I had the opportunity to teach at two different universities. In one of them, I taught Strategic Planning, Creativity (Innovation), and Business Fundamentals; where I got a Bachelors degree in Business Administration. In the second one, I taught Marketing in order to help the students developing their ideas into feasible market products.
There was however a big difference in these two universities.
Years ago, in the first university, some engineering students used to belittle the business students. In other words, and according to some, Business students were “lazy”, “stupid”, and the ones who could not enter other undergraduate programs, and who didn’t have the necessary intelligence to deal with higher level Mathematics.
To some extent, it was true, but there were other business students who wanted to excel and some others who where the children of successful entrepreneurs and business executives who wanted to have the best education possible and contribute to the society.
As controversial as it was, the business and engineering faculties got the same high standards for Mathematics. The idea came from the students.
When I was a freshman in the Faculty of Business, I attended the Students’ Assemblies where we as students got a chance to be heard. What we discussed was usually the same: The long lines on the copying machines and the lack of space in the parking lot. Once in a while, other topics were discussed but they were given little attention. Whining, complaining, and shouting. You can imagine.
Active business students who believed that when “you are not part of the solution, you might be part of the problem”; pushed Mathematics to be raised. As a result, more and more students were involved, finally the long lines and parking topics were solved; and the more we participated in finding the solutions, the more we loved our University. A dynamic University with the capacity to listen, and learn.
In the second University, it amazed me the level of dissatisfaction of the students. I was there to teach Marketing and found in the position to listen to their complaints.
In the Business Formation I was given, I was taught that in business you listen to everyone, you take the customers’ complaints, collect them, analyze them, get ideas, and implement them.
So this is what we did.
In a three-hour class students sat down and wrote all the complaints they had: locations, supplies, teachers, programs, etc, etc… Everything!
I went home, put them all together in writing, and gave a copy to each student. I remember the list having more than 50 different complaints.
Students sat down again by pairs, but this time, they had to go and find out if what they were saying was true. Time for research and make presentations about their findings. The list, of course, went down.
Then, for each problem, they had to find at least five solutions. Hard work!
At the end, we pulled the solutions together and then we thought of a solution that involved them all. The result?
Communication. Clear, direct, honest communication derived from research.
While some people are just whining –not pointing out problems—without thinking of solutions; other people are working hard to find the solutions.
There was however a big difference in these two universities.
Years ago, in the first university, some engineering students used to belittle the business students. In other words, and according to some, Business students were “lazy”, “stupid”, and the ones who could not enter other undergraduate programs, and who didn’t have the necessary intelligence to deal with higher level Mathematics.
To some extent, it was true, but there were other business students who wanted to excel and some others who where the children of successful entrepreneurs and business executives who wanted to have the best education possible and contribute to the society.
As controversial as it was, the business and engineering faculties got the same high standards for Mathematics. The idea came from the students.
When I was a freshman in the Faculty of Business, I attended the Students’ Assemblies where we as students got a chance to be heard. What we discussed was usually the same: The long lines on the copying machines and the lack of space in the parking lot. Once in a while, other topics were discussed but they were given little attention. Whining, complaining, and shouting. You can imagine.
Active business students who believed that when “you are not part of the solution, you might be part of the problem”; pushed Mathematics to be raised. As a result, more and more students were involved, finally the long lines and parking topics were solved; and the more we participated in finding the solutions, the more we loved our University. A dynamic University with the capacity to listen, and learn.
In the second University, it amazed me the level of dissatisfaction of the students. I was there to teach Marketing and found in the position to listen to their complaints.
In the Business Formation I was given, I was taught that in business you listen to everyone, you take the customers’ complaints, collect them, analyze them, get ideas, and implement them.
So this is what we did.
In a three-hour class students sat down and wrote all the complaints they had: locations, supplies, teachers, programs, etc, etc… Everything!
I went home, put them all together in writing, and gave a copy to each student. I remember the list having more than 50 different complaints.
Students sat down again by pairs, but this time, they had to go and find out if what they were saying was true. Time for research and make presentations about their findings. The list, of course, went down.
Then, for each problem, they had to find at least five solutions. Hard work!
At the end, we pulled the solutions together and then we thought of a solution that involved them all. The result?
Communication. Clear, direct, honest communication derived from research.
While some people are just whining –not pointing out problems—without thinking of solutions; other people are working hard to find the solutions.
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