Integrating Soft Skills Assessment through University, College, and Programmatic Efforts at an AACSB Accredited Institution

Authors

Debbie Beard, Southeast Missouri State University
Dana Schweiger, Southeast Missouri State University
Ken Surendran, Southeast Missouri State University

Abstract

The growing demand for verification that students are, indeed, learning what they need to learn is driving institutions and programs to develop tools for assessing the level of knowledge and skills of their graduating students. One such tool, the Information Systems Analyst (ISA) certification, is a recently developed instrument for measuring eight skill areas based upon the IS2002 Model Curriculum. While the exam strongly evaluates the technical skill set of Information Systems (IS) majors, in this paper, the authors suggest additional means of addressing and measuring requisite soft skills for Information Technology (IT), accounting, and other business students. In this article, the authors address the concerns voiced by the employers of college graduates regarding the apparent insufficient competency in soft skills and suggest an assurance of learning model for incorporating these skills into curricula. In addition, the authors share activities at the university, college, and program level to integrate the assessment of soft skills at educational institutions.

Recommended Citation

Beard, Debbie; Schweiger, Dana; and Surendran, Ken (2008) "Integrating Soft Skills Assessment through University, College, and Programmatic Efforts at an AACSB Accredited Institution," Journal of Information Systems Education: Vol. 19 : Iss. 2 , 229-240.
Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/jise/vol19/iss2/11