The Institute marks a milestone with its Bachelor of Business Administration program

By Emily Stegman

GIA has set many standards in its quest to provide quality education to the gem and jewelry industry over the last 75 years. Those standards will become even more significant this fall when GIA begins to offer coursework for a bachelor's degree in the School of Business.

The Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) program officially starts in October 2006 and will provide students with a comprehensive business education and specialized focus on the jewelry industry. Applications are being accepted for the program, which requires candidates to hold an associate degree or its equivalent. Courses will be taught online through the Institute's Distance Education curriculum, where students will participate in online discussions, analyze case studies and complete written assignments.

Mink Stavenga (right), Doctor of Business Administration and dean of the School of Business, began to help plan for the bachelor's degree-completion program in August 2004. He says it will offer students a way to focus on the jewelry industry as they professionalize their business training. Photo by Eric Welch/GIA

Mink Stavenga, Doctor of Business Administration and dean of the School of Business, began to help establish the program nearly two years ago when he realized how formalized business training would benefit the industry.

"I compare it to the same need the founder of GIA saw 75 years ago: the need to professionalize the industry through formal education. The same situation exists now where we have many well-educated gemologists and jewelers, but they don't necessarily have the skills to run their businesses," Stavenga said.

"This program is a great option for community college students who are looking for a major or for someone wanting to make a career change."

Learn Broad Business Skills
Elizabeth Cheatham, who has a B.A. in psychology, was pleasantly surprised to find that the GIA business courses she has already completed will count toward the degree program.

"When I first came to GIA, I only planned on taking eight business courses and then getting my Graduate Gemologist diploma," Cheatham said. "When I realized that I could obtain a bachelor's degree in only six more months, I decided to look into enrolling."

The B.B.A. degree is composed of all courses featured in GIA's Jewelry Business Management (J.B.M.) diploma program plus five new ones: Business Negotiations, Quantitative Methods, Information Systems Management, Strategic Management and one of several developing elective courses.

"While each course utilizes practical examples from the jewelry industry, students are still learning business strategies that can be applied to any field," Stavenga said.

Business Negotiations, for example, involves the study of real-life business scenarios where students learn to communicate, bargain and negotiate ethically and effectively. The Information Systems Management course outlines ways managers can use information technology to maintain a competitive edge. Students learn how computer-based resources and database management systems can assist in several tasks, from marketing mailing lists, to inventory control, to supply orders.

Sandra Cooke-Locken received a full Distance Education scholarship for GIA's J.B.M. program last year and is halfway to completing her diploma. She said the courses challenge her intellectually and professionally, which is why she put a call into the Institute's Admissions office and began to review her transcripts as soon as she heard of the B.B.A. degree.

"I can say with all honesty that these courses have been the most rewarding and fulfilling educational courses I have taken. The professors are amazing and the dedication they bring to distance learning really needs to be commended," Cooke-Locken said. "That is one reason this degree program interests me, because I know if I'm getting such a high quality of education now in the J.B.M. program, it is sure to carry over to the B.B.A. program."

Associate Professor Tim Malone, Ph.D. in Marketing, said he tries to gear his marketing courses for the School of Business toward helping students learn theory and make practical applications to the jewelry industry. He said the specificity of GIA's business courses are a great advantage to students.

"These students have invested in a curriculum designed with a focus on the jewelry industry. The cohesiveness of a learning environment where all students are of the same mind when it comes to learning topics of interest is very rare in education," Malone said.

"It is an environment that benefits from collaboration like no other college program."

Coursework Students Can Trust
GIA's Education programs offer students a long history of accredited coursework. The Institute's Distance Education courses have been certified by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC) since 1965 and the Institute's On Campus courses have been approved by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology since 1973.

"Accreditation is a process of external review that certifies the quality of educational offerings and assists us in the ongoing improvement of our programs," said Christine Galdston, education accreditation and compliance officer for GIA.

"It's a stamp of approval that students can trust."

The accreditation process went quickly for GIA's B.B.A. program due to the first-ever joint review by the DETC and the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.

Stavenga, who has 20 years of experience in course development, said this accreditation means the degree program satisfies the eight areas of what is known as the common body of knowledge for business schools: accounting, finance, information systems, law, management, marketing, economics and quantitative methods.

"Everything done at GIA is done with the highest degree of quality in mind, and the same goes for education. Any self-respecting business school will have these eight areas covered," he said.

Degree Will Open More Doors
Sumeet Chordia, G.G. and Graduate Jeweler student, said he wants to continue his GIA education with the Applied Jewelry Arts program and conclude with the B.B.A. degree so he can keep his career options wide open.

"After being at GIA for more than a year, I know the bachelor's program will be a great asset to achieving my goals because I can gain fundamental knowledge of day-to-day business in the jewelry industry," he said.

"My goal is to expand my family's company into new venues, but perhaps after earning my B.B.A. I will go on to pursue an M.B.A. or join a large corporation if I don't immediately join my family's business."

Malone said the job market will expand for students who enroll in GIA's B.B.A. program because it gives them the skills to do anything, from growing the family business, to opening their own store, to working in top marketing and management positions for existing retailers.

"Without a doubt, GIA's School of Business will contribute to the entire jewelry industry by recruiting new talent and teaching them to approach business opportunities through critical thinking," Malone said.

"It is one thing to know the theory, but our students are taught how theory applies to the jewelry industry. Students will be more qualified to make immediate contributions to employers with an education based on practical jewelry applications."

Completing GIA's bachelor's degree program, however, will do more than garner success in the jewelry field, Stavenga said.

"Students enrolled in the program will gain the academic benefits of a bachelor's degree, while simultaneously learning to focus their skills on one industry," he said. "The concepts you learn in the B.B.A. program aren't limited to the jewelry industry. What you learn here will support your success in any business environment or career path you choose."

Students can view examples of actual online business courses, including lectures, case studies, presentations and syllabi. Anyone can log in, observe a typical lesson and learn about course grading, policies and resources.

The demo course lets visitors see how students and faculty communicate with each other online, just as in a regular classroom setting. It also showcases a sample of threaded discussions, which replace face-to-face classroom interaction and can make up a large portion of a student's grade in the online courses.

To explore GIA's demo business course, visit www.schoolofbusiness.gia.edu.