Our business is Changing Lives.
What is the EduPreneurial Spirit?
The idea behind Edupreneurial Spirit is that every employee needs to understand that the school is also a business along with being an institution of higher learning. Do you have any examples of where this is in exsistence at your school?
Joe
Is important to make sure that all employee know the importance to make feel good the students because the Institution need students to continuing make bussiness.
Our school has embraced the idea of students being the customer. We also view industry as the customer. We actively advise students in matters ranging from recommending tutoring, to unplanned parenthood. These are all issues that come up in the daily lives of people, and let’s face it; we are in the people business. Industry also appreciates the value we place on their feedback, and our willingness to serve their best interest as often as possible. I believe this creates a sound business / education strategy. The number of choices for education in a post secondary environment is ever increasing; treating each student like a customer ensures we continue to be the school of choice.
Customer service is often invoked in business discussions but rarely accurately defined and even more infrequently practiced. The EduPreneurial Spirit as described in this course is a very good description of how an educator must provide "customer service" to all of their customers. The key is to understand that the client is everyone they interact with and the service delivered is a balance of the needs of all of those clients. The student needs to be taught the hard and soft skills they are paying for yet they have obligations to pay their bills and perform the tasks required for them to lean those skills. Often it seems a conflict to discipline or fail a student when they "are paying for this". However it is in their best interest and the schools to do so when warranted.
Michael,
It appears that you like the term EduPreneurial
Spirit. It is something I can up with years ago to try to capture the essence of this sector of education.
The more that employees embrace this concept, as a culture of excellence, the more successful the campus becomes.
I appreciate your comments.
Joe
The spirit of understanding the importance of the business of school with regard to providing excellent services to students and making certain within our own domain that students are treated with upmost respect.
Our motto at our school is that we are in the business of providing quality of life, which means to us a way for both employees and students to do things that impact their lives and make it better. Our students ARE our customers, from every aspect of the program. We routinely do student feedback surveys about the program and also offer "fireside chats" with the Vice President to offer students an opportunity to make suggestions or ask questions. Once those suggestions are made, follow up and feedback back to the students is also crucial so they know they were heard.
We also recognize those who go above and beyond, whether it be a staff member or a student, with what we call an "Eagle in Flight" award. Anyone can nominate someone for this award and it is publicly recognized on our forums and electronic communication.
The best part for me is that you must get much more good feedback than bad to get a good reputation.
The 11 to 1 ratio says it all...it takes 11 positives to make up for 1 negative!!!!!
We encourage students to work together on their personal music projects. It helps their networking skills, and gets them out of their comfort zone.
BY KNOWING THAT WHAT WE DO FOR A LIVING IS NOT ONLY CHANGING LIVES BUT WE DO IT AS A BUSINESS AND THE STUDENTS ARE OUR CUSTOMERS, YOU LEARN THE EDUPRENUERIAL SPIRIT
I couldn't agree more. In our school, we have students (customers) from all over the country, and world, from all different backgrounds. Some students fly right through without the need for any extra help, but a majority of students need a little extra. I feel that everyone at our school goes the extra distance to give that to every student. Sometimes it's as simple as asking someone how there day is going, or sometimes, it's giving them some food, so their not hungry anymore. Either way, we're taking care of our customer. They are buying an education...but it's our job to keep them here, make them welcome here so that they stay long enough to achieve their dreams and get that education. I've personally helped a student develop a plan to stay in school, even though he had no place to live, and was ready to pack up and move home. When he finally graduated, it was a very proud day for all who were involved.
Steve,
Nice going!!! You truly are an "Intelligent Heart."
You also understand the business we are in.
Best,
Joe
Years ago, I attended our school as a student. Jim was one of my instructors. All of the instructors, including Jim, provided a sense of community almost to the the degree of being a family. I understand the importance of running a business. I believe treating your students as family establishes a higher degree of loyalty than treating them like customers.
Being an educator is important and it can be a rewarding job, but to really be successful I must also potray myself as a buiness person as well because I am provding a service a need. An EduPreneurial sprit can be a profitable spirit if you apply it and put it to practice for example, a school teacher provides students with tools to be successful and more success the schools as with the students the more benefits and financial property the school reaps.
I dont agree with thought that school is a place where we make student feel good. We are educators and we need to make it clear to students that school is a place where you go to learn and this a business as well. Feeling good is not going to get you a job Knowledge will. After wards you will feel good feel you get the job
I agree with that statement. Most of the students I deal with dont know how to work in teams. Colobration is important in todays world of business. I belive more emphases should be place on team building in school. Interaction is a skill required and cannot be set aside. In one form or another will be doing some kind of net working or working together with some group or someone there is no way around that
As for me the emphase that all faculty and staff are business people. As an instructor a part of my job is recruiting as well. I am forced to be a recruiter but it has been emphase that it is important enrollment increases for the survial of y job as well as others.
Sadly, most people look at everything as a business and i believe that it is a distructive way to view life. I am not knocking the idea of business because people have live and big part of our economy is business.We must not undermine kindness, caring and undersanding because that is also vital to our survval as well
