Andrew,
Anyone the understands the business world relates to the Edupreneurial Spirit!!!
Sometimes employees in our Career Schools that come from the field of education are not aware
of the fact that these schools are businesses.
Joe
Retention had not been an issue at our school for many years. Our programs were short-term and students finished quickly. As we implemented longer-term, career oriented programs, we were blind-sided by a drop in our Completion Rates. We had not really taken into consideration the EduPreneurial Spirt that was necessary to see the students as our customers. We knew that the new programs could prepare the students for careers and future success, and the students "ought-a-want-a" stay in school. We did not deal with the changes we needed to make! Since then we have focused on Customer Service, Goal Setting, Student Involvement, etc. Progress is being made, but we still can do better.
A major part of the Edupreneurial Spirit is for all employees to understand and respect that the school is also a business. Employees need to know that decisions are made with both solid education and business practices in mind. Our sector is different from many other sectors of higher education in this respect.
Joe
The EduPRENEURIAL Spirit statement is so true and our school strives to live by that day in day out. We Ignite and Inpire our students and in return the outcome for students and the business will be profitable.
You are right Joe. Just understanding how important the students are to the business will make a big difference. This is also a great example of customer service at its best.
The EduPreneurial Spirit can keep you motivated. If you are not motivated or excited about what you are doing, you will not believe in it. You must be there because you want to be there not because of a paycheck. We all need to work but if that is your only motivation you will not have the drive to do a good job and to make a difference.
By fostering the idea that the student is connected to the campus; not just for their education, but as a member and participant, with a voice; it gives the student as sense of being part of something bigger than themselves. Actively seeking their input; opinions and ideas for the campus is an important aspect of the EduPreneurial Spirit. We have several student organizations active on the campus and we encourage them to seek out activities that benefit the community. This way, they represent themselves as a group, a unit, a team and develope a oneness with the school. They then mirror the positive to the community and to their fellow students; their expectations are raised and being a part of the school becomes larger than just showing up for class; it becomes an investment in themselves.
Kathy, I really like how you have worked with the students capturing the EduPreneurial spirit. This is great!
Students benefit from an EduPreneurial Spirit in several ways. First, by the education that they receive from an institution that is student centered. Second, the experience of being the focus of this spirit is “modeled†behavior for the student.
Employees and the school certainly benefit when students have a good and successful academic experience. They are likely to share that experience with others.
HI Andrea:
We are in the business of changing lives and it is a very serious business. It is easy to get bogged down in the structure of it all but making a point of connecting with students helps.
Smile, be polite, listen, help…it helps to stay connected.
Hi Ida,
The point of the Edupreneurial Spirit is that all employees understand that a career college is not only an educational institution but also a business.
Joe
I always have been clear in that we have to do the University like a business and for that the necessity to offer a good service to the students to prepare good citizens and professionals. I have been recognized by the availability and my policy of opened doors all my students and employees.
Great input Jorge. I think you have got the right idea about what an Educator and an Entrepreneur both do inside of an educational environment.
Many employees don't really respect or understand the business side of our schools.
Can you give some examples of the Edupreneurial Spirit in practice at your school?
Joe
Sure our Department of Integrated Services more than enroll an oriented our student has the time to make activities for the integration of our student and improvement their communications.
By focusing on developing and maintianing an EduPreneurial Spirit, all parties involved are positively affected and served. Many educators do not consider and/or are offended by the thought that students are "customers" and that they are in the "business" of educating students. Viewing students as customers brings to the forefront the question as to how well we are serving students. From the minute the student walks through the front door (or logs into the online classroom) they should feel that all school employees are there to serve their best interest. It is in effectvely serving our students that we serve ourselves.
It's intereresting how the perception of the word customer does cause some educators to take offense. I like what you have to say about serving the students. I would think most educators may grasp the word serving and probably feel good about it.
Serving the student is what it all about wheather you call it customer service or caring.
Great feedback!
Joe
The EduPreneurial Spirit requires that every staff and faculty member understands that the student is a customer with expectations, needs and desires, and not just a body sitting in a classroom. My personal experience was with an professor in a class that I was struggling in. When I asked him for help, he proceeded to tell me that he didn't have much time to help and how many classes he had to teach. Needless to say, I put that class on the back burner. If the staff portrays the image that they care, the students would be more inclined to care as well.
In my job every day I know that my interactions with the students will affect their retention. I want my instruction to be relevant. This means the material needs to be alive and helpful to their life! Just like Joe Pace is selling his knowledge on line for $100 plus dollars, we need to be thinking that we can prosper our school by touching lives with knowledge, wisdom and caring. What if the job disappears? Do you have what it takes to continue to educate and figure out a way to be edupreneurial at the same time? Not all people have these qualities...but we all can mentor, model, and monitor.
