15162: Amplifying the Practitioner Voice: Engaging with Industry Experts in Management Education

In today's competitive job market, management education is under growing pressure to provide students with both theoretical knowledge and practical, workforce-ready skills so as to facilitate their college-to-career transition. This professional development workshop (PDW) will focus on the role of industry practitioners—DBAs, guest speakers, adjunct professors, and mentors—in bridging the gap between academia and industry. Participants will discover practical ways for identifying, engaging, and integrating experts into courses and programs, thereby increasing curricular relevance and student outcomes. This workshop builds on the 2024 Practitioner PDW report that calls for a toolkit on engaging with practitioners to be developed. This PDW will explore effective strategies for locating and engaging practitioners within various fields. It will highlight valuable resources that can be utilized, including alumni networks, industry groups, and professional platforms, to foster connections and enhance professional engagement. The PDW will explore various strategies that can be employed to assess the effectiveness of these collaborations and to foster long-term engagement. By examining the dynamics of these partnerships, we can identify best practices that contribute to mutual benefits and sustained cooperation. Attendees will discuss useful resources such as practitioner onboarding forms, guest lecturer agreements, and industry partnership frameworks (e.g. scope of work), and depart with takeaways that they can apply into their own contexts. This PDW is intended for practitioners, academics, academic leaders, and career services professionals. It aims to offer a road map for developing dynamic and practical learning environments that benefit multiple stakeholders including students, institutions, and industry alike.

In order to facilitate a meaningful session for participants we would truly appreciate your time to complete this brief pre-event form. However, it is NOT required to fill up this form to participate in the PDW. Thank you.

Practitioner PDW Participant Form
(Link: https://forms.gle/6zCqTYZYqLjxJWAQ9)