Mike Tidwell, Dean of the College of Business, and I started a dialogue in 2010 about new and evolving ways to teach business. I pushed to shift the curriculum sequence and content to introduce students to the big picture of running a business earlier in their course selection, hoping to show that all elements of a business are interconnected while providing a better understanding of the importance of each course. Talking through employers’ needs, Mike also wanted to add soft skills development so that graduates would be immediately productive. Mike put together a team of five fully engaged professors, built a comprehensive plan to meet the objectives we discussed and presented that plan to me along with a rather large price tag. He said that if I would fund it, he and his team would build and deliver it. I agreed and made the donation in mid-2011 with the proviso that the first business conference would occur in the 2011 fall semester. And so, it began. Fifteen years later and shifting through evolving leadership, the program continues to grow and improve, constantly adapting to the changing landscape of education and business needs. We knew ZIPD would benefit the students and hoped that it would engage faculty and staff but were completely surprised by the impact and participation of BU alumni who continue to enthusiastically support ZIPD, making it the signature program for alumni engagement at BU and confirming that everything about a well-run operation is indeed interconnected. What we have learned over the 15 years from companies hiring students is that these soft skills matter to employers as much as the standard curriculum. Companies have hired students right at the ZIPD Conference, which is certainly a measure of success. Going forward, ZIPD is being deployed across the three Commonwealth campuses and hopefully will gravitate to the community colleges. My wife JoAnn and I tell people that when we attend this conference, not only do we experience an extraordinary energy level, but we also see the participating students as the best that CU has to offer. I believe that ZIPD gives these students a significant advantage over other graduates as they enter the workforce. On a personal note, participating in ZIPD has consistently enriched my life, and I hope that all ZIPD participants enjoy a high level of personal satisfaction and value.
Terry Zeigler ’76, president and CEO of Datacap Systems Inc., and wife, JoAnn Schultz Zeigler ’77.
Terry Zeigler ’76 President & CEO of Datacap Systems Inc.
Honoring 15 Years of Excellence: Past, Present and Future
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