Professor Elam

Monday January 21 2013

A student asks about the timing of the Speakers coming to campus. Would some be available on Saturday for students that work?

I began teaching at TAMUSA in 2003. Enrollment has slowly grown since then by about 350 overall students a year, in total for all three schools, Education, A and S , and Business. The day time enrollment has been the slowest to grow. In the last year we have had classes with as many as 30 in the day time. 

When I taught at Texas State aka Southwest Texas in San Marcos, the Accounting Club did and still does meet every Thursday at 5 Pm. Now understand that Texas State has over 700 under and graduate accounting students. We have about 190 undergraduates. Even at that we would have about 40-50 of less than one tenth of the total number of accounting students at club meetings where a speaker would be featured. 

At Texas State the students who were interested would arrange work schedules around the Thursday meeting. But admittedly many of them were younger and worked jobs like retail or restaurants which offered various hours of work. What has happened in my estimation here is that we have one group of students working full time who go mostly from 5 30 on into the evening. Another group is mostly comprised of women with families who go in the day time when their children are in school. 

Now understand that at 5 30 every classroom in the building is full, so there is no where to have any one speak. In the past I have had speakers come to class but of course that eliminates one class period to discuss what we need to cover. 

My take was that we finally had enough day time students to support a day time presentation. Speakers work as our students do. It is not possible to get volunteer speakers to come on a Saturday. And remember we now have Saturday classes for graduate students both morning and afternoon every Saturday. So the late afternoon is out as is Saturday. 

We scheudled day classes and there was a request for a 2 PM class which we scheduled TR. But it has only six enrolled. I believe I can schedule speakers at noon, and this next Thursday at noon will be our first attempt. However we need to have I think at least 20 in attendance for the Speaker to feel that they have accomplished a worthwhile objective. 

Now, that said, one of my plans is to interview more and more business people in San Antonio on Video and put that on Yout Tube. In that way students who cannot attend can at least share the thoughts and presence of outside speakers. I will be presenting this idea at our annual SWTLC conference in April. 

I have initially interviewed Fred Timmons incoming President of TSCPA. Bruce Howard as agreed to a video interview as well. No the interviews are not up yet, I am working with Sherita to make sure we have everything right first. 

So the future of this project depends on getting students out in force for our first speakers. Later in the week seems to work better for most Speakers that is why I chose thursday. 

And that is where this project is now.