- May 1, 2015
- 3:37 pm
- Palak Shukla
Student Team Represents SCPS at Loyola’s Weekend Of Excellence.
It was a proud moment for the School of Continuing and Professional Studies, when the Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium (a part of Loyola’s Weekend of Excellence) was represented by a team from our CPST 390 – Organizational Theory & Practice class.
Team 390, as the dynamic pupils chose to address themselves, comprised of SCPS students Shawn Crump, Enrique Juarez, Wendy Johnson, Robin May McMorris, Jessica Peterson, Victoria Sanchez, Dustin Sussdorf, Suzanne Sletto, Chanel Smith and Shunvonner Walker. The team was mentored by veteran SCPS faculty member Professor Patricia McNally.
CPST 390 students learn how organizations work including theory, research, and application, along with gaining a deeper understanding of organizational structure, culture, communication, and strategic planning processes within the internal and external environment.
Applying their classroom knowledge, Team 390 partnered with the Girls of Grace Youth Center as a part of a service learning engagement. Girls of Grace (GOG) is a volunteer driven, nonprofit organization whose mission is to enrich the lives of at-risk girls by promoting healthy self-images, self-esteem, positive leadership skills and connection to a lifelong mentor.
The partnership was created with the goal of developing and delivering a tactical plan for member and leadership growth for GOG.
After thorough research and evaluation of GOG, Team 390’s action items for the plan included the following points which was developed into a report and presentation.
- Creating organizational baselines for the current strategic plan
- Identifying gaps for improvement with the current strategic plan in comparison to industry standards and SWOT Analysis
- Making recommendations to address gaps in the current operating model
- Developing a Strategic 3-5 Year Roadmap to Support
- Board of Director Recruitment and Retention
- Financial Stability
- Marketing Strategy
For their tremendous effort and work, Team 390 was selected to present at the Undergraduate Research and Engagement Symposium on April 18th, 2015, which is a part of Loyola’s Weekend of Excellence. To add the cherry to the cake, the team was also nominated for the Community Engagement Awardand was one of six finalists shortlisted for the award.
Team 390 really made a difference and provided GOG with a road map to an operating model that would sustain them for years to come. Kudos to our hard-working students and dedicated faculty members for being a selected to represent this prestigious event!