Order Reprints

Cornerstone Associate Provost Rob Simpson said the institution experiences a higher interest in its programs across the board during times of economic downturn. PHOTO: JIM GEBBIN PHOTOGRAPHY

Nardy Baeza Bickel | Knowledge
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

WEST MICHIGAN—In the last five years, Cornerstone University’s Professional and Graduate Studies have seen a 30-percent enrollment increase.

Building on this success, the university plans to unveil a new Health Care Master in Business Administration degree they believe is badly needed in the area. The university is also expanding its facilities in Zeeland, moving its Lakeshore Campus to a different location where there’s more room to grow, said Rob Simpson, associate provost for Professional & Graduate Studies at Cornerstone.

The professional programs’ increase, administrators agree, comes in part as those already working seek to improve their chances at upcoming opportunities. This year, 1,247 students enrolled through Cornerstone’s Professional and Graduate Studies, up from 944 in 2005.

“We find that when economic times are tough, we do see adult students getting back (to school) to re-equip themselves,” Simpson told Knowledge. “Even within adults that are currently working, they’re hearing what’s going on the marketplace, and they might want to educate themselves to be ready for that next level in the up-and-coming management position.”

Agreeing was Sandra Upton, Dean of Business Programs, who said while undergraduate courses across the country saw declines, Cornerstone’s professional programs continued to grow.

“It was just the opposite. People were anxious to further their education because of the uncertainty of the economy and the market,” Upton said.

“They’re already working full-time as professionals. They’re not new to the business but many of them have faced so much uncertainty not knowing whether they will lose their position or advance to new ones. All those factors have influenced the number of (adults) wanting to go back to school.”

Chad Tuttle, executive director for Sunset Retirement Communities and Services in Jenison, has worked in the healthcare industry for the last 10 years. An adjunct professor of human resources management at Cornerstone, he’s seen the increasing demand for training for healthcare professionals hoping to move up to management positions.

Over a year ago, Tuttle, along with other Cornerstone professors, started meeting with healthcare organizations in the area, large and small, to see how the university could fulfill that need.

“We heard loud and clear: ‘We don’t need another bachelor’s degree,’” Tuttle said. “We need a masters-level program for people who already have been working in the field and want to move to leadership positions and who need the skills to address issues specific to the industry.”

While many clinicians and nurses are well capable of working in their environment, moving to administrative positions may require skills they didn’t get in their undergraduate programs, he said.

Upton said Cornerstone’s Health Care MBA program will offer a unique perspective from others available in the area. All programs at the university are taught from a Christian perspective, and while it focuses in healthcare, it also has a strong business acumen and requires students to build a cultural intelligence so they can better work in a globalized society. Plus, there’s the global component: students are required to participate in an international program in Europe, China or Africa to get a true global perspective.

“There’s no one else doing it the way we’re doing it,” Upton said. “We believe those things make our program distinct.”

Tuttle added the program will address ethical, legal and regulation issues from a healthcare perspective, including issues such as end-of-life care, how organizations approach such issues and upcoming changes in regulations.

“Healthcare (topics) were already covered in other programs, but it wasn’t as laser-focused as this program will be,” he said, adding the global perspective is key when dealing with healthcare. “The way healthcare is delivered in the world is vastly different. Whether it’s from a best or poor practice, (students learn) what’s the most effective and efficient way to deliver healthcare.”

Administrators plan to start with a cohort of between 14-20 students. The program is 39 credit hours with a cost of $415 per credit hour.

Simpson, the university’s associate provost, said they’re very excited about the new program, as well as the expansion in the Lakeshore Campus, which serves about 75 students. The new location, just across the street from the previous one, has extra space for those students that have to catch up with homework or just want space to rest after work before they have to enter their classrooms. The new facility also will have workstations in all classrooms and provide a more professional environment for students, allowing working professionals to have a space to share ideas, he said.

  Order Reprints

TAGS:

• chad tuttle
• cornerstone university
• education
• healthcare
• rob simpson
• sandra upton
• west michigan