Business dept. creates Advisory Board

The Department of Business Administration at Waynesburg University recently created an Advisory Board to set and develop relevant goals for the undergraduate business program.

The board, which had its first meeting Oct. 22, is made up of Waynesburg University business alumni ranging from 1950 to 2018.

William Stough, assistant professor of Business Administration, said this wide range of graduates was chosen to add value to the board, as all alumni have a certain set of skills and experiences to offer.

“We ended up with 16 [alumni] agreeing to become board members for us,” Stough said. “This way, there are different levels of businesses. We have a CEO of a bank, CPAs, all kinds of people.”

The idea for the advisory board originated during a meeting between Stough, an alumnus of Waynesburg, and another alumnus. While they met, the recent graduate’s ideas for changing the finance degree inspired Stough.

When he returned to Waynesburg, Stough made sure the changes were made and then consulted Dr. Gordon McClung, chair of the Department of Business Administration and professor of marketing, on implementing alumni from the program more often.

Eventually, the idea made its way to University President Douglas Lee, and Stough said it was very well-received.

“He was excited to have us go down this trail,” Stough said.

The idea behind the advisory board is to consult previous graduates to gain their insights and trade secrets.

“Some of these [board members] hire [students] who we’re training,” Stough said. “Why not use people who are tied to the school to help us do that?”

Stough said the results of the bi-annual meetings will also help them adjust their curriculum to help the students become more prepared for the workforce.

“Our ultimate goal is to fit what the work world is looking for now, better,” he said.

The very first advisory meeting took place Oct. 22. During the meeting, the goals and objectives of the business department, in general, were discussed. There was also an extensive review of the finance degree and the marketing degree.

Stough said one of the most valuable aspects of the meeting is when a current student has time to speak to the board about what they’re working on.

“It truly is the work world and alumni world touching base,” he said.

The second of the bi-annual advisory board meetings will be held in March. Until that point, Stough said the opportunities for the board are limitless, especially based on the successful execution of their first meeting.

“We know that this was the seed that was planted, but we don’t know where it’s going to grow into yet,” Stough said. “I’m excited for our students to see what they gain from this because I’m not sure yet what that’ll be.”

To learn more about the advisory board or how to get involved, contact Stough at wstough@waynesburg.edu or McClung at gmcclung@waynesburg.edu.