Business Department designs program to aid communication, business students

Brittany Scott, a sophomore from Emmett, Idaho, and also a broadcast communication major, receives advising help from Amy LaBaugh, a business academic adviser. The Business Department is now offering to help business and communication majors concerning their schedules and graduation requirements. SEAN MILLER / Scroll

Amid all of the changes that BYU-Idaho has experienced since its transformation from a two-year institution to a four-year university, there is someone out there ready and willing to help students maneuver their way through the system: the Business Department.

The department has put together a program designed to assist students with the following majors: business, accounting, communication, information systems and recreational education.

The program is designed to be a walk-in center where students can come to receive guidance in planning classes from their freshman to senior year, find resources for graduate school, put together a university study degree or find out what classes can still apply to a new major, should they decide to change.

“I think it has been helpful to a lot of students,” Amy LaBaugh, academic adviser, said. “If you want to know if you’re on track, get your classes evaluated or see what classes can still transfer to your new major, there is always someone there to help you. There have been so many changes; everyone is establishing and reestablishing programs. We can give guidance through those changes.”

“Our focus is to try to make a location that can give anyone the academic assistance that they need,” Fenton Broadhead, dean of the College of Business and Communication, said. “We have had a lot of students come in so far.”

The center is located in Smith Room 225, and students can stop by between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The center provides online and book resources for those looking for graduate study programs, as well as the chance to come up with a specialized study degree.

“This [graduate study program] is a degree for the non-traditional student,” LaBaugh said. “If you are already working in your field but haven’t received your degree yet or would like to design a specific degree, we can determine your career goals and work something out.”

Another option students may utilize is developing two clusters instead of a minor degree.

“You can pick a skill set in any discipline you want, 12-18 credits each, instead of a minor,” LaBaugh said. “We also have cluster samples that students could choose from as well.”

The center is a place for students to stop by if they have a quick advising question. This can help eliminate problems the students might have trying to set up a time to meet with their assigned advisers one-on-one due to scheduling conflicts or other problems, LaBaugh said.

“Students couldn’t ask for much better help than what we can provide for them,” Broadhead said.

As far as the future is concerned, Broadhead said he would like to see the business center work more closely with the placement center to help students achieve their career goals.