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Creating and Assessing Innovative Capstone Projects

Dr. Elise Brazier, MBA Program Director Professor & Chair of Graduate Studies Concordia University Texas April 9, 2014 IACBE Annual Conference San Diego, CA. Creating and Assessing Innovative Capstone Projects. Overview. Capstone Highlights: The Real Value Getting Started

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Creating and Assessing Innovative Capstone Projects

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  1. Dr. Elise Brazier, MBA Program Director Professor & Chair of Graduate StudiesConcordia University Texas April 9, 2014 IACBE Annual ConferenceSan Diego, CA Creating and Assessing Innovative Capstone Projects
  2. Overview Capstone Highlights: The Real Value Getting Started New and improved – Capstone 2.0 Professional Development Student to Professional Consultant Value for the Client sponsor Capstone Management Undergrad v. Graduate Assessment & Outcomes
  3. Capstone’s Value Project Management Leadership & Team Building Thinking Critically & Creatively Soft Skills Partnerships: Client needs Understanding the industry and organization Research (Quant + Qual) data Students develop recommendations Benchmarks, surveys, focus groups
  4. Selling the Experience The capstone experience is successful! Our cohort groups have completed over 50 capstone projects with impressive results. With a focused course curriculum, expert faculty and our student’s ability to transform their classroom and professional experience into consulting solutions, our clients are choosing to work with The Concordia MBA because of our reputation. Student consultants will focus on public, private, and non-profit industries to help business owners and organizations improve their bottom line and develop better processes for increased productivity through an ethical lens.
  5. Planning 1. Capstone Info Sessions 2. Finding the right projects Innovative Creative Sustainable 3. Due Diligence 4. Agreements/NDAs 5. Scope 6. Fieldwork 7. Fit– Skills needed 8. Capstone Advisors
  6. Capstone Client Sponsors Start-ups Phoenix Arising Aviation Business Plan Pilot’s Choice Ongoing Capstone Alerosoft Texas Music Water Ongoing Capstone Small – Local Companies Water2Wine (franchise) Target Market Study Pilot’s Choice (aviation) Strategic Marketing Plan CAS Consulting (environmental) Feasibility Study National/Global Microsoft Easter Seals American Heart Association Encite/Immis
  7. New & Improved – 2.0Why the Change? Capstone 1.0 Project based Client projects, simulations, case studies Team Focus, team assessment Check/Check Capstone 2.0 Enhanced Deliverables Use of Advisors, Mentors More Data Focused Students in Charge MBA Grooming Transformation Post MBA
  8. Capstone Course Design Alignment between faculty in course coordination and outcomes Individual Assignments Professional Development Capstone Specific Client Proposal of Deliverables Final Product Report Presentation Ongoing Relationships The Consulting Model: Capstone (4 cr) Entrepreneurship & Innovation (2 cr) Soft Skills Identifying Client Needs: Challenges Marketing! Increase Sales! Ethics Recommendations Research Developing a Plan
  9. Deliverables Recommend and determine the marketing launch plan and cost: Year 1 – Cohort 4 Year 2 – Cohort 5 Advertising (above the line) Trade Promotions Public Relations/Social Media/Promotions (Below the line)  Media mix, rationale and cost  Rationale by media type and efficacy (ROI projections)  Roll out and cost Recommend a market-by-market regional launch plan: Identify regional markets for expansion American Music Water (national) Now in HEB!
  10. Assessment How to Assess the hard and soft skills? Soft and technical skills (ongoing) Critical Thinking course and Statistics Students Assessing other Students Decision Making & Strategy course using GloBus - The primer for Capstone Assessment Tools Rubrics, balanced scorecard Outside Consultants/Coaches Building and connecting outcomes Feedback loops (courses, capstone, execution, implementation)
  11. Skill Level – BA v. MBA BA Early exposure to DECA or SIFE, then…MBA skillset will apply Non-traditional programs (older adults) Live case study experience Hands –on simulators Career Readiness understanding professionalism MBA Industry experience Project management Critical Thinking/Analysis Focus & Depth Application of data Communication Written & verbal Polish
  12. Outcomes Applied learning Increased knowledge + resume building Communication (verbal and written) – client meetings, presentations, reports Confidence & professionalism Problem solving/critical thinking skills & analysis Benchmarks, data and best practices Organizational culture and ethics Job and consulting opportunities
  13. Summary Plan early Capstone coordinator Selecting Professional Coaches/Recruiters Locating Client Sponsors Increasing the program profile and project level Involving faculty and community mentors early on Consider sponsors (past Capstone clients) – funding Improving the process Involving Alumni
  14. References Bellman, G. M. (2002). The Consultant’s Calling: Bringing Who You Are to What You Do. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Hackbarth, G., Cata, T., & Cole, L. (2012). Developing a capstone course within a health informatics program. Perspectives in Health Information Management, , 1-1b. Payne, S. L., Flynn, J., & Whitfield, J. (2008). Capstone Business Course Assessment: Exploring Student Readiness Perspectives. Journal of Education for Business, 83(3), 141-146.
  15. Comments & Questions? Contact: Dr. Elise Brazier, MBA Program Director Concordia University Texas 11400 Concordia University Drive Austin, TX 78726 elise.brazier@concordia.edu 512.313.5308 Continue the Conversation…
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