A Teacher In Pursuit of an Education....

A good teacher is like a candle - it consumes itself to light the way for others...Source Unknown...

I am creating a new course for the upcoming spring semester, titled 'Global Business Process Management.' My vision is to educate juniors and seniors about business processes, and using technology and other tools to achieve operational and strategic excellence. I created a rough draft of the syllabus and sent to some former students who are currently working in large successful firms to get some feedback. One replied "It looks like you will be summarizing in this course much of what I learned during my internship/1st year of employment. This introduction to business process management/improvement will not only help students interview better but lower their learning curve once on the job. Much of what you have planned to discuss I learned on the job by translating classroom discussions into business applications. (This looks like a course I would have enjoyed!)..." Another former student said " Thank you for the opportunity to review your syllabus. From an overview read, it looks like you've included most arms of a manufacturers' organizational chart. New hires who could talk/relate in these terms would certainly have a competitive advantage. Jack Welsh, GE, 6 sigma, ...these are things I learned in grad school! Week X, balanced scorecards/dashboards, is something I deliver monthly
to our VPs of grocery sales. My firm introduced a score carding standard in 2008 and I am the source of distributing it out to the sales teams. I would be happy to guest lecture on this topic..."

In a department where innovation in the curriculum is minimal, I have been pushing the envelope in creating material that will help students navigate these treacherous times. But I have to be in touch with 'reality' as defined by the 'outside' world....A tough task.

A Rewarding Education......

With all the problems facing the country including the destruction from the divisive McPalin campaign, little things can mean a whole lot more....

For the second time this Fall, I had a former student of mine come back and talk to one of my classes. DM graduated with a degree in Accounting earlier this year, and works for a tax and audit firm where he interned in his final term in College. This morning, he took a hour off from work. He came into my office and I had a brief chat with him for twenty minutes and then he talked to my class of 25 students for about half an hour. He discussed the importance of internships, work culture, the adjustment from taking classes in College to working professionally, and other topics. I had advised DM when he joined our College as a freshman four years ago. I was amazed and delighted to see his maturity and his poise now. I was also pleased to observe how much he had learnt in the short time he has been working as a professional. Earlier in the term, I had another former student, JB, come and talk to my current students about her work. She is a 'high potential' star and is climbing the corporate ladder at one of the country's largest packaged food manufacturers. JB talked about her experiences, and how she had decided to major in Supply Chain Management. She is quite an amazing person to watch.

While the 'job' of educating the students pays my bills, the 'Education' I get is the greatest reward. Observing the products of my process, and engaging in continuous process improvement is an enriching experience- a "no brainer" reward for the thinking educationalist.

Chicago Tribune, OTOH, takes a gloomy perspective in its article "Is college worth it?" where it states that 'Money is only one of the reasons to go to college, of course. But with college costs skyrocketing and the economy worsening, the question of whether higher education is a worthy financial investment is no longer a no-brainer."