Throughout history, business markets, like everything else, have changed. One of the adaptations employees have to deal with today is the constant improvement of technology and analytics. One of the challenges for Gordon McClung, chairperson for the Department of Business Administration, is making sure that business students at Waynesburg University are staying up to date with modern trends. 

“We’re trying to forget about what we did in the past,” McClung said. “We are thinking more about what the student needs when they walk out of Waynesburg and that’s always been our goal.” 

The Department of Business Administration realizes how much technology is evolving. 

“Anything that was routine and simple to do,” McClung said. “AI [Artificial Intelligence] is going to be replacing it in the next four to five years. Certain career paths that used to exist that are going to be gone.” 

Analytics deal with trying to increase the probability in events occurring and guide individuals to make correct decisions such as in hiring or sales. Sports such as football and baseball have seen a rise in analytics and now the business field is as well. 

“The field is becoming more analytically driven,” McClung said. 

One of McClung’s goals is to keep the department curriculum up to date with trends in the industry instead of being a few steps behind. 

“We are revisiting all of our curriculum right now based on the input from the advisory board as a department, everyone has been reviewing the business curriculum over the past three months,” McClung said. “Our plan is to introduce a new curriculum model for approval next year.” 

The curriculum change is the first significant one to occur in the Department of Business Administration in the last three years. Some students, like sophomore accounting major Isaac Nice, are wary of the changes. 

“It is a little bit unnerving to be the guinea pig for the business department,” Nice said. 

Department of Business Administration students have faith in their mentors though. 

“[Students] trust that [faculty] are doing it in our best interest for our careers,” Nice said. 

Students who fall under the older curriculum, won’t have to worry about falling behind.  

“We are advising students now in the direction that we are planning to go,” McClung said. “We are not planning on leaving a student hanging there taking things that we know we are planning to change.” 

The changes to the curriculum keep business students with the constantly evolving business industry instead of falling behind. For Nice, the movement shows that the Department of Business Administration professors and advisors care about students’ futures. 

“I’m much happier that they are doing it now rather than later down my college career,” Nice said.