RESOLUTION: SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
3/8/00
Background:
In University discussions on the issue of access of majors, and programs that are requiring a minimum GPA which is higher than the general University minimum for acceptance into the program, much of the discussion has focused on the business programs, and especially the New Brunswick School of Business.
Issues:
1. Demand has exceeded capacity:
In the Fall of 1997, the number of pre-Business students in New Brunswick jumped more than 50% (from 1400 to 2100). Currently there are 2576 pre-Business students, an increase of about 25% over last year.
Major problem: Space and resources. All Finance courses are beyond room capacity. Certain courses can only be offered once a year. There is not enough faculty to meet demands.
2. Admissions GPA:
Until this year, the de facto required GPA for transfer to the New Brunswick School of Business has been 3.0, although this figure has never been stated in writing as an admissions requirement. Admission as an accounting, finance, or MSIS major (which account for 75-80% of School of Business majors) required a 3.1 GPA.
For Fall 1999, in order to be able to match enrollment to resources the transfer GPA had to be raised to 3.1 for all majors except finance, which now has a 3.15 GPA requirement.
In March of this year the FOM faculty approved a resolution stating that resources permitting, students who have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.2 along with grades of at least "B" in the statistics, calculus, and accounting eligibility courses would be admitted into the School of Business.
In the Fall of 1999, discussions began in Newark between the Faculty of Management and NCAS about the possibility of direct admissions into the School of Management; the New Brunswick School of Business Fellows have also begun discussing direct (joint) admissions.
RECOMMENDATION:
In light of the extraordinary demand for the programs offered by the School of Business; their current lack of adequate resources to meet those demands; and the subsequent access issues raised by an escalating GPA admissions requirement.
And as the direct admission of students into the School of Business would