Regis University is combining its business programs — accelerated courses designed for working adults and traditional courses for younger students — under a new College of Business and Economics.
Next year, students will be able to take courses from their pick of accelerated classes, which may be at night or online, and traditional courses, which meet in person for a quarter of the year.
“Bringing adult programs and undergraduate programs together, we think, is going to create synergy,” said Provost Patricia Ladewig.
Giving students more ways to go to school has become common at schools in the state.
Colorado State University’s College of Agricultural Sciences, for instance, has a mix of eight-week, one-credit courses; online classes; night classes; and traditional classes. It’s about accommodating different students’ schedules so they can stay in school and graduate, educators say.
“Also, this is how millennials learn. They have a life, too,” said Nancy Irlbeck, associate dean of academic affairs at CSU’s College of Agricultural Sciences. “It’s a lot different than when I was in school.”
, it’s also about realigning the school’s mission and aligning the undergrad programs with the graduate programs that some students could later pursue. The new college also will mix the nonprofit degrees and the traditional business degrees.
“The theme is we’re one university. That is absolutely essential,” Regis president John Fitzgibbons said. “Business is about more than profit.”
While professors will work together to create more alignment, the mix of students also will create more ways to learn.
“Many of the traditional students tend to excel academically, whereas some of the more mature, working adults tend to be focused on the practical application,” said Martin Sipos, a professor in the college of professional studies that will merge into the new college. “A lot of business people are concerned about the work ethic, or approach, of the younger generation, and this is an opportunity for them all to share their views.”
Irlbeck has seen those benefits at CSU.
“They’re coming with a different toolbox,” she said. “They bring an incredible element to the classroom.”
Yesenia Robles: 303-954-1372, yrobles@denverpost.com or twitter.com/yeseniarobles
