2010 Excellence in Academic Partnerships

Created by Bellevue University, PRSM is a custom-designed online learning program aimed at employees who wish to invest personal time in career development. The 36-credit hour program, consisting of 12 courses that tie in with the company’s managerial competencies and skills, was created to help broaden the pool of candidates capable of taking on retail leadership positions.

The courses are structured so employees can garner learning that is not only applicable to their jobs, but also can provide a better understanding of factors that influence their business and other big-picture ideas.

As the program continues to grow, research by Bellevue University’s Human Capital Lab reveals that PRSM students tend to outperform employees who didn’t register for the program.
Last year, more than 20 percent of the workforce participated in LearningLink, Verizon’s tuition assistance program, which has lowered turnover by 50 to 60 percent among participants as well as graduates of degree programs.

BRONZE: SMU Cox School of Business

Independent exploration and production company Pioneer National Resources realized it needed to provide leadership development for new and existing managers. It lacked a formal plan for leadership development, and there were minimal opportunities for managers to attend training or participate in programs where they could interact with other leaders.

Partnering with SMU Cox Executive Education allowed Pioneer to create a comprehensive structure of leadership development programs. For instance, Leading Tomorrow’s Business helps managers understand financial measures that drive the business so they can identify ways to contribute to the bottom line and improve company performance.

Participants rated the classes 4.15 or above on a 5-point scale, comments have been positive and there have been requests for additional development opportunities.