BBA program may go 100% Co-op
Katherine Harding

It could be a biz knob's wet dream come true.

The Business Council has approved a motion in principle that the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program be made an automatic entry Co-op program. Currently, approximately only 50 per cent of Laurier's BBA students are admitted.

A 15-person working committee, consisting of staff, students, and faculty members drawn mainly from the Business Council, has been struck to investigate the feasibility of 100 percent Co-op for business students.

Within nine months a final decision could be made. On May 1, the Acting Associate Dean of Business: Academic Programs Dr. Mitali De will present the committee's progress on the subject to the council.

On November 1, 1999, a final report will be delivered and then the motion will be voted on.

The motion will then have to be approved by University governance bodies before it is official.

De stresses this motion is in principle and is in its infancy stages. The committee, chaired by SBE lecturer Laura Allan, has just begun to study the proposal.

She explains the idea to change Co-op admission requirements came from a recommendation made from the recent program review of the School of Business and Economics. The program review is conducted every five years.

"The business program is always looking to continuously improve," De said. "We are constantly looking at new things."

De said a study will be done to examine the change to Co-op including investigating both the needs of employers and students and possible effects on resources.

"We have to seriously think about this both strategically and logistically," she said. "If we go ahead with it there will be lots of planning involved."

"Our biggest concerns will continue to be placing students," De said.

Not a new issue

Acting Dean of Business Dr. Howard Teall said the recommendation to admit more students to co-op is not new.

"This issue was raised before the last recession," said Teall. "There was a proposal to go to two-thirds co-op but it didn't pass."

With this current proposal Teall is hopeful the discussion will be thorough.

"I think that the point being lost in this discussion is that if we go to 100 percent co-op that doesn't mean students have to do it. They will still have the option to choose," said Teall.

"Right now the process is competitive," Teall said. "If the motion is passed you will only have to meet the academic requirements of the business program to get into the Co-op program."

Each term approximately 600 business students pay $400 each to participate in the 25-year old co-op program.

Assistant Director of Co-operative Education, Karen McCargar said there is a rate of approximately 90 per cent first work term placements and there is 100 per cent for the second and third terms.

Co-op committee members

Faculty

Laura Allan (Chair)(editors note: note the kind you sit on)
Gene Deszca
Glenn Feltham
Stephen Preece
Sean Robb
Dick Pedlar
Staff
Jan Basso
Maureen Kuske
Carole Litwiller
Karen McCargar
Students

Ali Atefi (MBA)
Chris Brownlee (BBA)
Sandy Dale (MBA)
Stella Lee (Co-op)
Tamara Von Semmler (Co-op)