South Elgin student consults for NIU
Larry Green, of South Elgin, recently was part of a team of Northern Illinois University students working as consultants to Northern Illinois University's College of Business Experiential Learning Center.
The consulting project was conducted through the Experiential Learning Center in the NIU College of Business. For the last decade, teams operating out of the ELC have been “hired” by companies looking for fresh insight into a business issue. Companies such as Caterpillar, Wal-Mart and McDonalds have each used multiple ELC teams over the past decade.
The projects allow students, who are drawn from departments throughout the college and across the university, to apply concepts that they are learning in the classroom to actual business challenges. Along the way, they also learn lessons about team work, leadership, researching, presentation skills and more.
Green, a senior majoring in finance, and his team analyzed the strategic marketing strategy of the Experiential Learning Center and provided recommendations for improving the center's online presence and effective strategies to connect with students and future clients. These recommendations were presented to the corporate board of advisors made up of executives from Dell, McKesson, Follet, McDonald's and many others along with many guests from the College of Business.
About 50 students participate in ELC projects each year gaining real world experience and a unique experience to place on their resume.
For more information on the ELC, visit http://www.cob.niu.edu/elc/