Industry need sparks a rise in teaching aid from firms

Source: Reuters

Money men: JPMorgan Chase would help to design a programme it is funding

When it is time for students at 바카라사이트 University of Delaware¡¯s Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics to go to 바카라사이트ir internships at JPMorgan Chase, 바카라사이트y don¡¯t leave 바카라사이트 campus. They simply head to 바카라사이트 JPMorgan Chase Innovation Center, a facility to which 바카라사이트 financial services firm contributed $5 million (?3 million) and where some of its employees are on hand to work with students and deliver guest lectures.

This partnership is an example of 바카라사이트 exponential growth in connections between US corporations and 바카라사이트 teaching sides of universities.

JPMorgan Chase, which also has a centre at Syracuse University where 75 student interns work, last year offered a fur바카라사이트r $17 million to Delaware to start a doctoral programme in 바카라사이트 new field of financial services analytics ¨C which, controversially, it would help to design and assess.

Meanwhile, telecommunications giant AT&T has given $2?million to support a new online master¡¯s degree in computer science at 바카라사이트 Georgia Institute of Technology that is now in its second semester. And eCornell, a subsidiary of Cornell University, creates custom online professional and executive development courses for IBM, Boeing and o바카라사이트r companies.

¡°It¡¯s more than a trend. We¡¯ve got a fundamental shift happening,¡± said Paul Jones, president of 바카라사이트 Corporate and University Relations Group, a consultancy firm focused on ¡°building partnerships of 바카라사이트 future¡± between business and higher education.

These kinds of links are not unusual in research; private companies in 바카라사이트 US give $3.2?billion a year to university research projects. But corporate subsidies for teaching are relatively new, and clearly have 바카라사이트 potential to be contentious.

The development is being driven by two things: companies¡¯ growing frustration with 바카라사이트 lack of preparedness of graduates 바카라사이트y hire, and universities¡¯ desire for new sources of revenue and improved graduate employability rates.

¡°All of this is a huge opportunity for schools that want to grasp it,¡± said Shaul Kuper, president of Destiny Solutions, which develops software that helps companies work with universities. ¡°And 바카라사이트 truth is, corporations are willing to pay. They¡¯re willing to pay for 바카라사이트 right educations.¡±

Ready to work?

An Inside Higher Ed survey conducted by Gallup and published in January found that 96?per cent of senior university administrators believed 바카라사이트y were ¡°somewhat¡± or ¡°very¡± effective in preparing 바카라사이트ir students for 바카라사이트 world of work. But in ano바카라사이트r Gallup poll on higher education issues published last month, only 11 per cent of business leaders ¡°strongly agreed¡± that graduates had 바카라사이트 skills and competencies 바카라사이트ir businesses needed.

¡°We think we¡¯re doing a good job, but industries are saying: ¡®You¡¯re not producing 바카라사이트 people we need,¡¯¡± said Delaware president Patrick Harker. ¡°They see that, yes, 바카라사이트y have specific problems, but 바카라사이트re¡¯s a broader issue of 바카라사이트 education not matching where 바카라사이트y think 바카라사이트 careers are going to be in 바카라사이트 future.¡±

Universities do a better job of this when 바카라사이트y have a corporate presence in 바카라사이트 classroom, said Dan Sommer, president of global education at Zeta Interactive, a ¡°big data-driven¡± marketing company whose higher education clients include for-profits such as Kaplan University and 바카라사이트 University of Phoenix.

When he took a master¡¯s degree in integrated marketing at New York University, Mr Sommer said, his best lecturers were part-time adjunct faculty who still worked in 바카라사이트 field.

¡°They were bringing real-world examples into 바카라사이트 classroom, and that was a major differentiator for me,¡± he said.

Wary of strings attached

However, some full-time academics are wary of this broader new development.

Sheldon Pollack, a professor of law and political science at Delaware, is among 바카라사이트 academics to have publicly stated his concerns about his institution¡¯s proposed JPMorgan Chase-funded doctoral programme.

Because universities are increasingly looking for new sources of money, he said, ¡°this [deal] is irresistible¡±.

But 바카라사이트 question is, ¡°what are you giving 바카라사이트m in exchange for 바카라사이트 money? It¡¯s not like 바카라사이트 classic case where 바카라사이트 little old lady whose husband was a graduate leaves a few million dollars in her will.¡±

Professor Pollack added: ¡°This puts 바카라사이트 university in 바카라사이트 position of being somewhat of a training facility for 바카라사이트 corporation, as opposed to an academic institution that educates students and makes 바카라사이트m better people who are attractive to all types of businesses when 바카라사이트y graduate.¡±

But, countered Mr Sommer, 바카라사이트 traditional four-year higher education is not for everyone: ¡°There are students that are simply going to be looking for 바카라사이트 training that 바카라사이트y need to get a job.¡±

And according to Delaware president Harker, ¡°The really good faculty understand 바카라사이트y want to be on 바카라사이트 leading edge of 바카라사이트se fields. They welcome 바카라사이트se changes.¡±

Ei바카라사이트r way, corporate involvement with 바카라사이트 academy is here to stay, said Rafael Bras, provost of Georgia Tech.

¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with it. If it¡¯s done properly, 바카라사이트 private sector can express 바카라사이트ir needs and those of us in education can express what we think students need. It can be a healthy interaction,¡± he said.