Just as the College of Business at UTC positions its graduates for success in the competitive job market, the college itself must be positioned in a competitive effort to attract students. In recognition of the importance of establishing UTC as a leader among its peers nationwide, a focus on positioning has generated renewed energy, awareness, and pursuit of excellence, which are captured in the statement, “Academically Prepared. Work-World Ready.”
The result of an in-depth analysis of positioning and the benefits derived by students, faculty, and administration, the positioning effort was undertaken last year following the recommendation of the COB mission committee, chaired by Dr. Bento Lobo, UC Foundation Associate Professor of Finance. Early in the process, CenterBrain Partners, a firm founded 17 years ago by UTC COB graduate Jim Ebel, offered to facilitate the positioning project.
“The positioning exercise emerged from an evaluation of the college’s mission, vision, and values statements,” explains Dr. Lobo. “We determined that it was vital for us to learn more about what the community wants from our graduates, what our strengths are, and what we should do to improve ourselves.”
For several months, CenterBrain personnel conducted meetings with diverse groups, both internal and external, located in Chattanooga, Atlanta, and Nashville. These included students, faculty, parents, and employers. From these open and frank discussions, perceptions of business schools and their performance were gleaned. Armed with such critical information, ideas and action plans were formulated.
Ebel defines positioning as the way in which an entity differentiates its brand, product, or service and communicates in a compelling way, quickly telegraphing its message to a target audience. CenterBrain has worked with major corporations such as Kimberly Clark, Fruit of the Loom, KFC, and Victoria’s Secret.
“We started by gathering concepts about what the faculty and the dean thought was different about the UTC College of Business,” explains Ebel. “This was done on a one-on-one basis, and then a ‘centerstorm’ brainstorming session was held with some outside folks who were part of the college but not employed there. During that daylong session, we came up with about 50 headlines that might differentiate the college. Through lots of healthy discussion, the faculty members were very open and willing to share their thoughts. The next step was to take those headlines and talk to advisory boards, industry leaders, those involved in marketing and finance, and individuals representing the various disciplines.”
Further, CenterBrain presented concept advertising to the leaders of small, medium, and large companies. The response was specific to the need for balance between academic preparation and preparation for the world of work. According to Assistant Dean Lisa Flint, the process led by CenterBrain confirmed that positive steps were already being taken.
“It was refreshing to know that we were on track with what Jim found to be so important to the parents of students that are pursuing a business degree and the firms that hire them upon graduation,” she relates. “Parents want to know that their sons and daughters will find a job once they complete their degrees, and firms want students that can hit the ground running when they are hired.”
Ebel agrees that the identification and development of “work-world ready” skills is an ongoing priority for the college. He remarks, “We found a great deal of concern about what colleges are turning out in terms of students ready to go to work. The quality of the kids in terms of academic performance is quite good, but what seemed to be missing, and this is not unique to UTC, is that students in general needed presentation skills, to understand how to conduct themselves at a business dinner, what to wear, and the meanings of work ethic and paying your dues. These kept coming up consistently.”
Graduates of UTC’s College of Business are well-equipped academically, and to complement such quality performance, a general understanding of workplace expectations, practices, and etiquette is needed, including:
• How to prepare for and behave at a job interview
• What salary/compensation to expect
• What it takes to get promoted/move up/be successful in a job
• How to work with clients and peers
• How to work in teams
• How to manage time and meet deadlines
• How to communicate effectively
• How to network
• What constitutes appropriate dress/manners/etiquette in different settings
Within the college’s comprehensive approach to the “work- world ready” concept, Flint notes that “most professors already have real-world experience through previous employment or consulting and can share those experiences with students.”
In addition, active advisory boards comprised of leaders from the business community provide guidance to major initiatives within the college, while students are routinely invited to participate on COB committees. Classroom instruction includes projects with an applied approach to teaching. For example, students majoring in entrepreneurship are required to complete a practicum which applies business concepts, students in tax classes complete tax returns for low-income individuals, and courses for juniors and seniors include group projects and written and oral reports which incorporate PowerPoint presentations.
“A continuing assessment of the curriculum gauges program-wide student learning,” says Dr. Richard Casavant, Dean of the College of Business. “Curricula are designed to aid students pursuing professional designations such as CFA or CPA. Senior seminar provides practical advice on a number of business topics, including interviewing and business attire, and guests from the business community interact with students through our Corporate Connection program, Entrepreneurial Forum, Finance Speaker Series, and student clubs, helping bridge academia with the work world and providing networking opportunities.”
Obviously, “Academically Prepared. Work-World Ready.” is more than just a slogan or catch phrase. A concerted effort is gaining momentum, capitalizing on those aspects of the educational experience at UTC which are consistently proving effective and enhancing areas in which opportunities are identified. Respect for all stakeholders has been a key element of the positioning process.
“I am a parent,” Ebel offers, “and part of this process was assisting parents in learning. We want to make sure that parents don’t look at it and say, ‘This is my role, not the school’s.’ So, when we took it to the parents, they responded very positively and believed that we were providing what is needed. We then made a full presentation of the positioning effort to the faculty and felt that everybody bought into it. They really became engaged, and we are starting to see positioning move into the classroom.”
Although much has been accomplished, plenty of effort lies ahead during the implementation phase. “Thankfully, we are already doing great things,” says Flint, “but there is work to be done in communicating the message to our constituents and discovering new and additional ways to take the ‘work-world ready’ concept to the next level.”
In the short term, internal communication and cooperation are essential, and a clear and consistent message is to be delivered to the community at large. Finally, openness to new ideas and ways of thinking will drive and sustain the UTC COB positioning effort in the future.