Online Business Students Gain International HR Expertise

Written byHope Aucoin

Students enrolled in Catherine Chauvin鈥檚 human resource management courses tap into a wealth of practical industry knowledge, built from 20-plus years in the industry in the U.S. and abroad.

As a human resource manager in Europe, Chauvin learned the importance of clear and efficient remote communication, which she鈥檚 able to utilize and share with her online students in Management 365.

鈥淢y boss sat in London,鈥 Chauvin says. 鈥淎 lot of the people who reported to me were in other countries. A lot of people I had meetings with, I never saw.鈥

Chauvin began teaching eight years ago, keeping one foot in the industry through area organizations.Catherine Chauvin teaches in the B.I. Moody III College of Business.

She says teaching business students online was a natural progression to meet demand.

鈥淚f you track needs of students, and how they want to be educated, it鈥檚 what our students want,鈥 Chauvin says. 鈥淢ore and more universities are offering those kinds of opportunities.鈥

The B.I. Moody III College of Business Administration has amplified that opportunity by offering the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management degree 100-percent online.

The online opportunity combines the same level of rigor that is a trademark of the college in a more flexible format. The blend is ideal for students balancing full-time work schedules and other responsibilities.

鈥淚 was really pleased to see the turn toward giving students that opportunity,鈥 Chauvin says. 鈥淚t offers something I think the community wants and it鈥檚 not limited to Lafayette. It鈥檚 online 鈥 it can be anybody.

鈥淢illennials sort of want it all and now. They are enrolled full-time in school, living on their own, and working, in many cases, the equivalent of a full-time job. The online program will afford them the opportunity to work full time while pursuing their four-year degree.鈥

Online students have to be independent, self-driven, and self-directed, Chauvin says, holding themselves accountable for assignments and progress.

鈥淪tudents have this assumption that online is easy, but my students have as much work during the week as if they were in class,鈥 Chauvin says. 鈥淭hey do not sit idle.

鈥淭hey have a lot of written assignments, they have research assignments, they have reflection assignments; I try to find different ways of engaging them.鈥

By the end of the course, students have a foundational understanding of human resource management and the impact it has within an organization.

鈥淢ost small companies don鈥檛 have human resource professionals,鈥 Chauvin says. 鈥淭hat is done by managers. So they will be doing this, either in their own businesses or small businesses where they may be a manager.鈥

In addition to delivering practical human resource management skills, Chauvin ensures students connect with her as an instructor, as well as their peers.

鈥淵ou need to have a different skill set to be an online instructor,鈥 Chauvin says. 鈥淵ou have to create an environment where they know you're there.

鈥淚 want my students to get to know each other and to work in teams and to use virtual communication tools,鈥 she says.

In doing so, students develop even more skills they can take directly into the workforce.

鈥淚t鈥檚 what employers want 鈥 students who make decisions, follow instructions, deliver in a timely manner, and can communicate electronically,鈥 Chauvin says.

The business administration in management degree prepares students for the global business community with a foundation in accounting, business statistics, finance, management, marketing, economics, business law, and professional ethics.

Students can complete their degree in eight semesters or fewer, based on previous credit earned and number of credits taken each semester.


Request information today about earning your degree online, whether it鈥檚 a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Management degree, an MBA, or one of UL Lafayette鈥檚 other accredited  or online programs.