Ruminations – Welcome
Welcome to ruminations of a program director. I hope to use this space to highlight issues in the business world, my thoughts on leadership and along the way, some musings on things happening in my little corner of the William Woods University.
To set the stage, I am the program director for online undergraduate business programs, which is a new position created in January of 2016. In a nod to our seafaring friends, I am the “plank holder” for this newly created position, the first to hold the position. I am sure a future blog posting will discuss the opportunities and challenges of stepping into such a position. Additionally, I am a faculty member in the University’s business division where I teach the senior capstone course for our business administration program and several online courses such as leadership, managerial ethics and human resources.
This past January, I completed my first year at the University. I came to William Woods University after serving for almost five years as a campus director at another institution. There, I had administrative oversight over five masters level programs and taught within the school’s college of business where I had the opportunity to teach courses in management and strategy. I was also fortunate to be involved with the school’s doctoral program in management, developing and teaching a new course in leadership.
In my first year with William Woods University, I have had the opportunity to work on several initiatives for our online programs such as implementing the new Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Workforce Leadership and developing a new concentration in leadership for our online Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. I have been able to serve on several committees focused on improving student success, developing new programs, revising courses and working to broaden support for our military and veteran students.
In my classes, I have certainly enjoyed interacting with students and seeing them develop and demonstrate their knowledge through their work. Having come from a larger institution, the closeness of the University and opportunities to interact with students has been refreshing. It is certainly a strength of William Woods University to be able to work closely with students.
I hope to share what I have learned through my education, research and professional experiences along with what I continue to learn in my role with William Woods University. In doing so, I hope readers will gain not only insights into business and leadership but also emerging trends at our University.
Dr. Stephen Forsha is program director for online undergraduate business programs and associate professor of business at William Woods University.