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Pepperdine University
The proliferation of computers in the workplace presents a new challenge to academic institutions seeking to prepare students for careers in this new environment. Pepperdine University has met this challenge by implementing Microsoft® Office Specialist certification into their curriculum at the Graziadio School of Business.
Two years ago, Pepperdine began requiring full-time MBA students to pass certification exams in Microsoft Word and Excel to strengthen students' computer skills and to distinguish the Graziadio Business School from other business programs.
Dr. James Goodrich, Associate Dean of Full-Time Graduate Programs, was instrumental in the decision to require certification. "Microsoft Office certification ensures that our students are prepared for graduate work and beyond. Through the certification process, students gain a greater understanding of Microsoft Office programs and receive a valuable credential that sets them apart in the corporate world," says Dean Goodrich, adding that the benefits of certification go beyond the students to impact professors and the companies that hire Pepperdine graduates.
Professors, such as Dr. Robert McQuaid, have found that Microsoft Office certification sets a standard that simplifies the teaching process. "Our students are diverse not only culturally, but also in prior education and business experience," says McQuaid, Assistant Professor of Decision and Information Systems.
"This strength creates a challenge as teachers try to teach to various skill levels," he says. "The Microsoft Office certification requirement has significantly lessened the impact of this challenge by establishing a minimum proficiency that allows teachers to focus on content delivery as opposed to software skills."
Even though most students have used some type of word processing and spreadsheet program for some time, Pepperdine faculty observed that the majority of students have a very limited working knowledge of Office programs. "For example," explains Cathy Hoover, administrator of the Microsoft Office certification program at Pepperdine and a Microsoft Office Specialist Master Instructor, "basic program functions, such as mail merge, macros, format painter, and tab stops are foreign words even to long-time users of Microsoft Word, because they have been using the program through a process of trial and error. Our goal is to train people to be comfortable using the complete program."
The University offers training courses to prepare students for certification exams and, as an iQcenter, can conveniently offer certification testing on campus. Thanks to these training courses, Pepperdine boasts a 95 percent exam pass rate and has certified more than 500 full-time MBA students.
With the expansion of the Business School and increased interest among students of other colleges and disciplines within Pepperdine, the demand for Microsoft Office certification has risen significantly. "Within the upcoming year we intend to double, if not triple, the number of certification exams given at Pepperdine University," says Hoover. "To meet this expected demand, Christy Hofmann, our other Master Instructor, and I will be certifying more instructors and will be expanding Microsoft Office training and testing to other Pepperdine locations."
Recently, this year's graduating class of full-time MBA students has become 100 percent Microsoft Office certified. Dean Goodrich is proud of the students' achievements and confidently recommends them to potential employers. "Companies that hire our graduates," he says, "can be assured our students come prepared with a superior university education and the Microsoft Office skills so valued in today's corporate world."
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