100 Percent of 2013 Colby-Sawyer Business Administration Majors Employed or in Graduate School
The graduate outcomes report for the Colby-Sawyer College Class of 2013 indicates that six months after graduating, 100 percent of responding business administration majors in the class were either employed or pursuing graduate studies. The report, based on a survey conducted by Colby-Sawyer's Harrington Center for Experiential Learning for Career and Academic Advising, had a 50 percent response rate and shows that 75 percent of the business majors were employed and 25 percent were enrolled in graduate studies. The median starting salary for business graduates was reported at $40,000 a year.
Some of the top employers of the Class of 2013 include Amazon, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Fidelity Investments, IBM, Massachusetts Financial Services, Royal Caribbean, Timken Aerospace and W.B. Mason. Employment is spread across the country, in states including California, Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Texas. Business administration students pursuing graduate studies have enrolled in Brandeis University, Boston University, Emerson College, Indiana State University, Ithaca College, Rutgers University, University of N.C. at Chapel Hill and Villanova University, among others.
Associate Professor and Chair of Business Administration Chris Kubik believes that graduates of Colby-Sawyer's Business Administration Department are well-prepared for the competitive job market. “Every student is required to complete an internship, and many are hired full-time at their internship sites upon graduation” he says. “In addition, we require seminars for business students that touch on a broad range of topics – including classes on ethics, professionalism, interviewing skills, elevator speeches, and mock interviews [and] discussions on proper etiquette, the importance of timeliness, professional networking, and finding a mentor.” Kubik adds, “We employ active learning whenever possible, such as using QuickBooks in our accounting classes or working with outside clients in such classes as market research. We spend time every week discussing what is happening in the business world [with conversations revolving around] changes in key CEO positions, differences in leadership styles, new product successes and failures, and the financing activity taking place in debt and equity markets.” Such real-time discussions, he feels, prepare students to communicate confidently when they are sitting in front of hiring managers upon graduation from Colby-Sawyer.
Business Administration Program Developments
The Business Administration Department at Colby-Sawyer offers concentrations in Accounting and Finance, Management, Marketing, Sustainable Business and General Business within the Bachelor of Science in business administration. Students may also work toward degrees in accounting and health care management and complete all bachelor's degree programs as well as certificate programs in leadership and human resource management online. The curriculum has recently shifted from primarily 3-credit courses to 4-credit courses with an increase in both class time and out-of-class work time and improved student flexibility.
The Business Faculty
Sixty-six percent of departmental faculty members hold terminal degrees.
“Every faculty member of the Business Administration Department has significant industry experience,” says Kubik. “[They] are former HR directors, bankers, accountants, controllers, financial managers, marketing executives, lobbyists and CEOs, and this breadth of experience helps bring a textbook to life and gives our students the opportunity to hear how course content is used in various areas of an organization – whether that be in small group meetings, public forums, product development launches or more.” Kubik adds, “Faculty members get to know their advisees and go beyond course planning by extending advising to include career planning and counseling even after graduation.”
Director of Career and Academic Advising Kathy Taylor also recognizes the importance of faculty involvement in career development services in student success. “Many of my colleagues at other institutions find their faculty reluctant or unwilling to connect with career services, but at Colby-Sawyer, we have a very collaborative relationship,” she says. “Students benefit from that collaborative environment [not only in class but also] during their internships, which are rigorous, academically focused and individually approved by a team [composed of] a faculty sponsor, employer, department chair and the internship coordinator. The high standards we set result in meaningful experiences for students,” Taylor states.
Kubik acknowledges the role of Colby-Sawyer's liberal arts-based curriculum in making Colby-Sawyer's business program unique among its peers. “A liberal arts-based learning provides our graduates with excellent writing skills, creativity and an appreciation for diversity of thought,” he says. “Students are encouraged to find leadership opportunities while at Colby-Sawyer by participating in clubs such as ENACTUS, getting involved in student governance, or promoting the use of Fair Trade products on campus, to name a few examples. Finally, our capstone course, Strategic Management, ties the core concepts of all of the foundational courses together, while adding high-level discussions of various historical and contemporary views of corporate strategy.”
The Future
Excited about what the future holds for business studies at Colby-Sawyer, Kubik says that the department will continue to move forward on initiatives that will be beneficial to current and future students and faculty. “[Apart from developing] articulation agreements with other higher education institutions, our key initiative is pursuit of a separate business accreditation in addition to the accreditation Colby-Sawyer College receives from NEASC,” he says. “We are candidates for this specialized recognition from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools & Programs (ACBSP) and the process is intentionally structured to ensure program quality and the department is excited about completing the process. ACBSP accreditation will ensure our curriculum, programming and faculty decisions are based on best practices, are data-driven and are continuously improving.”
For more information, click here.
- Anurup Upadhyay '15
Anurup Upadhyay is a business major at Colby-Sawyer College and a student writer for College Communications.
Colby-Sawyer College is a comprehensive college that integrates the liberal arts and sciences with professional preparation. Founded in 1837, Colby-Sawyer is located in the scenic Lake Sunapee Region of central New Hampshire. Learn more about the college's vibrant teaching and learning community at www.colby-sawyer.edu.
Colby-Sawyer College, 541 Main Street, New London, N.H. 03257 (603) 526-3000
