News Release
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Wilmington University Doctoral Students Help Delaware Arts Alliance Chart Strategic Course
Four Wilmington University doctoral students and their faculty mentor, Dr. Amy Patrick, are taking a moment to look at art, with a critical eye. This summer, the group of Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) students worked with the non-profit group, the Delaware Arts Alliance, to develop a better way to serve Alliance members.
It all began when Guillermina Gonzalez, Executive Director of the Delaware Arts Alliance, had a sudden realization. A Wilmington University DBA student herself, Gonzalez was sitting in class when she noticed that the research methods and analysis conducted in class were just the tools she was looking to use in her own organization. The Delaware Arts Alliance (DAA) wanted to develop a strategic plan to better serve its members and the community more effectively. However, as with many nonprofit organizations, it lacked detailed information about the perceptions and needs of its members. It also lacked the resources to research these needs.
That’s when Guillermina Gonzalez thought of her fellow DBA students: Lovis Daniels, Andrew Labovitch, and Duane Mitchell. With boundless enthusiasm, Gonzalez convinced her classmates to volunteer their time and talents to conduct a survey of DAA members. The result was a professional research study and analysis that, for the first time, gave DAA the detailed information it needs to serve its constituents more effectively.
Maxine Gaiber, DAA Steering Committee member and Executive Director for the Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts, observed, “Too often, fledgling organizations make assumptions about the needs of their members or clients. Happily, with the assistance of the Wilmington University doctoral students, the DAA has solid information to guide its evolving programs and services. We had an ideal working relationship with the students and Dr. Patrick. They were very enthusiastic about applying their skills to a real-world need.”
Faculty mentor Dr. Amy Patrick stated, “Conducting and analyzing the survey was an excellent opportunity for the students to reach out to the community and make a difference. This reflects the purpose of the Doctor of Business Administration program, which is to equip experienced managers and professionals to look at problems in new ways and to apply different techniques.”
Gonzalez said she chose Wilmington University as the place to pursue her doctorate because of its "pragmatic doctoral and research approach." She wanted to enroll in a program that not only focused on presenting students with facts and theories, but that would connect this information with the real-world situations students face outside the classroom. "Research makes sense when it is connected to reality," she explained. "Wilmington University truly has a target audience of working adults interested in expanding their knowledge.”
Dr. Ruth Norman, director of Wilmington University's Doctor of Business Administration program described how thrilled she was to see DBA students applying their in-class instruction to the real world. "One of the most exciting things about the Doctor of Business (DBA) program is that it brings together a group of movers and shakers, such as Gonzalez, from many different backgrounds," Dr. Norman noted. "We learn a lot from each other, professors included! One of the objectives of the DBA program is to help these high potential students serve their employers, industries, professions, and communities as executives and thought leaders We believe the DBA program is perfect for leaders such as Gonzalez because it allows students to explore problems that are specific to their organizations and build solutions as they progress through the program.”
For more information on the Doctor of Business Administration program visit http://www.wilmu.edu/business/dba.aspx.
