Changing Landscape of Today’s Business Schools

All of us are affected by the global happenings and so do the business schools too. Despite the fact that they are thriving after the recession, they are also influenced by numerous external factors. What factors are driving this change- AACBE conducted among its accredited member institutes deans a survey to know the same. 

 

The study found out that there are four top drivers: the emergence of new competitors, rapid changes in the economy, shifts in funding sources and changes in how business organizations function. Other factors were compliance and regulatory issues, privatization and venture capital, and intellectual property rights. However all these mentioned factors are external factors and are of less significance for the core operations of the business institution.

 

The researchers noted that most change drivers were independent, though a few clusters of interrelated factors did emerge. In one cluster, these interrelated change drivers were those that reflected a global, e-business, anytime, anywhere mindset: the global bazaar and the erosion of geo boundaries; the shifting of resources to e-learning; the possibility of conducting business activity anytime, anywhere; the increased need for speed; and exploding opportunities in e-business. In a second cluster, one that focused on core business changes, the combined drivers were: the rapid changes in the economy and changes in how business organizations function.

With the external factors brining about the changes, it calls for academic leaders to develop a number of skill sets to be successful. The required skill set according to the respondents of the survey included interpersonal, relationship-building, and influence skills essential for their success. In these skills are also independent and dependent: human resource and recruiting/staffing skills; negotiation and employment law skills; selling, marketing, and public relations skills; and problem finding/solving and decision-making skills; and as e-business and IT knowledge and understanding, and global business understanding respectively.

Business schools that are internationally reputed and possess international accreditations such as from AACBE, do not have to face the problem of emergence of competitors and financial endowments. However, they are faced by issues such as the doctoral faculty shortage; the global bazaar and erosion of geo boundaries; intellectual property rights; compliance and regulatory issues; privatization and venture capital; exploding opportunities in e-business; and rapid changes in the economy. For these same schools, the following skill sets were also more important: strategic planning and forecasting skills; human resource and recruiting/staffing skills; selling, marketing, and public relations skills problem-solving and decision-making skills; and fund-raising and grant-getting skills.

As an ending note, the AACBE found out that for business institutes and students to be successful in todays world, they need to develop skills of relationship-building, managing change, building effective teams, planning and forecasting, defining and communicating a vision, and fund raising.

Global Acceptability of Online Business Education

Online education is on a rise and is replacing on-campus education so rapidly that the AACBE predicts deserted traditional universities around the world in the next three decades. As a result, many educational universities are switching their traditional educational programs to online mode. It is predicted that by 2020 more than 100 million Americans alone will be taking up adult education programs, combining online learning with short on-campus courses.

Business education has been transformed by interactive information technology at present and in the future is bound to transform through the Internet and two-way satellite communications. The experts at AACBE forsee that within the next few years, students across the world will have instant access to the world's best teachers, through an extensive variety of sources: the Internet, satellite, digital video discs, two-way conferencing, CD-ROMs and multimedia interactive study.

Online business education is booming owing to the availability of the information technologies that make it all possible. As high-speed Internet access becomes available in more and more homes, learning from the web becomes easier. Plus, you can learn at your own pace, which is extremely helpful for people with families. It makes it so much easier to balance work life, home life, and your education.

Secondly, online business education is pursued because of the fact that it allows you to further your career options while continuing full-time employment. Due to the recession, the corporate world has become increasingly competitive and people have to live up to the employers expectations. This is where online business courses are becoming popular. Such online education programs can also be tailored to fit individual needs, whether you need an associate degree or an MBA.

Beyond the benefit of convenience, affordability and a wider choice of courses, the appeal of online business education vastly include a changing culture among students, who grew up with computers.

Business Students Study Trends

Owing to the financial recession, unemployment is on the rise and employers are concerned about worker skills. For students this is an ideal opportunity to return to higher education whether online or a physical university.

According to a research conducted by AACBE, students enrolling in two-year colleges offering business and management courses are the fastest growing higher education population, and growth of enrollment in higher education for people over 25 is expected to outpace that of younger students through 2016.

With these facts and new adult students pouring in, new challenges have risen for institutional study programs and personnel. Many adult students take distance courses. Institutes need to offer business and management course online. Also because online learning often lacks direct contact with faculty and staff on campus, supporting these students can be challenging. In-house systems should provide a controlled environment and can engage students directly. In the world of the online adult learner, this is rarely the case.

AACBE accredited member institutes have all the benefits and strategies that are needed by an online student. They have made their shift to online learning that impacts students, instructors, and the information professionals who support them. Also the instructors at AACBE accredited institutes have no difficulty in developing and managing online courses. Online students also often have little experience working online and need help navigating content and performing learning tasks. So they have facilities for that too.

Some instructors are online innovators, and some adult students are Internet savvy. This can be a blessing and curse for technologists. Courses using wikis, blogs, and Google Docs provide adult students the opportunity to learn in real-life contexts using a variety of work-related tools and skills. But the experience can come at the cost of lost structure and control.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Assistantships are meant for students who are concerned about paying their tuition fees and getting good jobs.

According to CNN Money, the average tuition fees at public universities has increased by 8.3%, and that too for undergraduates only. So, to avoid excess debt, students of AACBE accredited institutes can pursue a graduate teaching assistantship or TA position at their institutes. If cost or debt is not a concern for you, an assistantship is still something worth exploring, as it can increase your attractiveness to potential employers. Either way, a teaching assistantship is a great employment option for full-time graduate students.

Job Description of Graduate Teaching Assistant (TA)

A TA is usually required to work 10 to 20 hours per week. These hours not only include teaching in a classroom but also grading papers and assignments. They also get an opportunity to create syllabus, teaching materials and set achievement standards for students. As a result, students start looking to their TA for guidance and answers to questions that they may not feel comfortable asking their professor.

Financial Rewards

A TA's compensation may include a stipend or hourly pay. The stipend or hourly wage may not be a large amount, however it surely helps. The largest contribution stemming from an assistantship is tuition reimbursement or coverage at your AACBE accredited institution. This automatically solves the debt problem after graduation.

Professional Experience

Experience gained from an assistantship is immeasurable. The more a TA puts into the job, the more he or she gets out of it. The opportunity to network with your professors, guest speakers or anyone else for that matter is immense. The practice speaking in front of large groups is a vital skill for today’s workplace. A TA also gains experience in a management role, something that many young professionals wait years to learn. There also are many practical benefits of becoming a TA outside of teaching. Assistants may see an improvement in their organizational skills, presenting styles, and planning capabilities. Depending on the course taught, a TA also will have opportunities to expand his or her knowledge of course topics through research and working directly with faculty experts.

How to Apply?

It is important to understand that every university, department, and school operates differently. Required qualifications and tuition reimbursement policies among programs may not be the same, however; it is important to keep those items in mind when looking for the right opening. In addition to initial qualifications for a TA position, maintenance of certain qualifications throughout the assistantship is required. For example, your number of enrolled hours is important. A TA has to be enrolled in a minimum number of graduate courses to continue as an assistant. As always, a solid GPA is vital as well. Without acceptable grades, the professor or adviser may not see the TA as an adequate representative of the university. The TA’s academic standing also may determine what opportunities he or she may qualify for. The assistant must be available on certain days for the obvious reason of teaching the course. Professors usually meet with their TA’s during the week to discuss lesson plans, assignments, and grading. Lastly, international students’ reimbursement and qualifications may differ from domestic students.

It is recommended to apply after acceptance into the program, but it is not necessary. Many universities post assistantships similar to other university job opportunity. Some schools have separate listings within each college or department. Speaking with a student adviser to explore the different openings and departmental needs also can be a great place to begin. Once you identify an assistantship, you may likely will be required to complete an application and provide recommendation letters.