One cornerstone of our NIU College of Business is its commitment to experiential learning, building real-world skills in a practical, hands-on setting.
In light of this, students often have opportunities to work and network with business professionals in many industries. Our Experiential Learning Center (ELC) offers students the opportunity to work directly with leaders of organizations as consultants. These consultant teams, usually made up of between four and eight students, come from a variety of backgrounds and majors and include undergraduate and graduate students.
“Every ELC team works directly with the representatives from a client company and delivers research and evidence-based recommendations to the company. They work to solve real-world business issues for these companies,” said Gorham.
A prime example of this consultation occurred Wednesday, Dec. 4, when the college welcomed representatives from the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to Barsema Hall. Its ELC consultant team, consisting of Jasmine Garcia (marketing), Jacob Chupich (accountancy), Isaac Ochorin (business administration and marketing), Alfie Chadwick (marketing and management) and Akhil Sika (management and information systems), presented a plan for helping IDOT coordinate and generate interest in its grant programs. These grants allow local municipalities to apply for funds to complete transportation projects in their communities, and the individual projects add up to safer communities in Illinois.
By ramping up various modes of public outreach to constituents and considering possible changes to the website, our students believed IDOT would be able to reach more individuals and secure more applicants. The ELC team of consultants also suggested implementing a “protégé program” in which municipalities that received past grants would mentor applicants and guide them through the process.
Not only did the students have phenomenal ideas grounded in research, but they provided valuable feedback that IDOT may use in upcoming marketing pushes.
Fresh Perspectives
Things got started when Guy Tridgell, director of communications for IDOT, was put in contact with Jason Gorham, the director of our Experiential Learning Center, through its paid media vendor, DCC Marketing, of Decatur, Illinois.
“We have been asking ourselves internally for a while what more we could be doing 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 try our best to support their efforts from a communications standpoint but wanted to get some new perspectives. By working with the students, we were able to get a fresh set of eyes on our processes, which never hurts. The conversation we started with them is going to last long after our work wraps up.”
The ELC team meets directly with the leaders of the organization to solve their real-world business issues, and the company representatives and the ELC team have weekly communication as the team develops research-based recommendations/solutions, which are delivered at the mid- and endpoints of the semester. In addition, the companies receive a written report that clearly outlines implementation strategies, and all research used in the process.
While this kind of hands-on experience is always valuable to students who learn about the cadence of real-world work, the ELC’s client companies often benefit in very real ways.
Tridgell added that his team hopes to use several of the students’ recommendations in the future.
“We really are looking forward to diving into the presentations and recommendations in the coming days,” he said. “Some of the direct marketing strategies caught my eye. They are something I’d like to focus on.”
Kara Demirjian Huss is president of DCC Marketing and served as a liaison for the student group during the past semester, helping them to understand the specific issues that challenge IDOT’s grant marketing.
“Partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation and Northern Illinois University’s Experiential Learning Center (ELC) has been an incredible opportunity to advance roadway safety through innovative outreach and strategic engagement,” she said. “This semester-long project empowered students to apply real-world marketing and communications strategies while offering fresh, diverse perspectives to expand equitable access to roadway safety grant funding statewide.”
IDOT Communications Liaison Kimberly Hoskins also served as a consistent sounding board for the students.
“Throughout the semester, we met virtually once a week to address students’ questions on various topics, including data that could help identify target stakeholders. I served as the liaison, fielding their questions and directing them to the various IDOT bureaus, who provided indirect insights,” she said. “Additionally, we guided them on developing a comprehensive campaign to encourage eligible stakeholders to engage 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 while driving meaningful impact in Illinois communities,” she said. “Serving as an advisor has been immensely rewarding, knowing that our collective efforts are making Illinois’ roadways safer for all.”
Hoskins added that the students’ data-driven analysis of crash statistics helped pinpoint areas most in need of safety countermeasures, ensuring resources are allocated effectively. Finally, their idea of guiding applicants with support from past successful recipients offers a creative way to foster a sense of community, rather than competition for funding.
“The students saw potential to improve IDOT’s online user experience for the grant application process. They proposed modern, innovative solutions, including leveraging AI, to address these challenges. Targeted messaging, highlighted in the tagline “Your Town. Your Safety. Our Support,” aimed to empower communities by encouraging local officials to apply for IDOT funding. This grassroots approach, paired with a clear call to action, strategically identifies a key influencer to expand outreach and engagement,” she said.
The Stakes are High
Jasmine Garcia, a senior, had a unique position on the student team. She first took an ELC class a year ago to fulfill a marketing requirement and was a bit intimidated by its competitive reputation.
“I first heard about the 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 the chance and applied, was called in for an interview and was accepted.”
When her leadership and responsibility skills were noticed throughout her first project last year, Garcia was selected to take the class again to tackle a different 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 were times I was stuck in a predicament and needed 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 real-world business experience of his own.
“This was a unique experience, due to the fact 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 once you do land a job in the business world,” he said. “I think students should pursue class projects that work with real-world businesses for this exact 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 fields of expertise and backgrounds,” he said. “I have grown close to my group members and would call them my friends, which is not something I usually say when it comes to group classwork.”
Chadwick was empowered by the responsibility the course put on their shoulders.
“Working for a real company, and specifically a government agency, was rather scary at first. The stakes were high, and they had invested their time and resources into us as students,” Chadwick said. “So, in exchange, we had to deliver the best deliverables we could. But what I forgot to consider was the human aspect of government. We were very fortunate to have the IDOT team be as involved as they were in answering questions, asking questions and guiding us along our path. What seemed scary at first became one of the greatest opportunities to learn and network that I have had at NIU so far.”
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
While this format of work was new for many of the students involved, they each made a mark on this experience, making recommendations in their areas of study and expertise.
“Each team member contributed significantly to the project. I thoroughly enjoyed working with them and appreciated their energy and curiosity. The students’ thoughtful, pointed questions and their drive to explore deeper solutions were particularly commendable,” Hoskins said.
The 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 we might miss on opportunities to break out of our usual train of thought when approaching complex situations or areas with room to improve. An IT or business major is going to look at things differently than a team of marketing or communications people, for example. Hearing some of the ideas from such a diverse collection of students helped to broaden and strengthen the recommendations, for sure.”
Tridgell and Hoskins suggest other companies and organizations look into the NIU Experiential Learning Center when they are struggling with finding solutions to a problem. Dozens of renowned companies have benefitted from being a part of the program for the last two decades.
“The enthusiasm was contagious,” Tridgell said. “Having someone young and energetic get excited about your work is a great feeling. I’d 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 to get more information.
