Not Everything Important Is Taught in the Classroom: Using Cocurricular Professional Development Workshops to Enhance Student Careers

Abstract

Business schools and graduate business programs have struggled since their inception to ensure that what students learn in their courses will resonate with the skills needed in their careers. To date, there has been limited attention paid to cocurricular experiential learning opportunities to assist with this challenge. In this article, we discuss the process of implementing cocurricular professional development (PD) workshops as part of a college-wide initiative to increase experiential learning opportunities for students. This college-wide initiative challenged two assumptions: first, that the classroom is the best space for valuable learning and second, that faculty are the best equipped to lead decisions on what students should learn. The workshops help students develop both the tangible and intangible skills required to succeed in industry. We faced many challenges in implementing the workshops, including the need to challenge the predominant view that nothing of significant value could be learned in a workshop. We conclude our article by identifying the factors responsible for the ultimate success of the program and offer guidance for colleges looking to change perceptions of value in learning and broaden their experiential learning practices.