Bachelor of Commerce (Digital Marketing) - Postsecondary ...

Final Comments
Before concluding the interview, Employers were given a final opportunity to offer comments on the
possible introduction of the four proposed degree programs. Employer comments reflected a mix of
enthusiastic endorsements and strong cautions, along with some advice about specific content and
marketing approaches for the new programs:
I'm glad that the college is looking at this pro‐actively.
I'm looking forward to Fanshawe developing these programs. It's too bad it wasn't around when
I was in school.
I would be happy for any follow up. We have great respect for Fanshawe and are happy to help
in any way.
I think this is a great idea. I am thinking of this from the perspective of my own kids. My son got
a BMOS degree at Western and applied but didn't get into Ivey. My daughter got a double
diploma from Fanshawe in HR. Now she is getting a business degree online from Athabasca. She
would definitely have stayed for a degree at Fanshawe if it was available.
There is always a need for strong, qualified individuals in accounting. The same is true with HR.
Our marketing has been growing two fold per year. Business management is a very strong need,
especially entrepreneurship. The problem is that we need people with a mix of practical skills and
theoretical knowledge, and college and university each seem to provide one or the other.
I definitely hope that you get a Search Engine Optimization Specialization launched.
I think Fanshawe should be looking more at technology disciplines. We need more girls in this
area. We would LOVE to see a business analyst program. I'd love to see any material about that
if it comes out.
The critical thing if these courses go through will be how you communicate about these degrees
to employers. Endorsements and testimonials will be key. Don't be afraid to scream it.
A) differentiation is key. B) We'd be interested in whether they'd be capable of moving on to an
MBA. That's part of our professional development offerings.
The more shades in definitions of what a degree is, the more watered down it gets. This is a
concern because you get something very different from college than university. In my business,
what I need most is skilled trades people. I don't need more book smart people. The trades
program is messed up. The expectation is that the employer pays the tradesperson to learn the
skill for 4 years. The employer should be paid from the student's tuition for providing a learning
experience. I need Fanshawe to train people in trades and IT.
I don't understand why Fanshawe would do this. If the difference between university and college
is degrees versus diplomas, I'm not sure why Fanshawe would offer degrees.
I don't think it is the role of a community college to provide business degrees. I think it is a
duplication.”
Why would Fanshawe do this It won't make them stand out from the crowd. You have to focus
on specializations that nobody is offering. There are three areas that I think Fanshawe should be
working on really fast: 1) web‐marketing 2) e‐commerce 3) virtual reality 4) flexographic
printing 5) Sharepoint software, which is cutting edge from Microsoft. This is crucial. There also
needs to be more depth and linking at the global level. Fanshawe should look at what they are
LKSB Degree Program Feasibility Study • 2011
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