ISCAP Proceedings: Abstract Presentation
Tech at the Core: Teaching MIS and Cybersecurity Early to Shape and Attract Business Students
Jason Triche
University of Montana
Justin Angle
University of Montana
Abstract
Given enrollment declines at universities across the United States and increases in the cost of attending college, introductory courses are under even more pressure to deliver value to students. The introductory classes across universities set the foundation for students to build a successful college career and persist to graduation. The introduction to business course, in particular, provides a foundation for all business majors and gives students the opportunity to understand all the different disciplines within business. A version of this course is offered at most universities across the U.S., but these vary greatly among institutions, and there is not a consensus of topics or principles for this class to cover (Borden, 2016).
This paper provides insights into a novel approach to increase interest for each business major in the introduction to business class at a state institution in the Rocky Mountain West. The approach includes allowing each business major (i.e., management, marketing, finance, accounting, information systems, and cybersecurity) equal time in the course to cover the most relevant and engaging topics with the goal of conveying foundational knowledge and increasing student interest for each major. Specifically, this paper discusses the information systems (IS) and cybersecurity topics that are covered in the introduction to business course. The topics range from how technology is shaping the future of work, basic data analytics principles, the fundamentals of cybersecurity, and the importance of information systems to inform business strategy, tactics, execution, and evaluation. The article will provide details on each 80-minute IS and cybersecurity lecture, including the topic, an outline with learning objectives, lecture notes, activities, and sample assessments.
During the years since this model was adopted, the IS and cybersecurity majors have experienced substantial growth, suggesting a positive effect of this model. We plan to measure the changes in enrollment for each business major during this time window to assess the overall efficacy of the approach and determine if effects differ across majors. We will offer commentary on how the model presents an opportunity for majors to showcase their best aspects and engage students from the very start of their college careers.
This article can provide institutions with a way to reimagine their introduction to business courses. The introduction to business course can help institutions retain students in the college of business and provide students with an interest in each business major. At a minimum, the article provides several lectures on the most relevant and interesting topics at the introductory level for the IS and Cybersecurity fields.
Borden, J.P. (2016). A comparison of introduction to business courses at top-ranked schools. Business Education Innovation Journal, V. 8, No. 2, p 153.