strengthen or update PLO content where appropriate.
CurriculumReview and update curriculum content and introduce or strengthen courses relevant to foreign markets, logistics, international trade, and related areas.
Curriculum–PLO AlignmentReview specialized courses and their contribution to PLO achievement.
Teaching and LearningStrengthen communication of the educational philosophy and PLOs, teaching methods, and the use of feedback.
FacultyStrengthen faculty recruitment and development, English-medium teaching capacity, ICT application, teaching, and assessment practices.
Faculty DevelopmentImplement long-term faculty development planning, workload management, professional development, and professional standards.
StudentsStrengthen student recruitment, student support, and monitoring of student learning progress.
Learning ResourcesImprove learning resources, IT infrastructure, library services, and student access to relevant learning systems.
FacilitiesContinue improving facilities, equipment, library resources, and student support conditions.
Quality AssessmentStrengthen stakeholder feedback, teaching and assessment practices, faculty training, and survey mechanisms.
Graduate Outcomes and StakeholdersImprove collection and monitoring of graduation and employment information, strengthen alumni and employer engagement, and use stakeholder feedback and KPIs to support improvement.

The International Business improvement plan is structured around these areas, including curriculum enhancement related to international markets and trade, specialized-course alignment, faculty development, student support, learning resources, stakeholder feedback, and graduate outcomes.

Improvement Planning and Accountability

Improvement actions are not implemented as isolated activities. Each program establishes improvement priorities and assigns implementation responsibilities to relevant academic and administrative units.

Depending on the improvement area, responsibilities may involve:

•    Faculties and academic departments
•    Office of Academic Affairs
•    Office of Testing and Quality Assurance
•    Office of Student Affairs
•    Research-related units
•    Other relevant administrative and support units

Implementation timelines are established within the improvement plans, with activities extending across the 2024–2026 improvement cycle.

This structure supports accountability and enables UFM to monitor whether planned actions have been implemented and whether further action is required.

From Improvement Plans to Implementation

The improvement plans established the priorities and actions for the three programs. Subsequent mid-term reports provide a review of the implementation and the quality assessment results.

The three mid-term reports were prepared in February 2026 for the Marketing, Business Administration, and International Business programs.

The assessment results demonstrate that:

Marketing
50/50 criteria met — 100%
Business Administration
50/50 criteria met — 100%
International Business
50/50 criteria met — 100%

These results provide an important checkpoint in the improvement cycle. They demonstrate that the programs have responded to the requirements assessed in the quality review while continuing to identify opportunities for further enhancement.

The Improvement Cycle Continues

UFM recognizes that continuous improvement is an ongoing process rather than a one-time project.

Accordingly, an improvement action may be:

Completed → Monitored → Evaluated → Standardized → Further Improved

The results of one assessment cycle become inputs for the next cycle.

This ensures that improvement activities remain responsive to:

•    Student learning needs
•    Stakeholder expectations
•    Changes in the business environment
•    Faculty and academic development
•    Graduate and employment outcomes
•    Program assessment results
•    Institutional priorities

At UFM, assessment creates the evidence, improvement plans translate evidence into action, and subsequent assessment determines the direction of further improvement.

Tags: Assessment-to-Improvement