In today’s changing and intensely competitive global environment, postsecondary educational programs must find ways to adapt their method of delivery to meet the educational expectations of students and talent needs of “real-world” employers. This is especially true in the evolving field of supply chain management (SCM). The purpose of this qualitative study was to assess the effectiveness of the SCM Applied Learning Center (referred to as the “Center”) at a Midwestern university in the United States by understanding its perceived value through its stakeholders—that is, participating companies and students. This understanding was achieved by interviewing stakeholders who used the Center during its initial 18-month rollout period. The data analysis from this study resulted in the emergence of the following themes: (1) developing transferable skills, (2) accelerating applied learning, (3) cultivating personal relationships, and (4) supporting business improvement. The establishment of the Center and the corresponding results from this study contribute to the literature associated with university–industry collaboration, SCM education, and the evolving role of higher education. This work provides a template to programs interested in improving their working relationship with business partners through the implementation of comparable industry collaboration activities, while at the same time providing skill improvement opportunities for their students.
This article describes a collaborative process between a university’s Supply Chain Management (SCM) program and the business community supporting the program to bring about a student team–based case competition. The ideas used for the competition were based on actual challenges experienced and submitted by businesses, while the case narrative and supporting material, as well as the assessment rubric, were developed and written by the SCM program faculty. The implementation of the competition was originally designed to benefit students by helping them further develop and demonstrate their capabilities in the areas of business acumen, soft skills, critical thinking, and problem-solving to potential employers. Interestingly, this activity also provided unforeseen benefits to the original collaborating parties. The article discusses the immediate benefits resulting from the collaboration as well as its impact on future collaborative opportunities between SCM programs and businesses.
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