A Message from the Dean
Photo by WSU Photo Services
Dear friends,
How do we balance support for our students in a post-pandemic world while challenging them to make the most of their opportunities to learn? This is a hot topic for discussion in our college and among our stakeholders. It’s also a theme evident throughout this issue of Dividend.
Our cover story reflects what we learned during our switch to “Zoom University”—when our historic experience in distance delivery allowed us to pivot quickly and effectively. Accomplishing our goals while delivering remote classes to students accustomed to in-person instruction was not simple. For example, streaming allowed us to accommodate ill students, but we found attendance—and classroom interaction—plummeted when we extended this flexibility to all students. We also learned that without face-to-face experiences, many of our students had to work harder to develop the habits we expect of all Carson Cougs.
These insights pushed us harder to deliver innovative programs that prepare students for tomorrow’s world today.
Throughout this issue, you’ll learn about these programs and why they’re thriving. For example, our Carson Career Amplifier requires all Carson Cougs to complete a high impact learning experience before they graduate. Study abroad is one of their options. This year, we developed a new study abroad program in the United Arab Emirates. Learning about Dubai’s luxury hotel and tourism industry influenced Kaiya Phillips, an international business and marketing student, to add a hospitality minor, something she’d never considered. She’s also planning an internship at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management after graduating from WSU.
This is just one example of how innovation is taking The Next Carson Coug (TNCC) undergraduate education platform to a new level, and in some cases, literally changing students’ educational and career paths.
Our focus on innovation extends to building opportunities for first-generation students. This issue highlights alumni support through mentoring and paid internships for our Expanding Diverse Group Experiences (EDGE) program. And a feature on WSU Everett’s faculty member Joseph Scott Gladstone illustrates his work to bring diverse voices into the field of business management and to represent research from Indigenous viewpoints.
Additionally, our online MBA program shines as the first choice for working students in the Pacific Northwest and for its service to veteran students. Matt Beer’s article showcases a suite of new resources that support students actively transitioning from the military.
Across the college, we’ve developed new, creative approaches that bring life to TNCC’s vision of producing career-ready graduates. You’ll read about the inaugural marketing symposium launched last spring, a Center for Professional Sales education at WSU Pullman, recent industry collaboration supporting entrepreneurship and wine and beverage education, and a pilot program focused on solving senior living industry challenges.
As you page through this issue, I encourage you to accept our invitation to engage with the Carson College, and in doing so, to help students find paths to success in tomorrow’s business world.
Go Cougs!
Chip Hunter
@ChipHunterWSU
