Shenandoah adds four exciting programs this fall in entrepreneurship, public health, health care management and special education, providing students with the knowledge and tools they’ll need to make a difference locally and as members of the global community.
Entrepreneurship: Inspiring Future Generations of Community Business Leaders
Associate Professor of Management and Director of the Institute for Entrepreneurship Miles Davis keeps a Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar on his desk to illustrate the story of Milton Hershey, a candy manufacturer from rural Pennsylvania who, in 1900, turned
the simple idea of a milk chocolate bar into an iconic American institution. For future entrepreneurs who visit Dr. Davis’ small office on the second floor of Halpin-Harrison Hall, the Hershey’s chocolate bar symbolizes the creativity and innovation that enabled
the Hersey Company to survive, and even introduce new products, during The Great Depression.
Entrepreneurship powers the economy, and as Dr. Davis emphasizes to his students, adverse economic circumstances force people to think beyond the ordinary. While flexibility, creativity and innovation fuel long-term business success, it’s more difficult for companies to make money in a troubled economy, when consumer spending
is down. Davis asserts economic instability often inspires people to think beyond the “herd mentality” and to act more creatively with their business ideas. Shenandoah’s Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Entrepreneurship will prepare students to answer
the societal and economic needs for new start-up businesses and for professionals who have the ingenuity and vision to adapt to the changing realities of today’s business market.
“The world has changed, and we need to produce students who have the capacity to learn, adapt and adjust to the new realities of today’s economy,” said. Davis. “In a world where emerging technologies shift and create future industries on nearly a daily basis, students
need to become critical thinkers, creative problem solvers and flexible innovators able to adapt to the fluid landscape of the business world. Many lost jobs are not coming back, yet the opportunities to do incredible things continue to exist even in a difficult economy.”
BBA in Entrepreneurship:
24 credit program (major or minor)
Prepares students to:
+ launch their own for-profit businesses
+ serve as managers of family businesses
+ act as “intrapreneurs” within existing corporations
+ become managers of not-for-profit businesses
Includes courses in marketing, finance, management, organizational behavior, accounting and outside electives
Health Care Management: Preparing Leaders For Diverse Medical Organizations
The health-care industry has become a complicated world, with implementation of new technologies and ongoing changes in health-care regulations. There is a growing emphasis on preventative care, and patient services once offered by large hospitals are shifting to small health-care providers. These issues reflect the complexities in health care spawning new demands for executives with a health-care background and a solid foundation of business knowledge and management skills.
Shenandoah’s new Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in Health Care Management integrates the biological sciences with core business courses to effectively prepare leaders for the complex challenges of the continuously evolving health-care industry.
The program’s heavy focus on the biological sciences is unique to Shenandoah University. Since most undergraduate health-care management programs do not include clinical courses, Shenandoah students will benefit from coursework that gives them an edge
toward graduate studies and career preparation.
Associate Professor of Economics/Finance Bruce Gouldey said the focused curriculum, individual attention from faculty members, clinical courses in biological sciences and internships with local health-care providers will prepare students to enroll in graduate
studies or move into a diverse range of career options within the health-care management field.
BBA in Health Care Management:
24 credit program (major)
Provides students with individual attention
Interdisciplinary program:
+ business focus
+ strong biological sciences component
Prepares students for:
+ graduate studies
+ managing small medical clinics/health care practices
+ large hospital administrative leadership
PUBLIC HEALTH: FOCUSING ON POPULATIONS AS ‘PATIENTS’
An old Haitian proverb states, “Beyond mountains there are mountains.” Pandemics, poor nutrition and access to adequate health care are among the many global health issues that rise like mountains beyond mountains around the world. The United States spends more money on health care than any other nation, yet is ranked lower than similarly developed nations in terms of major indicators such as life expectancy and access to health care.
As national and international global health issues continue to increase, the need grows for individuals with a public health background who can focus on communities as “patients” and address the health issues of entire populations. Shenandoah University’s new Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Public Health will prepare students for myriad public health challenges locally and around the world. These include disease prevention in rural and poor populations, emerging infectious diseases, aging populations and understanding healthy lifestyle choices. While many schools offer graduate programs in public health, Shenandoah now offers one of approximately 50 bachelor’s degree programs in the country.
“Public health serves to make changes, not just for individuals, but for thousands and millions of individuals,” said Assistant Professor of Public Health Audra Gollenberg. “Societies in a changing climate and economy will always have problems to solve, and we will always need public health professionals who are able to adapt to new challenges.”
B.S. in Public Health:
Interdisciplinary curricula combines:
+ public health courses
+ electives:
+ biology
+ kinesiology
+ sociology
+ psychology
+ mass communications
Students can specialize or add a major or minor in:
+ biology
+ kinesiology
+ sociology
+ psychology
+ business
+ political science
SPECIAL EDUCATION: INSPIRING MASTER TEACHERS TO SERVE OTHERS
Each of us remembers favorite teachers who left a positive imprint on our lives, teachers who believed in us and motivated us to pursue our goals and achieve our full potential. They provided much more than learning; they inspired, challenged and motivated us to explore our interests and strive for success. But for many students, the road to success can be blocked by developmental, emotional or physical disabilities as well as language or socio-economic barriers. According to the U.S. Department of Education, approximately 13.2 percent of Virginia students are enrolled in special education classes. For these students, caring and effective special education teachers are critical to helping them overcome the obstacles that threaten their abilities to achieve success in school and in life.
In 2009, Shenandoah University launched a Professional Studies Certificate for Special Education licensure. Since that program’s implementation, more than 70 students completed the coursework necessary to obtain special education licensure. The majority of these students expressed interest in obtaining a Master of Science (M.S.) in Special Education, and in response, Shenandoah developed a master’s program. For students who already possess a master’s degree but want to become licensed in special education, Shenandoah will continue to offer the professional certificate program.
According to Associate Professor of Education/Special Education Diane Painter, the new program offers students an individualized learning experience as it prepares them to become caring and compassionate
special education teachers.
“My vision is for this program to be personalized,” says Dr. Painter. “I know each and every one of my students, and I want them to feel they are valued and supported as individual learners. The highly interactive teaching model prepares graduate students to execute what they’re learning in their own classrooms with their own students.”
M.S. in Special Education:
30 hours of special education & university-supervised teaching coursework (additional 3-9 credits may be required for initial foundation education courses)
For students who:
+ have completed a bachelor’s degree
+ seek certification in special education
+ want to earn an advanced degree
To watch interviews about the new academic programs, go to Shenandoah magazine online at www.su.edu/magazine.
