Business College introduces major

By Marcus Whitman, Contributing Writer

Photo by Marcus Whitman/ The Towerlight

The College of Business and Economics recently revamped its e-Business and Technology Management program and replaced it with the new Business Systems and Processes (BSAP) major.

The change, which has been in the works for two years, was created to help train students to use popular databases that companies use, while also allowing students the opportunity to create bridges between various areas of business.

“This major is integral to all the different fields in business, to where more process overlap and work together,” said EBTM Department Chair Tobin Porterfield.

According to Porterfield, the different fields in business can overlap like sales and processes, or management and technology.

“It offers a strong understanding of technology and how to use technology and conduct and improve business process,” said EBTM professor Mona Mohammed. “It can also improve [student] marketability in the market place and job market.”

EBTM Professor Stella Tomasi added that it also teaches concepts that are the major processes of business operations communicated.

“This major defines all the processes and the departments to communicate better, for giving a broader perspective,” Tomasi said. “Which allows each individual to better understand each other’s work.”

Tomasi said the major is interesting because it enables students to act as a bridge between non-IT and IT sides of a business.

“It allows for the students to understand both sides for business and IT to better communicate,” Tomasi said.

Tyler Enfinger, a senior who is currently in the major, feels it teaches him technical skills that are easier to learn in a classroom setting.

“That is why I choose this major,” Enfinger said. “I hope to gain a better understand of [Enterprise Resource Planning] Programs in general, that way I can take this knowledge into the workforce.”

Evan Weiser, a senior and Project Management and Business Analyst major, said he enjoys the major because of its heavy database concentration.

“This major offers a SAP certification, and it helps make me more prepared for the work world,” Weiser said . “I want to get better in SAP and be proficient in it.  And that again makes me more prepared for the workforce, and it is one less thing that I have to learn when entering the workforce.”

Mohamed explained that the new major focuses on more than just one area of business.

“For BSAP, we focus more on specific systems and specific processes,” she said. “It is used to focus on the management process. The old major focused on just online business. This one focuses on any and all types of business.”

Weiser recommended that more people join the major.

“I would consider adding this as a major, because it gives real world practical skills, versus just reading a book,” Weiser said.