SOME OF OUR SERVICES

In the last two years, colleges and universities transformed virtually overnight - from offering in-person classes to adopting online learning in much more comprehensive ways.  Those changes have cascaded through virtually all our systems - and institutions and organizations are now thinking about how to capitalize on everything they have learned - while recognizing the effort needed to support students and faculty in this “new world”. Many  colleges, universities, schools and programs are considering how to redesign their business models to be both successful and sustainable. With more than 70 years academic and association experience between us, we can work with you to:

• Formalize course delivery models and a framework for evaluating optimal ways to deliver different courses, recognizing it takes resources to be successful.
• Design and develop assessment tools to demonstrate to faculty, students, stakeholders, and accreditors that accounting is a learned profession – and your program reflects the level of innovation and insight your graduates need to be successful.
• Identify financial and non-financial goals, develop a scorecard to highlight progress toward them, and design new models (if needed) to further strengthen your institution.

These times are an opportunity for programs to consider how the distinctive characteristics of their institutions and programs can be part of their plans. As an example, accounting plays a unique role in the business school, the profession, and society – giving accounting programs the opportunity and the responsibility to engage with the profession, contribute meaningful scholarship, and educate graduates who are ready to take their place in today’s business community.  We can support that work by:

• Collaboratively designing experiences and conversations that engage your faculty, students, graduates, and industry leaders to identify unique opportunities for your program.
• Working with faculty and program leaders to evaluate potential opportunities (especially those that are novel) by rapidly prototyping and iterating alternatives,  designing the future of your programs with curiosity, creativity, and responsibility – so they successfully develop students’ sense of professional identity, confidence, and readiness for today’s work environments.
• Exploring opportunities to incorporate technology and analytics into curriculum in ways that fit your program and meet the A5 standard – to give students the foundation they need – supported in ways that make them manageable for faculty.

Associations and scholarly societies are facing similar opportunities and challenges.  Whether your organization provides membership, meeting, or publications services, it's likely that your business model has changed, and new challenges may be overloading staff as they juggle new and existing responsibilities.  Faculty in many institutions are facing financial constraints, so dues revenue may be at risk.  COVID-19 forced many organizations to either cancel or transform their meetings - and now while some members are anxious to return to in person gatherings - others want the flexibility of virtual to continue.  What will the cost structure be for potential hybrid offerings?  Additionally, the value of high-quality, relevant research has grown, and the business model for scholarly publishers has changed.  Issues such as open access requirements, academic integrity concerns, and challenges with translating high quality work to become accessible to more mainstream readers are all giving rise to needs for new capabilities.  

Is your organization’s leadership looking for ways to explore new opportunities and address challenges as you plan for the coming year and beyond?  PatheWorks can:

• Work collaboratively with your professional staff and volunteer leaders to develop insights about members’ interests and needs – and ways your organization can help members to be successful.
• Build on your insights and expertise to design conversations, perform research, and facilitate experiences that engage leaders, members, and partners/sponsors to identify unique opportunities for your organization to achieve its vision.
• Evaluate core programs and activities – in terms of both the value they deliver and their financial outcomes – to ensure successful programs and long-term sustainability.
• Publications: Explore opportunities for your scholarly work/content to contribute to society – and how that can be documented to support members and volunteer leaders. Frame discussions of current interest and/or concern: impact, academic integrity, workflow, etc.