Curriculum with real-world applications

By Olivia Charles

School rivalries in the Midwest are a campus tradition. But instead of competing with their rivals, Dr. Amy Leman’s leadership students are collaborating, learning new skills and getting an inside view of the job market.

In Dr. Leman’s class, Training and Development (LEAD 321), students are matched with their counterparts at the University of Missouri to develop curriculum that will be used within a company. Most of the connectivity is virtual, but they also all come together for a working weekend once a semester.

“Working with students from another school can be a lot of fun,” says Dr. Leman. “At the same time, the students get to sharpen their teamwork skills.”

For the past several years, students have created food safety training procedures for Drury Inn and Suites and food insecurity training materials for high school students through Missouri 4-H Extension.

Students in the class say it helps them understand the types of jobs they would enjoy after graduation. Bethany Musick says this course has become important for her job search.

“Before taking LEAD 321, I was unsure what type of positions I wanted to apply to after graduation,” says Bethany. “This course has helped me narrow down my interests and inspired me to pursue program development going forward.”

Employers: Take part in this learning experience

LEAD 321 is gaining popularity, and Dr. Leman is looking for new companies or organizations to work with her students. If you are interested in having University of Illinois and University of Missouri students collaborate to create curriculum for your company or organization, contact Dr. Leman at bunselme@ illinois.edu.