A cornerstone of our NIU College of Business is its commitment to experiential learning, building real-world skills in a hands-on, hands-on environment.
In light of this, students often have the opportunity to work and network with business professionals in many industries. Our Experiential Learning Center (ELC) offers students the opportunity to work directly with organizational leaders as consultants. These consulting teams, typically consisting of four to eight students, come from a variety of backgrounds and majors and include undergraduate and graduate students.
“Each ELC team works directly with representatives of a client company and provides the company with research and evidence-based recommendations. They work to solve real-world business issues for these companies,” Gorham said.
A prime example of this consultation occurred on Wednesday, December 4, when the college hosted representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) in Barsema Hall. His team of ELC consultants, consisting of Jasmine Garcia (marketing), Jacob Chupich (accounting), Isaac Ochorin (business administration and marketing), Alfie Chadwick (marketing and management) and Akhil Sika (management and information systems), presented a plan to help. IDOT coordinates and generates interest in its grant programs. These grants allow local municipalities to apply for funding to complete transportation projects in their communities, and individual projects add to safer communities in Illinois.
By increasing various ways of public contact with voters and considering possible changes to the website, our students believed that IDOT would be able to reach more individuals and secure more applicants. The ELC team of consultants also suggested implementing a “sheltered program” in which municipalities that have received past grants will mentor applicants and guide them through the process.
Not only did the students have phenomenal research-based ideas, but they provided valuable feedback that IDOT can use in future marketing pushes.
Fresh perspectives
Things started when Guy Tridgell, director of communications for IDOT, contacted Jason Gorham, director of our Experiential Learning Center, through paid media vendor DCC Marketing, of Decatur, Illinois.
“We’ve been asking ourselves internally for a while what we could do more to generate interest in these grant opportunities and ultimately get more communities to apply,” Tridgell said. “The people who manage these programs for IDOT take their mission very seriously. We do our best to support their efforts from a communication standpoint, but we wanted to get some new perspectives. Working with the students, we got a fresh look at our processes, which never hurts. The conversation we started with them will last long after our work is done.”
The ELC team meets directly with the organization’s leaders to solve their real-world business issues, and company representatives and the ELC team have weekly communication as the team develops research-based recommendations/solutions, which are delivered between and points end of the semester. In addition, companies receive a written report that clearly describes the implementation strategies and all the research used in the process.
While this kind of hands-on experience is always valuable for students learning about the pace of real-world work, ELC’s client companies often benefit in very real ways.
Tridgell added that his team hopes to use some of the students’ recommendations in the future.
“We’re really looking forward to diving into the presentations and recommendations in the coming days,” he said. “Some of the direct marketing strategies caught my eye. That’s something I’d like to focus on.”
Kara Demirjian Huss is the president of DCC Marketing and served as a liaison for the student group last semester, helping them understand the specific issues that challenge IDOT grant marketing.
“Partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Northern Illinois University’s Experiential Learning Center (ELC) has been a tremendous opportunity to advance road safety through innovative outreach and strategic engagement,” she said. “This semester-long project empowered students to apply real-world marketing and communications strategies while providing fresh and diverse perspectives to expand equitable access to road safety grant funding nationwide.”
IDOT Communications Liaison Kimberly Hoskins also served as a consistent sounding board for the students.
“Throughout the semester, we met almost once a week to address student questions on various topics, including data that could help identify stakeholders. I served as a liaison, fielding their questions and directing them to various IDOT offices, which provided indirect knowledge,” she said. “Additionally, we guided them in developing a comprehensive campaign to encourage stakeholders interested parties who are eligible to be included in the grant application process.”
Demirjian Huss was impressed with the strategies and skills the students demonstrated during the project.
“Through hands-on project management, data-driven marketing development and industry-based learning, students gained critical skills that will serve them throughout their careers driving meaningful impact in Illinois communities,” she said. . “Serving as an advisor has been extremely rewarding, knowing that our collective efforts are making Illinois roads safer for everyone.”
Hoskins added that the students’ data-driven analysis of crash statistics helped determine areas most in need of safety countermeasures, ensuring resources are allocated effectively. Finally, their idea of guiding applicants with support from past successful recipients provides a creative way to foster a sense of community, rather than competition for funding.
“Students saw potential to improve IDOT’s online user experience for the grant application process. They proposed modern, innovative solutions, including the use of AI, to address these challenges. Targeted messaging, highlighted in the tag line “Your City. Your Safety. Our Support,” was aimed at empowering communities by encouraging local officials to apply for IDOT funding. This grassroots approach, coupled with a clear call to action, strategically identifies a key influencer to expand reach and engagement,” she said.
The stakes are high
Jasmine Garcia, a senior, had a unique position on the student body. She first took an ELC class a year ago to fulfill a marketing requirement and was a little intimidated by its competitive reputation.
“I first heard about ELC from a friend, and he told me it was a competitive class to get into, as you had to go through an application and interview process,” she said. “I took advantage of the opportunity and applied, they called me for an interview and I was accepted.”
When her leadership skills and responsibility were noticed during her first project last year, Garcia was selected to take the class again to tackle another project and serve as an assistant coach for the IDOT student group.
She added that her biggest takeaway from working with this group is that no one should be afraid to ask for help. “Even as an assistant coach, there have been times when I’ve been stuck in a difficult situation and I need insight from others around me,” she said.
Senior Jacob Chupich worked as a student consultant on the team with the goal of making a positive impact in the business world as well as gaining his own real-world business experience.
“This was a unique experience, in that it was a great opportunity to learn exactly what awaits you on the other side of life after college, as well as what to expect in the work environment after completing a job in the business world” , he said. “I think students should pursue class projects that work with real-world businesses for this very reason.
Junior Alfie Chadwick was impressed with what his teammates brought to the table.
“My group have been outstanding teammates to work with, each with their own areas of expertise and backgrounds,” he said. “I’ve grown close to my band members and would call them my friends, which is not something I usually say when it comes to teamwork.”
Chadwick was empowered by the responsibility the course placed on their shoulders.
“Working for a real company, and especially a government agency, was very scary at first. The stakes were high and they had invested their time and resources in us as students,” Chadwick said. “So in return, we had to deliver the best results we could. But what I forgot to consider was the human aspect of governance. We were very fortunate that the IDOT team was as involved as they were in answering questions and guiding us on our way. What seemed daunting at first became one of the greatest opportunities to learn and connect with the network I’ve had at NIU so far.”
Teamwork makes the dream work
While this format of work was new to many of the students involved, each of them made a mark on this experience, making recommendations in their areas of study and expertise.
“Each member of the team contributed significantly to the project. I really enjoyed working with them and appreciated their energy and curiosity. The students’ thoughtful, pointed questions and their efforts to explore deeper solutions were especially commendable,” Hoskins said.
Students brought their knowledge from their various disciplines to examine IDOT’s programs.
“We often work with people who have similar backgrounds and areas of expertise,” Tridgell said.
“The result is that we may miss opportunities to break out of our usual train of thought when approaching complex situations or areas with room for improvement. An IT or business specialist will look at things differently than a team of marketing or communications people, for example. Hearing some ideas from such a diverse collection of students helped expand and strengthen the recommendations, of course.”
Tridgell and Hoskins suggest companies and other organizations look to NIU’s Center for Experiential Learning when they’re struggling to find solutions to a problem. Dozens of well-known companies have benefited from being part of the program over the past two decades.
“The enthusiasm was contagious,” Tridgell said. “Having someone young and energetic excited about your work is a great feeling. I would absolutely encourage other businesses or government agencies to consider sharing their experiences to see what they can do to improve.”
To learn more about our ELC program, go to go.niu.edu/NIUELC or email the director, Professor Jason Gorham, at jgorham@niu.edu for more information.
