JBU Unveils Redesigned Organizational Management Program
SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. (March 20, 2013) - John Brown University has announced an updated curriculum for its Organizational Management degree, which is offered through the university’s Degree Completion Program.
“We saw the need for a business program that prepares aspirational, mid-career professionals to move up in their organizations, and to take on greater leadership roles,” said Dr. Joe Walenciak, associate dean for the College of Business. “It’s the twentieth anniversary of our Organizational Management program, so this was a natural point for us to ask ourselves what we need moving forward to ensure that we’re providing the best opportunity for our adult students to get a quality business education.”
Redesigned in consultation with program alumni and corporate hiring directors, the updated program emphasizes the key skills that so many employers seek when hiring managers: critical thinking, effective communication and ethical decision-making.
“My clients come to me to find that person who is the best fit for a specific role in their company,” said David Bates, executive recruiter at Cameron Smith and Associates. “While different positions call for different skillsets, the very best candidates I see all have a few qualities in common: excellent communication skills, verbal and written; attention to detail in every aspect of their work and an overall sense of integrity and honesty in how they deal with people.”
The new program will also focus on the diversity in today’s economy. “Graduates of the Organizational Management program will understand how to navigate a workplace where people can be very different and yet come together for a common goal,” Walenciak said.
Alumni like Anita Williams, senior director of human resources for a major retailer, provided valuable input into the curriculum change. “The new courses in the program are spot-on to help managers succeed in today’s corporate environment,” Williams said. “Being able to communicate on a global level is crucial.”
JBU began the Degree Completion Program in 1993 to extend its mission of providing a quality Christian education to working adults. Since that time, nearly 3,000 students have graduated with degrees in Organizational Management. The OM program currently serves students in Fort Smith, Harrison, Little Rock, Rogers and the Sam M. Walton Development Center in Bentonville. For more information, visit www.jbu.edu/dcp/om.
John Brown University is a private Christian university, ranked No. 2 overall and No. 1 Best Value among Southern regional colleges by U.S. News & World Report and listed as one of America’s Best Colleges by Forbes. JBU enrolls more than 2,200 students from 40 states and 39 countries in its traditional undergraduate, graduate, degree completion and concurrent education programs. JBU is a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities and a founding member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability.
