Experiential learning photo


The College of Business, Communication and Leadership develops and graduates ethical high performers because we know that organizations need professionals who can add an immediate positive impact, who know how to add the right value, at the right level, given their role at the time. So our faculty, alumni, and community partners collaborate to deliver a variety of experiential learning opportunities that allow our students to apply their knowledge in real work situations and environments, gaining the experiences and exposure to organizational life required to grow into ethical high performers.

 

College of Business, Communication and Leadership

O'Pake Fellows
O’Pake Fellows 
The O’Pake Fellows Program provides elite undergraduate and graduate students with hands-on distinctive experiential learning opportunities. Students of high academic standing, from diverse majors and backgrounds, can work directly with regional entrepreneurs, small business owners, faculty researchers and industry leaders.
Bloomberg Terminal at Alvernia University
Bloomberg Terminal
CBCL students have access to the Bloomberg Terminal, a service used by leading business and financial professionals worldwide, at the university’s John R. Post Center at Reading CollegeTowne.

 

 

Internships & Job Placements

Alvernia's College of Business, Communication and Leadership develops high performers who are prepared to make a positive difference. Our interns and graduates are in high demand and are making an impact at globally recognized brands such as Amazon, ESPN, Ernst & Young, Hershey, Johnson & Johnson, Kellogg's, Penske, The Golf Channel, Bank of America, and Walt Disney. Other recognizable organizations include:

  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Nestle
  • NFL
  • Vanguard
  • Wells Fargo
  • Black and Decker
  • Brenntag
  • Brentwood Industries
  • Carpenter Technology
  • Citizens Bank
  • Custom Processing Services
  • EnerSys
  • Enterprise Car Rental
  • FirstEnergy Corporation
  • First Union
  • Fulton Bank
  • Herbein
  • Morgan Stanley
  • Prudential
  • Sherwin-Williams
  • Tower Health
  • TRIOSE
  • U.S. Department of Finance
  • U.S. Department of Treasury
  • UGI Energy Services
  • University of Houston
  • University of Pennsylvania Health Care System
  • Opportunity House
  • 18th Ward Business Alliance
  • Safe Berks
  • United Way
  • Berks County Living Magazine
  • Reading Magazine
  • Reading Eagle Newspaper
  • BCTV.org
  • WEEU-AM
  • PBS 39 News


The department also has taken students to Washington, D.C., to visit Congress, the Newseum, the Supreme Court and a taping of a CNN show. Graduates have also benefited from internships with places such as:

  • ESPN
  • The Rachel Ray television show
  • QVC
  • The Berks County Bar Association
  • Longwood Gardens
  • Lamar Advertising
  • Channel 10 News program
  • BBC broadcasting
  • The Discovery Channel
  • Disney World
  • Universal Studios
  • The White House
  • Berks County Television
Experiential Learning Graduation Requirement

Alvernia business students in all majors and all modalities regardless of status as traditional freshmen, adult education, transfer, or mid-degree students, must complete an experiential learning opportunity of at least 75 hours as part of the core requirements in the business program. The 75 hours applies to transfer students as well. Students are strongly encouraged to complete this requirement in their junior or senior year, and are also encouraged to exceed the hours required. Completing an experiential learning opportunity provides students with an opportunity to apply what they are learning outside of the classroom setting and develop a network of professionals in their discipline.

Students can select a combination of opportunities and activities to achieve the total number of hours required. Some of the ways to secure experiential learning opportunities to meet the Business Department graduation requirement to satisfy the 75-hour requirement, may include, but are not limited to:

  • Internship* opportunities in the community or within Alvernia advertised through Career Services, identified by faculty, the student intern, or other networking;
  • Experiential projects with community organizations, including clinical placements;
  • Satisfactory completion of the BUS 441 Co-op course or other approved internship course;
  • Completion of at least 75 hours as an O’Pake Institute or Holleran Center Fellow.


Students may complete the experiential learning opportunity with any organization, including Alvernia, provided the opportunity relates to the student’s discipline.

*Internships satisfy the Business Department Experiential Learning graduation requirement regardless of whether the student is enrolled in BUS 441, BUS 442, or another course for academic credit in conjunction with such internship for those hours. The hours may be double-counted for such course as well as for the Business Department Experiential Learning graduation requirement.

 

FBLA
FBLA Collegiate Conference
Students competed in the Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA-PBL) 2022 Collegiate Conference and were nationally qualified in their categories. Alvernia's PBL chapter helps business students build documented accomplishments that complement their academic experiences. Phi Beta Lambda provides opportunities for students to develop leadership, communication, and team skills.
Washington Center
Washington Center
The O'Pake Institute manages Alvernia's relationship with The Washington Center in the nation’s capital. The Washington Center offers residential academic programs and internship experiences for Alvernia students. It also presents seminars focused on political party conventions and the Presidential Inauguration during Presidential election years. Alvernia students have participated in all of these programs.

 

 

Capstone Projects

Capstones in the MAL program

Organizational Leadership Concentration Capstone Topics (recent and select):

  • Employee Training Program Implementation
  • Mentorship
  • Organizational Efficiency
  • Diversity and Inclusion
  • Leadership Development Model Implementation


Sustainable Communities Concentration Capstone Topics (recent and select):

  • Alleviating Barriers to Receiving Support Services for Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Survivors
  • Local Climate Action & Sustainability Plans
  • Community Trauma
Research

Presentations at conferences involving students and faculty as co-presenters:

  • Academic Conference Presentation, Dr. Spencer S. Stober co-presented with Brian A. Petersen and Patricia A. Brenner, “Leadership Programs and Their Espoused Outcomes: A Content Analysis,” 20th Annual Conference of the International Leadership Association (ILA), West Palm Beach, Fla., Oct. 24-27, 2018
  • Dr. Spencer S. Stober chaired an academic panel discussion with James Elliker, Benjamin Delp Watts and Daniel O’Connor, “A Triad of Stakeholders: Servant Leadership and Symphony for Generating and Authentic Sustainable Organization,” 20th Annual Conference of the International Leadership Association (ILA), West Palm Beach, Fla., Oct. 24-27, 2018
  • Poster Presentation by Vance Cooper, Jan Schumacher, Elliot Thomas Seifert, Shaji Silva, with Dr. Spencer S. Stober as a contributor, “The GLOBE Study: Exploration of Culture Dimensions for Sustainable Leadership,” 20th Annual Conference of the International Leadership Association (ILA), West Palm Beach, Fla., Oct. 24-27, 2018
  • Academic Conference Presentation, Dr. Spencer S. Stober co-presented with Brian Petersen and Patricia Brenner, “Building Leadership Competence: Exploring Leadership Skills in Program Curricula,” 19th Annual Conference of The International Leadership Association (ILA), Brussels, Belgium, Oct. 12-15, 2017
  • Dr. Spencer S. Stober as chair/presenter, panel discussion with Dr. Peggy C. Bowen-Hartung, Tracy L. Brown, Dr. Alicia H. Sprow and Dr. Tufan Tiglioglu, “A Community Engagement Model for Thoughtful Leadership Education,” 17th meeting of International Leadership Association (ILA), Barcelona, Spain, Oct. 16, 2015
  • Poster Presentation, Dr. Spencer S Stober co-presented with Dr. Alicia Sprow, “Developing Nature-Centered Leaders” at the International Leadership Association (ILA) conference in San Diego, Oct. 30 to Nov. 2, 2014

Dr. Stober co-authored a book with two Ph.D. students:

"Nature-centered Leadership: An Aspirational Narrative," Common Ground Publishing LLC, 2013; Dr. Spencer S. Stober co-authored book with Tracey L. Brown and Sean J. Cullen, recognized at a book launch and reception at the January 2014 Conference, University of Split, Croatia. This book was one of ten finalists for an award at the International Leadership Association, ILA conference, October 2014