Linking Students and Business Leaders through Portfolios

An innovative student portfolio program incorporating the strategic plan, input from business leaders and current management education literature is now underway at the Bloch School of Business and Public Administration at the University of Missouri at Kansas City. Of particular interest is the use of business people as evaluators who assist students in developing and improving their portfolios as well as increasing their knowledge of the business community. The portfolio is compiled by entering business and accounting undergraduate students over three semesters and is made up of papers describing experiences that demonstrate key management skills. The entries can come from coursework, extra-curricular activities, current employment or volunteer work. The entries are organized into the acronym “LEAPS,” or leadership, experiential in-class learning, applications skills, practicum experiences and societal awareness. The philosophy, developmental process and areas of success and concern are discussed