Blurring the line between “class learning” and solving real-world challenges is the top priority for Dr. Rosie Hauck in the capstone Advanced Business Systems Analysis course (or BIS as it is commonly known). The class has advanced the work of many local nonprofit organizations over the years and offered a transformative pre-professional experience for hundreds of College of Business students.
Carter Calarco ’21, a business systems analyst for Medline, is one. “The biggest takeaway from the BIS capstone course I have applied to my professional career, is learning how to ask questions. Not just any questions, but the right ones. BIS provided me the confidence I needed to challenge the status quo—to take something good, poke holes by asking the right questions, and turn it into something great.”
What’s involved
Calarco’s experience highlights key outcomes Hauck intends the class to achieve. “I want to help students bring together and apply all the technical, problem-solving, and communication skills they have developed through prior classes and internships. We can’t just rely on a particular technology or platform in BIS because you blink, and something new is coming out. But the foundation of quality thinking, collaboration, and problem-solving stays the same,” said Hauck.
One of the first activities students complete is a self-assessment on their communication, management, facilitation, leadership, and technical skills. Hauck then uses the information to form balanced teams. “This is vital because groups have to analyze their client’s needs and use their combined expertise to deliver a viable solution that adds value to the organization in just a few weeks,” said Hauck.
Bonus credential
Early in the semester, BIS students also earn their certified scrum master credential at no additional cost by completing an intense weekend training led by Tom Mellor. Scrum is a popular agile project management framework designed to make the best use of time and resources. It is ideally matched to the demands of the BIS project and provides a boost to students’ future careers.
Hauck said the BIS class gives students an immediate opportunity to apply the scrum tools and practices to a real-world client need. “I tell students having CSM after your name opens professional doors, because employers are curious how a new graduate earned this distinction,” said Hauck. “But being able to talk about how you have applied these tools on a client project is a way to really stand out.”
Client selection
Hauck said there are two reasons BIS clients are typically nonprofits. “They need the support, and teams need to learn to work within constraints. BIS students could develop a complex approach or use more advanced technology, but nonprofits usually have limited funds and staffing. The challenge is for teams to use their skills to develop a solution that makes sense for the organization and meets the client’s need for future sustainability,” explained Hauck.
The request
This year’s BIS client, Heartland Theatre, brought a unique request to the class.
Artistic Director Rhys Lovell shared the organization’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee became very active in the wake of George Floyd’s death. “A lot of the plays we’d done in the past were written by and featured ‘old white guys’ and that needed to change,” said Lovell. “We committed to selecting shows that were more inclusive and then portraying the characters accurately—not just ‘come close’ in our casting.”
The solution
Lovell hoped the BIS students could create a multifaceted approach to helping advance the theatre’s DEI efforts. Heartland Theatre had a large patron database. Within that, some individuals with special interests like helping with sets, acting, or directing were flagged. But the information was challenging to sort and access. Also, tracking past patrons didn’t provide a way to connect with new and more diverse individuals interested in engaging with productions.
Other recent BIS clients include West Bloomington Revitalization Project, 100 Women for Good, and C & M Chinchilla and Small Animal Rescue.
After multiple meetings, research, and follow-up conversations, George Goldie-Morrison said the BIS team he was on proposed an integrated solution to Lovell. “We created a separate Heartland Theatre Facebook group for Rhys to run for actors, directors, and playwrights. Upon joining this Facebook group, you see a link to a Google survey that asks you to share more information about yourself.”
By integrating the new and existing information into a easy-to-access database, Lovell was better able to advance Heartland’s DEI efforts as it mounted more inclusive productions.
“I love that Heartland Theatre now has a separate Facebook page specifically for the people I’m responsible for hiring, said Lovell. “We can use it to let people know our play selection committee is picking shows that reflect all of us and invite broad participation. I’m not hunting blindly for representation like I’ve had to do in the past.”
Working with clients
At the start of each semester, Hauck tells students they may encounter a partner who wants do things a particular way or use technology that is not the ideal match for solving its problem. “I’ve seen situations where students have a good, simple solution, but the client isn’t willing to entertain the change,” said Hauck. “Each time I teach BIS, I remind students they have to think about both the relationship and the project results. That’s something which is completely transferable into their careers.”
Team member Angelo Whitley said his client’s ‘ah-ha’ moment came in their second sprint review. “We got to see how important it is to lay out EXACTLY how the project will go from the beginning. Figuring out the roles of the scrum team is important, but clearly understanding what the client wants, and what you can actually create for them is vital.”
Goldie-Morrison felt his biggest takeaway was effective client communications. “When you are working on a project with a client you can never communicate enough. You try and get a solid picture of what the customer wants. But maybe the customer doesn’t really know what they want, they only know what they think they want!”
Lovell would be the first to agree with the two students. “In that very first meeting, I was speaking in generalities which really wasn’t very helpful. I really had to do a careful assessment of my needs so I could use the students’ help in a meaningful way and get results to make Heartland Theatre function more inclusively. As we worked together, members of the team became confident enough to ask tough questions that pinned me down and really made me think.”
The results
“As business majors, these students are used to working with numbers, rather than abstract ideas and art,” said Lovell. “I think the nature of the project pushed them a bit outside their comfort zone. They were enthusiastic and created a really meaningful solution. Having these integrated tools to advance Heartland Theatre’s DEI commitment will make my job as artistic director so much easier.”
Goldie-Morrison encouraged other students to complete BIS. “Take advantage of every last second of this class. You won’t be able to get any experience in the same ballpark as this, where you actually get to execute on what you’ve learned.”
Lovell’s final thoughts on the experience were kudos for Hauck. “It was really refreshing to see the kind of relationship and dynamic Rosie and the students had,” Lovell said. “She gave them the tools and information they needed, stepped out of the way, and let them fly.”
