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The Center for Success
Professors at NYIT’s Center for Labor and Industrial Relations bring real-world expertise into the classrooms, offering a unique brand of career education.
By Michael Schiavetta
When NYIT established the Center for Labor and Industrial Relations (CLIR) in 1978, the typical office workplace was much different. Health plan costs weren’t rising out of control, sexual harassment had yet to become headline news, and relations between employers and their workforces were not as regulated as they are today. Few professionals dedicated their careers to human resources (HR) and employee relations. Just as scarce were institutions that offered comprehensive education on these subjects.
But today, the modern workplace must tackle these challenges and many others as demand grows for trained HR professionals to help companies manage their workforces.
“Human resources is key for businesses and requires coordination among different levels of management,” says Dr. David Decker, dean of NYIT’s School of Management, where CLIR is headquartered. Through the years, the center has awarded its Master of Science in human resources and labor relations degrees to hundreds of graduates who are now successful HR and labor relations professionals across many business sectors, including banks, insurance companies, government agencies, and major retailers.
So successful is NYIT’s career education that each year between 80 and 100 percent of the students enrolled in its Society for Human Resources Management Learning program pass the national exam offered by the Human Resources Certification Institute. Although this is only the fourth year that NYIT has offered this exam to students, one should not assume that excellence at CLIR is a recent phenomenon.
PRACTICAL MATTERS
For years, teachers at NYIT have used specialized teaching methods that go beyond the textbook. “Graduates appreciate the real-world aspect of our program, which prepares them for everyday workplace issues,” says Decker. Many professors in the program are skilled labor law personnel and HR directors who share their experiences with students to demonstrate the realities of today’s labor laws and employee relations issues.
In addition, many of the students enrolled in this specialized program bring their own practical knowledge to share with the class. “Currently, we have about 130 graduate students in the program,” says Dr. Richard Dibble (M.B.A. ’90), director of CLIR, “including many HR or labor relations professionals.”
PROVEN SUCCESS
One of the main draws of the program, notes Dibble, is the schedule’s flexibility for full-time professionals. In fact, most students are enrolled in evening or weekend courses.
Debi Solivan (B.S. ’97) appreciates this convenience. Working in the HR division at the U.S. Department of Defense, she is responsible for providing HR support to military recruiters, as well as civilian and government contract employees. Solivan enrolled in the NYIT master’s degree program for human resources management and labor relations with plans to graduate this May.
A self-proclaimed “Dibble disciple,” Solivan has the highest praise for the revered professor. “He is extremely knowledgeable and a fantastic student advisor.” She notes that it was Dibble who provided her with advice about moving from her previous career in finance to HR.
Solivan is not alone in her respect and admiration for NYIT’s human resources management and labor relations program. Case in point: Daniel Panessa (M.S. ’01), vice president, human resources, for Slomin’s Inc. in Hicksville, N.Y., believes the practical, real-world knowledge that professors bring to the classroom makes all the difference. Furthermore, he says that students currently in the HR field add to the healthy learning environment by serving as mentors to their classmates.
And like Solivan, Panessa gives credit where it’s due. “Dr. Dibble’s dedication adds an extra level of credibility to the program. Students recognize his commitment to success and appreciate his approachability.” In addition, he notes, Dibble continues to provide networking opportunities for graduates.
GIVING BACK
Several alumni have returned to the campus as guest speakers to share their experiences with students or to provide insight on improving the program. Also, Dibble notes that professors “will look at skill sets that make people successful as HR professionals, then look at ways to cultivate these skills into the program.” This “competency-based learning,” he says, enables students to use their degrees as springboards to success. It is also indicative of NYIT’s commitment to practical teaching techniques to produce real-world accomplishments.
As Panessa aptly puts it: “It’s the best learning situation you could have.”
STUDENTS LEARN MORE THAN THEORIES
It didn’t take long for James Foley (M.S. ’93) to realize that his graduate classes at NYIT weren’t just about taking notes and passing tests. His teachers expected him to do more than just learn about business practices; they expected him to put them into action.
Foley, vice president of safety for the international security company Guardsmark, remembers many occasions when he and his classmates were asked to put into practice theories discussed in textbooks. He recalls how, during one class, students were divided into two groups — labor and management — and required to negotiate a contract from start to finish. Making it even more challenging, his professors brought in business professionals to monitor the sessions and coach the students. “That was one of the most fascinating experiences of my education at NYIT,” he says.
During feedback sessions with the professionals, Foley and his classmates were evaluated on what was good and what needed work. “What I learned in that class I have applied during many collective bargaining sessions throughout my career. This was an excellent learning and development experience — it became a cornerstone of my career,” he says.
Foley, who has more than 35 years of safety, labor relations and HR management experience, believes it is the dedication of professors like Dr. Dibble and Dr. Leon Applewhaite that makes the NYIT program so good.
He says the professors expected a great deal from their students, but gave just as much themselves. “Quality leadership, education and mentoring are the marks of New York Institute of Technology’s human resources and labor relations program.” |
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