To prepare its students for careers and help industry address their talent needs. the University of Mississippi School of Business Administration has launched a program designed to enhance industry connections to students and faculty.
The BASE program — or Core for Business Analytics, Sales and Supply Chain — combines faculty knowledge with industry interests to develop educational programs that are relevant to today’s market.
Sales, supply chain and analytics are among the fastest-growing fields in business. In this environment of change and innovation, partnerships with the business community — along with experiential learning for students — are paramount to providing a quality business education, the school’s leadership says.
“BASE is about building a bridge between the university and industry so that we don’t become overly academic,” comments Barry J. Babin, chair of the school’s Department of Marketing. “So, we’re listening to and engaging with our industry partners and building relationships with the business community.”
Babin developed this concept in collaboration with other faculty to support increased industry engagement in the department and business school. The school recently hosted the first BASE Summit, marking the public launch of the initiative to prepare students for careers in evolving fields, to connect employers with up-and-coming talent, and to solve industry challenges through collaboration with faculty and business students.
By engaging students with industry partners, another goal of the program is to increase student interest in analytics and supply chains as they learn more about these growing fields.
The inaugural BASE Summit focused on sales, and in coming years organizers plan to focus on supply chains and analytics, as well as host other events, such as hackathons and sales competitions. As the program evolves, industry representatives will be invited on campus for unique opportunities to recruit students, engage with classes, and participate in experiential learning efforts. The business school is looking to secure companies as founding partners to support BASE financially. Insurance tech company Mylo and business technology solutions provided RJ Young have stepped up as the first two founding partners, with plans to add more companies in the coming year.
BASE also will involve faculty consulting, corporate learning, competitions and fellowships — all designed to nurture collaboration between faculty, students and industry leaders.
“BASE will be mutually beneficial for partner companies and a great way to connect industry with the School of Business Administration,” said Hughes Miller, the university’s director of industry engagement. “It will enhance the classroom experience for students and give companies time to engage with students and faculty. And it can foster longer-term partnerships for other types of programs.”
Source: Ole Miss
