The University of Idaho College of Business and Economics will offer the Integrated Business Curriculum during the summer of 2013, contingent upon the enrollment of at least 36 students in the program by March 31, said Scott Metlen, department head and associate professor of operations management in CBE.The 17-credit program — normally offered during the course of the junior year — is a requirement for all business majors. The decision to offer the summer program followed a student petition asking the college’s administrators to reconsider their decision not to offer the program.
“We cannot make people teach during the summer, so last fall when we were deciding what to offer in the summer, faculty were asked ‘Do you want to teach summer IBC?’ Not enough faculty stepped forward and said yes they would, but then we got the petition and we went around and asked again and we had enough faculty willing to do it,” Metlen said.
Metlen said the summer program is an intense curriculum that should not be taken lightly. The 10-week program requires students to attend class Tuesday through Friday for six hours per day with a two-hour lunch break. On Mondays, students will take a two-hour long test covering what they have learned.
Metlen said this technique is known as submersion learning, a teaching style used in many language programs and by the military.
“It’s where you just submerse yourself in it and you learn a lot of stuff quick,” Metlen said. “There’s some concern that when you do that you don’t have the retention. Well it’s been proven time and again if people have the motivation they learn just fine and retain just fine and that’s exactly what the grades indicated.”
In order to evaluate the summer IBC program — which was offered for the first time during the 2012 summer session — Metlen said the college did intensive grade comparisons between the summer students and the students who complete the program over the course of a full year.
“As near as we can tell, from a learning standpoint, it’s just as successful as a full fall and spring program,” Metlen said.
This summer the program will begin on or around May 20. Students and faculty will take a brief break for the Memorial Day holiday and one day for the Fourth of July, but other than that, students and faculty will be immersed in the program until Aug. 5. Students who only wish to complete the equivalent of one semester of IBC may take only the first or second five weeks of the program.
Metlen said last year 31 students enrolled in the full program, while six students completed the equivalent of one semester.
He said it is necessary for the program to have at least 36 students enrolled to fund the summer program this year.
“It’s a break-even. And if two people drop out … then the college has to make up the difference,” he said. “The state doesn’t step forward and say ‘I’ll do that.’ Summer programs are supposed to be self-funded.”
Summer courses through any college are charged on a per credit basis rather than paying tuition and fees. Metlen said because of this, it would be cheaper for an out-of-state student to complete the program during the summer and take off one year of regular schooling.
The 2013 fee for summer courses is $311 per credit. To complete the entire program over the summer, students would pay $5,287 in fees.
Metlen said 29 students have expressed interest in the summer program so far and the college has not yet begun advertising for the program.
The prerequisites to enroll in IBC are Accounting 201 and 202, Economics 201 and 202 or 272 and Business Law with a 2.33 GPA in those classes. Metlen said it is possible to petition for acceptance into the program even if students haven’t completed the required courses if they can show they are good students.
Metlen said students who are considering the program should make sure they are going to be committed for the 10 weeks students will be in school and it is unlikely students will be successful if they attempt to complete the program in one summer while holding a job at the same time.
“Your summer is dedicated to IBC,” Metlen said.
Students with questions about the program are encouraged to contact Metlen or CBE Assistant Dean Dana Stover.
Kaitlyn Krasselt can be reached at [email protected]