If 2020 taught us one thing, it was the importance of being flexible and willing to adapt to necessary changes and demands in a community. For Valparaiso University’s College of Business, administrators responded to the need for accessible programs during the COVID-19 pandemic that not only offer flexibility, but also respond to the innovation and growth happing in the business community.
Niclas Erhardt stepped into the role of Dean of the College of Business in October of 2020. After serving as the associate dean, then the interim dean at the Maine Business School at the University of Maine, where he was also a founding director of the school’s Professional Development Center, Erhardt came to Valparaiso University and immediately got to work addressing the most pressing challenges and needs students had.
Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for programs that allow flexibility and personalization to cater to one’s life and work has been at the forefront of many school’s priorities. The College of Business at Valparaiso University was already a step ahead, providing a revolutionary MBA program they call the Flexible MBA.
“Flexibility means a couple of different things here,” Erhardt said. “It is asynchronous, which means that it’s your time, your way, where you are. It’s compressed, so you can finish your MBA in a year. It’s based on stackable certifications, so you can personalize it to your needs and interests. And lastly, they are compressed into six seven-week blocks, so you can start when the time is right for you.”
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the college quickly responded, introducing the online Flexible MBA, allowing students to take advantage of the asynchronous, compressed learning wherever they are. While students usually would have the option to do the Flexible MBA in-person or online, currently because of the pandemic the program is completely online. But Erhardt and the college look forward to being able to offer both options in the near future.
“This program, whether you do it in-person or online, is employer-driven,” Erhardt said. “It’s current and relevant, and it’s a great way for people to stay relevant and to learn those necessary skills in their current job or if they’re looking to advance to another job or field.”
The College of Business is renowned in the business world, standing in the top 5% of business schools worldwide. It recently was reaccredited again for its AACSB accreditation last summer.
“It’s the gold standard among business school accreditations in the world, something only 5% of business schools in the world have,” Erhardt said. “It reaffirms our quality and what we do here. It’s an assurance of our relevant teaching and holding ourselves accountable for making sure our students learn what they’re supposed to and, ultimately, that they will succeed when they graduate.”
On the undergraduate side of the college, new majors were recently announced that offer students opportunities to study new demands in the business industry, not only domestically and internationally, but also locally in students’ very own communities. Two new majors are Supply Chain Management and Integrated Business and Engineering (IBE).
“I think majors like Supply Chain Management are a clever move to address regional and local employment opportunities,” Erhardt said. “We are in Indiana, and we are the Crossroads of America. It’s very much a part of the landscape here.”
“IBE is the acknowledgment that employers these days are looking for flexibility in terms of being agile in the workplace and being able to pivot and learn in different disciplines, then bring it all together,” he continued. “The engineering/business is one of those examples of having an engineering platform while also understanding business. It helps folks to bridge both disciplines.”
The College of Business also recently brought on a new director of the Innovation Hub, an interdisciplinary center that fosters innovation and entrepreneurship and brings together members of the Valparaiso University and the Valparaiso community to address new ideas, skills, and demands.
“We are excited to get this up to speed in terms of not only helping our minor in Entrepreneurship and students to understand more about entrepreneurship but also what it means to be an entrepreneur in the business setting and when starting your own company,” Erhardt said. “Students learn how to be more creative, how to be more innovative, and how to be a problem-solver.”
While the Innovation Hub will be a center for an exchange of ideas and cultivation of skills in the business industry, the College of Business wants to extend that knowledge into practice. In order to foster students’ entrepreneurial spirit and engage practically with the business world—locally and broadly—students will be expected to complete hands-on, practical projects with local businesses, continuing the university’s mission of a values-based education and a focus on service.
“Valparaiso University is very much a vocational-focused university. We are a value-based institution, and our mindset is about service and impact both locally in our communities and beyond,” Erhardt said. “We already require an internship to graduate, so before you even graduate, you will have work experience and the skills and knowledge to land a job. But we are also pushing the hands-on practical projects working with local businesses to address local business questions and challenges.”
As the new semesters and seven-week blocks approach, prospective students have the opportunity to participate in a number of online university events to learn more about the MBA and undergraduate programs and get an idea of how they can begin to tailor their education to their goals.
“We are doing one-on-ones with students who are interested in the College of Business,” Erhardt said. “They can do one-on-ones with faculty on Zoom, trying to link their interests to specific majors.”
“We are also doing upcoming Chats with the Dean, where they can do Zoom calls with the dean in smaller groups,” he said. “It’s a great way for prospective students to meet potential future classmates and friends, hearing what other questions folks are asking, all in a group format that is small and close-knit.”
Students can also expect formal open houses over Zoom, where they can partake in a series of events, including admissions events. Students and parents can meet the dean, faculty, and current students.
“Meeting current students is a really important piece,” Erhardt said. “As a faculty member, you can only offer so much from our angle, but what Valpo is all about, in terms of a student’s angle, you have to hear from current students. We have Student Ambassadors in the college who are a part of these events, and they share their perspective of why they came to Valpo and why others should start their journey here.”
For a schedule of upcoming Open House dates, visit their website at https://www.valpo.edu/mba/visit/.
For more information about how to apply or request more information about the cutting-edge College of Business, visit https://www.valpo.edu/college-of-business/.
