What a Corporate University Is and Is Not
#Kathryn Tyler
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By Kathryn Tyler
April 1, 2012
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“There is a general lack of understanding of what a corporate university is,” says Mark Allen, Ph.D., a professor at Pepperdine University. “It is not a place, a building or a gimmick. A corporate university is an educational entity that is a strategic tool designed to assist its parent organization in achieving its mission by conducting activities that cultivate individual and organizational learning, knowledge, and wisdom.”
Here are differences between …
A corporate university and a training department. “A training department is tactical or operational, whereas a corporate university is positioned at a strategic level. A good training program helps you do your job better. A corporate university helps the organization achieve its mission,” Allen says.
A corporate university and a traditional university. Traditional universities conduct scientific research and grant degrees in a variety of disciplines. Corporate universities focus primarily—though not exclusively—on on-the-job skills, company-specific proprietary knowledge and branding, and certification. “At a corporate university, you are focusing on learning that will benefit the organization, not just the individual,” Allen says.
The author is a freelance writer and former HR generalist and trainer in Wixom, Mich.
Members may download one copy of our sample forms and templates for your personal use within your organization. Please note that all such forms and policies should be reviewed by your legal counsel for compliance with applicable law, and should be modified to suit your organization’s culture, industry, and practices. Neither members nor non-members may reproduce such samples in any other way (e.g., to republish in a book or use for a commercial purpose) without SHRM’s permission. To request permission for specific items, click on the “reuse permissions” button on the page where you find the item.
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