How ODU is preparing students for ‘real world’
We often hear that the job of higher education is to get students ready for the “real world.”
This attitude borders on arrogant. At Old Dominion University, our students are already in the so-called real world. Many come from lower-income families, hold jobs and have experiences that some of us only read about in the news.
Rather than preparing students for the real world, higher education institutions succeed when they embed themselves in real-world settings and partner with their students’ future employers.
As an example, consider ODU’s wildly successful cybersecurity program. Less than six years old, the program began when President John R. Broderick, heeding businesses and policy makers requesting more cybersecurity graduates, asked faculty from across the university to join forces with the community to create a new academic program to support this rapidly growing field.
Our faculty worked with businesses and coordinated with our partners at Tidewater Community College and Thomas Nelson Community College to develop a program that would respond to community needs while aligning with other curricula offered in the region.
Higher education institutions that see themselves as separate from the “real world” would likely build the same curriculum their program developers had taken themselves or taught, perhaps decades ago, rather than courses and content that address current challenges, needs and trends.
In other cases, program developers might develop curricula around their expertise. This is understandable given the way we develop and prepare faculty. I spent years in graduate school studying Medicaid fraud, certainly an important and relevant topic to my field of study — criminology. Imagine my chagrin when I started my first job and learned few people cared about this topic!
Recognizing that ODU is part of the real world, we asked businesses, industry partners and others what content needed to be in our cybersecurity program.
That was only the first step. The next was to design a program that incorporated their feedback.
Some of what we learned from our partners was expected. A few suggestions, however, allowed us to create a program unlike any other in the country. For example, because our partners stressed the value of practical experience, we built a required internship into our curriculum.
Somewhat unexpectedly, when asked about the proficiencies their new employees needed more of, the partners did not talk about technological, engineering or computing skills.
Rather, they encouraged a focus on communication, writing, problem-solving and innovation skills. One business leader said something like, “We can teach technical skills on the job. We want graduates who can learn about new technology and be able to clearly write and talk to others about their job.”
The business partners also described cybersecurity as a multi-faceted discipline. They essentially advocated for a STEM-type program grounded in liberal arts ideals.
Because of this feedback, one of our core classes is interdisciplinary writing, where students learn to write about cybersecurity for a wide range of audiences. Our curriculum also includes courses on cyber ethics, policy, law and the development of digital identities.
Had we not asked our partners for advice, in all likelihood none of these courses would have been added to our catalog.
Listening to our partners paid off. In
Fall 2015, we had 11 students enrolled in our new cybersecurity program. In Fall 2020, enrollment exceeded 900. More importantly, our graduates report having no problem finding jobs and our business partners are eagerly welcoming them.
All partners benefited. Businesses gained employees prepared for their careers. The region won because graduates stayed in the 757. ODU became stronger by showing the value it brought to the community.
Lessons can be learned from our efforts. As the region focuses on addressing health disparities, enhancing the maritime sector, strengthening our tech talent pipeline and promoting work-based learning, ODU will continue to embrace the role of higher education/industry partnerships.
After all, we’re all a part of the real world.
The biggest players show up in the biggest moments, and Old Dominion’s Mariah Adams proved that once again as she helped lead the Monarchs to a huge comefrom-behind victory in the preliminary round of the Conference USA women’s basketball tournament.
Adams finished with 20 points as ODU clawed back from a 12-point first-half deficit Tuesday to defeat Western Kentucky 83-77 in overtime.
“It feels good, just knowing that my teammates persevered through all the adversity that we experienced,” Adams said. “It feels great, but it only lasts so long because tomorrow we have a game and anything could happen.”
ODU will face North Texas in today’s first round.
This was the teams’ third consecutive matchup, with ODU winning all three. Both regular-season games were decided by two points.
Just like in the two prior games, the Lady Toppers led after two quarters, holding the Monarchs to just nine points in the second frame to surge to a 31-23 halftime lead.
Despite the deficit, the Monarchs never panicked.
“This is a great tournament to be in and people are going to make runs,” Adams said. “We make runs, other
people make runs, but it’s just sticking together and staying poised.”
Throughout the second half, the teams went back and forth, trading the lead. WKU surged in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to a scoring burst by Raneem Elgedawy.
Late in the fourth, ODU found themselves facing a five-point deficit after giving up an offensive rebound off a miss at the free-throw line by Meral Abdelgawad, setting up another trip to the line for WKU’s Ally Collett, who drained both.
With just over two seconds on the clock and ODU trailing by two, Wayne found a wide-open Maggie Robinson under the basket for the game-tying score, forcing overtime, where the Monarchs had just enough gas to earn the victory.
Having won five of their past six games, ODU feels like they still have momentum as they head deeper into postseason play.
“Like Coach said, we’re jelling together at the right time,” Adams said. “I’d rather give up games early on than late in the season.”