Does smaller class size enrich the learning experience?
It makes a big difference, especially for the shy student who is reluctant to ask a question in a big group. It also means you have easier access to instructors after class during office hours when you want to talk to an instructor. That’s a benefit to all students.
Many business students at UFV hold part-time jobs to pay for tuition. How has the school responded to that?
One of the things we try to do is to be sensitive to students. So we offer classes on Saturdays. We have evening courses, as well. Our business classes are typically once per week rather than twice per week. It just seems to fit better with students’ work schedules.
They can do their courses on a full-time or part-time basis. We don’t operate on a cohort program where we move all of the students along each year who are in a particular year. They can take as many courses as they want and work their way to a BBA at their own speed.
Because we have that close contact with students, we hear what they’re up against and the challenges they face. It makes us a little more sensitive to them and their needs.
Anything else to add?
Not having a master’s program is one of the things that has led us to be innovative with our BBA programs. We have a BBA Aviation degree, where students can get flight training and get a business degree at the same time. We do that in partnership with a private flight training company at the Abbotsford airport.
In the last couple of years, we’ve experimented with a couple of new degrees. We have one called the BBA Trades Management degree, where you can bring your trade certification, some work experience on top of that, take a couple of bridging courses and transition into the third year of the BBA program. We also have a BBA in agricultural management. So we’re experimenting that way and innovating.
Some schools … have a whole variety of MBA degrees. For us, we’ve been innovative with our BBA degrees.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
Special to The Globe and Mail
