What about the BUS department?

Opinion Piece
Vladimir Popov
Victoria Kotova
April 30, 2010

The recession definitely lowered the chances of graduating seniors to get hired. We, the seniors, are also anxious about the upcoming graduation. But one way or another there is something we want to say before we put on our caps and gowns. While still here, we asked ourselves a question about the quality of education at AUBG, in particular of the Business Administration (BUS) major that we had chosen a few years ago. We thought of several issues that are considered strengths by some and weaknesses by others – that stand in the way of having quality education AUBG claims to be famous for.

Judging by the number of students on the Dean’s (296) as well as the Presidential (143) lists this year, an outside observer would say the university has a great number of overachievers. Having such high grades must mean there are a lot of exceptional students who meet the highest expectations their professors set. This means students show they have all the skills that are listed as the learning outcomes in the syllabi. To any student it is obvious that is not always the case. Very often we see seniors who can neither write at the level of a college graduate, nor make a clear and articulate presentation. Why is it that almost nobody seems to have at least some basic knowledge of the most popular business software?

We should all think of how AUBG can help us prepare ourselves for the realities of post-graduation life. Which qualities do we have to possess to convince prospective employers to choose an AUBG graduate? Do we really want to stay shiny on the surface (GPA), and plain on the inside?

What is it that makes you want to strive for a perfect GPA forgetting about the essence of your education? Self-confidence? The possibility to get into a better grad school? AUBG should be a place that offers practice with the instructors who guide and help students overcome the shyness of their obviously talented personalities. Instead students at AUBG know exactly what has to be done to get a perfect grade without putting too much effort into it. It is not hard to get away by fulfilling the requirements that so often reflect very low expectations. Very few bother to stretch their abilities beyond these borders. That is why by the graduation date very few of us are really prepared for the world outside AUBG.

Students have to be encouraged to participate in discussions, reflect on current news, and be able to demonstrate an understanding of how different factors affect business environment. The professor should set the tone for the course. Learning should go beyond the information on the power point slides. Say, this happens. Then we won’t be able to pass with an A by studying only for exams. We will have to put a little more effort into studying the material throughout the semester, which is the point of taking any course. The result? Probably when we finish with the BUS major we will be able to find a way to apply our knowledge in a useful way. Good luck with that

Comments

What about the extracurricular opportunities?

It's good that you are raising these questions, however, I think you are missing the point that AUBG OFFERS OPPORTUNITIES for students to go beyond the syllabus requirements. Everything that goes on outside the classroom offers students an opportunity to test their knowledge and skills in a hands-on way. The teachers are supposed to grade you on your class performance and understanding of the material, it's up to you to show off what you know in an activity outside the classroom. Don't be concerned with the over-graded seniors, their plain, GPA-inflated resumes will fail to impress the discernible employers. If you have proven your business skills successfully in extracurricular activities, you will beat them in a job interview any day of the week. As a BUS graduate I can honestly say that the education I received was absolutely top-notch and has served me greatly in the job market in Bulgaria and the US. You are graduating in a tough market, but the way you think and adapt makes you times better than your competitors, don't lose hope. Good luck!
Submitted by Anonymous on April 30, 2010 - 18:02.

True, but there is no reason

True, but there is no reason that we do not require that such opportunities are embedded in the curriculum, for which we pay from our own pockets.
Submitted by Anonymous on May 1, 2010 - 20:03.

I'm not sure you should be

I'm not sure you should be writing such a position... It's responsible to confess the faults you see, but it's irresponsible that you are the studreps to the BUS department. Why don't you write an opinion piece on how you handled these issues during your 1yr? Just a thought.
Submitted by Anonymous on May 1, 2010 - 03:11.

Whoever you may be

Dear anonymous,

Let me answer to these questions:

1. If these 2 stud reps are irresponsible - than the entire student body is pretty much screwed - coz these 2 are kind'a really good at doing their job and they did more than what had to be done as a stud reps. Plus for the 2 positions as a stud rep to the BUS department it was a tough competition this year - 6 really smart and tough students were competing - and we chose the best 2.

2. As to how these issues were handled - bluntly said, with a lot of pain and stubborness. Unfortunately, the BUS department is just too big and the voting power is just too imbalanced. Overall, i'm pleased that we chose 2 stud reps who simply did not hesitate saying the things that had to be said years ago about the overall BUS Department performance.

The general problem is 3 sided:

1. Sullivan serving as chairman of the BUS Department - I really don't think that he can perform as a Dean of Faculty, Eco Prof and BUS Department Chairman - just way too many conflicts of interest and way too many issues to tackle considering that a week has only 168 hours. Another problem is that Dean Sullivan has a tendency to abstain when voting on issues.

2. Too many temporary professors who act as if they have been here for ages and understand what AUBG is about, but when time comes for serious discussions like "Restructuring the BUS Major" or "Quant Major" suddenly things start getting postponed.

3. The overall structure of the BUS Department is flawed - course pre-requisites that are in place only to filter students over-sized classes, lack of full time faculty and so on.

That is all for now.

Panici Al.
Submitted by Anonymous on May 5, 2010 - 04:41.