To: LCB Educational Enrichment Task Force (EETF)
From: Austin Jagels, Accounting Major
Date: January 15, 2014
Re: Enhanced Programs to Provide Undergraduate Students with Practical Experience
Students in the LCB have many opportunities to add value to their education by participating in out of class activities that are currently available. The specific area I am focusing on is the availability of opportunities for students to apply principles learned in class in a practical setting. This memo outlines the benefits of applied experience for students, the current LCB programs that address this need, and the reasoning behind altering the way that this need is being met.
Description of the Need
Undergraduates who have been accepted into a major and those who still have Pre-Business status can enhance their knowledge by observing and actively participating in professional environments. Pre-business students who are able to spend time with professionals from a variety of fields are better able to clearly identify their personal interests. This ensures that they can understand the realities of their future career and pick a major with confidence.
Class projects and lectures cannot fully simulate the job experience that students need to be successful after graduation. By necessity, most classwork is contrived to create specific circumstances that illustrate certain ideas. Real world scenarios:
- Require individuals to adapt to changing conditions.
- Need creativeproblemsolvers.
- Involve more time than two hour classes provide.
Many graduates have little actual work experience and as a result are at a disadvantage in the job market. Other schools have more developed internship programs that allow their undergraduates to gain experience. The next section describes the way this need is currently being satisfied.
Existing Applied Experience Programs
The LCB has some programs in place that are designed to provide undergraduates with job experience and understanding of various career options.
Job Shadow
This is a newly created program that targets Pre-Business students, but can also be used by students who have been accepted into a major. Students can sign up to spend one day with a professional in a field of their interest. This is a good step that will help students understand what to expect in a work environment.
Internships for Underclassmen
Most of the internship opportunities provided by LCB Career Services are geared towards seniors who are nearing graduation but there are some designed for undergraduates. There are international internships but spaces are limited and some students may have logistical barriers that prevent participation. Career Services also posts local internship opportunities. The current availability does not serve the vast majority of LCB students.
Clubs and Campus Groups
Clubs like Beta Alpha Psi and Alpha Kappa Psi supplement classroom education by exposing students to active experiences of the business world. Many students could benefit from this, but the percentage of undergraduate business students who participate is low. Alpha Kappa Psi has only 50 active members at the university.
Why a New Approach is Needed
Under current conditions there is a shortage of available options for non-senior LCB students to gain career-based experience. Providing new alternatives will enable these students to be more prepared for challenges after graduation. Students want to achieve successful entry into the job market and the LCB also benefits when this happens.
Students who are proven to be capable on the job through applied experience have a competitive advantage and the LCB becomes recognized as a primary source for well-prepared graduates. Potential employers are assured that there will be a smooth transition from school to work for these graduates. In addition to the development of the new programs students need to be made aware of the benefits offered to ensure higher levels of participation.
In closing, students need new ways to test their knowledge in professional environments beyond the classroom. Creating new options for students to apply their knowledge will benefit them and improve the standing of the LCB in the eyes of recruiters. This is an opportune time for the EETF to examine the gaps in current programs that address this need and create a system that will serve more LCB students.