News
Faculty Spotlight: Deans Falco and Taylor Interviewed by the Rochester Business Journal on Matching Programs to Meet Evolving Workplace Needs
Higher ed institutions seek student, community input on programs to match evolving workplace needs
By Kevin Oklobzija, Rochester Business Journal
Just as businesses must display an ability to adjust and adapt to changing technologies and consumer demands, so, too, must institutions of higher learning if they are to best prepare students to join the workforce.
That’s why area universities are continually altering curriculum and conferring with employers to ensure class offerings and experiential learning match the needs of the real world.
“We work hard to stay connected to local businesses,” said Laura Falco, dean of the School of Business at Roberts Wesleyan University. “We have a national business council, which has executives from all around the country, but a lot of them are local, and they are passionate about cultivating character-driven leaders.
“And we’re all about partnerships. It’s really what we’re using and leveraging for growth as a small, private school, to be able to offer versatile, flexible and broad programs that meet the needs of the students but also the employers.”
That’s why Roberts Wesleyan intends to introduce eight new majors that cater to student interests and also match workplace needs. The school is currently awaiting approval from New York State to implement the programs.
Roberts Wesleyan also embraces providing students with a less-rigid course grid.
“It’s finding as much flexibility as you can and re-designing to see if there are ways to reduce some of the traditional credits to allow more space for customization in their majors, maybe adding another minor or some of the target areas that are going to make them more marketable,” said Jason Taylor, dean of the School of Natural & Social Science at Roberts.
Some alterations of student learning experience involve more intangible elements. Yes, the fundamentals of a particular major are critical, but so are life skills.