College Values // STUDENT CENTRICITY
Student-Centric Class Design Transforms Graduate Course Students rarely learn in the same way, but for most, hands-on instruction can make a tremendous difference. Dr. Stephanie Douglas, associate professor in the Department of Management, and Dr. Daisha Merritt, associate chair in the same department, set out to incorporate this student-centric approach in HROM 520: Organizational Leadership. In HROM 520, graduate students act as consultants as they move through class. The goal is to offer an applied learning experience where students support a commercial aviation company in building organizational resilience — a critical concept in today’s aerospace and aviation workplace. Douglas and Merritt saw this course design as an opportunity for students to not only understand strategies to strengthen companies, but to also learn how to apply them and monitor their impact. Recent graduate Nicholas Cannon noted, “At first I was not looking forward to this course. But then as I got into the topics and was able to see how they were used, I really enjoyed it. It has me intrigued on consulting roles with companies for this work.” Organizational resilience topics are introduced in HROM 520 through an interactive scenario, while class deliverables prompt students to utilize their foundational knowledge and apply it to an organization of their choice. All of the deliverables center on analyzing a company and its environment for opportunities and potential challenges. Each module then builds on how to proactively respond to opportunities. At the end of the course, students compile a strategic action plan. The strategic action plan is then presented as if they are pitching their ideas to the company. “The timing of this course could not have been better,” student Maria Delgado said. “The airport I work at has faced major events that we needed to react to. We are making major changes and improvements. This class helped me learn how to support the expansion at our airport. I took what we did every day in class and immediately used it to help with our airport’s expansion.” Ultimately, student centricity is evident in both HROM 520’s course development and in the building of relationships with students. Douglas and Merritt focused on personalized support and unique learning opportunities, which naturally evolved into supporting student goals and aspirations.
Dr. Stephanie Douglas Associate Professor, College of Business
Dr. Daisha Merritt Associate Chair, Department of Management and Assistant Professor, College of Business
10 | Worldwide College of Business
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