To better equip students for future careers, the College of Business Administration is integrating new preparation activities into core classes.
No new courses have been created to accommodate the new curriculum. Rather, three core COBA classes are expected to incorporate the material into lesson plans. These courses are Introduction to Business and Organizational Behavior. The senior capstone course for business majors is also being considered.
“[Employers] just beg for students to be prepared,” said Tim Johnston, assistant dean of COBA. “This is a proactive way for students to pace out their preparations.”
The Introduction to Business course has already taken the step into integrating a Type Focus assessment. The Type Focus is similar to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator personality test. The Myers-Briggs works by assessing a person’s personality based on answers from personality-focused questions. The one answering the questions ends up with a four-letter personality type, each letter representing a trait such as extraversion or intuition. COBA’s Type Focus will have sixteen different combinations like the Myers-Briggs.
For Organizational Behavior, students will learn about specific job descriptions and learn how to write résumés that fulfill certain descriptions. Students will learn how to impress potential employers with their résumés.
“It’ll help people understand their roles in business,” Johnston said. “It’ll help connect the dots as being a potential manager.”
The final addition will relate to professional communication and will possibly be integrated into the senior capstone course. The idea for the professional communication integration is for students to become more comfortable in the interview environment. Mock interviews will substitute oral presentations, rather than students presenting in front of a class. Conducting successful job searches will also play a key role in this career development plan.
Dr. Monty Lynn, associate dean and professor of management sciences, described the new preparation activities as a way for students to prepare for life, not just to find jobs. Lynn emphasized the unique interests of female students.
“Many of our female students have told us that they want to care for children at home as well as have a career,” Lynn said. “We’re listening more carefully to our female students and helping them find career paths that accentuate their gifts and interests.”
