Listen Here
By Victoria Hansen
hansenv@findlay.edu
One week before classes began, Vice President of Student Affairs Christine Denecker announced that the Marathon Petroleum Corporation had written a $1 million grant to the University of Findlay for the creation of a business analytics program.
“We understand that the world around us and the world our students are entering into has more data in it and more data-driven decision-making than ever before,” said Brandon Miller, assistant professor in teaching of finance and economics. “Your phones produce so much data, the internet produces so much data, and businesses have data on everything, whether it’s financial data, marketing data, or operational data.”
The goal of the new business analytics program is to train students to organize, analyze, and socialize data and findings in meaningful and actionable ways, according to Denecker in a press release.
While organizing and socializing data are self-explanatory, one hallmark of UF’s data analytics program is the socialization of data, turning numbers into stories.
“When most people think about analytics, all they think about is some nerdy person in a corner crunching numbers all day, not talking to anyone, with their heads down,” said Miller. “We’re trying very hard to break that stereotype, because a good business analyst has to package data in an attractive way that tells a story.”
This new program introduces a new CORE+ class entitled “Data Storytelling” that teaches how to turn points of data into actionable plans and stories.
“Humans respond well to stories,” Miller said. “What we’re trying to teach students is not only how to analyze data but about putting those those solutions into a well-formatted presentation that takes your listener on the story.
Along with data storytelling, the business analytics program will include classes on data mining, AI usage, ethics, and programming languages such as R, Python, and SQL.
Previously, UF offered business analytics as an emphasis of the business administration major, but the new grant will create a standalone business analytics major. The program was created as a co-major containing 31 credit hours. This makes the program larger than a minor, smaller than a full major.
“We want any student at UF who has another primary major to be able to add this business analyst co-major to their program of study,” Miller said. “It doesn’t matter what industry you’re in. You can be a marketing major, of course, but what about health professions? What about someone who’s going to be a PA and they’re going to manage their office and need to understand medical data?”
The grant also includes funding for a standalone business analytics certificate, hiring a new professor of business analytics, updated computer labs, and continuing education for current business professors.
“Every single department in the College of Business and Humanities, and frankly every department, does some kind of analytical work,” Miller said. “We’re excited to bring new opportunities to students in all sorts of areas on campus.”
