Purdue Global’s organizational management program equips employees for new leadership, managerial roles

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Jeffery Bonnewell had worked supervisory and management roles within manufacturing since 2017. Good jobs, indeed. Yet he’d soon realize he had hit a career plateau. He wanted more and knew he had it in him.

That’s when he turned to Purdue Global, Purdue’s online university for working adults, and specifically to its organizational management program. It provided just the boost he desired.

Jeffery Bonnewell with his wife, Courtney, and son, Mason, at Purdue Global’s May 6 commencement. (Photo provided) Download image

As Bonnewell was earning his Bachelor of Science in organizational management, he landed a new position as a manufacturing quality engineer at Dorel Juvenile Group, a leading car seat manufacturer in Indiana.

The organizational management program is designed to help workers who have skills transferable to other jobs or positions, including operations, management, franchising, accounting and inventory management. It helped get Bonnewell where he wanted to go.

“I was taking things I was learning through the courses, texts and my professors, and I was using that in my day-to-day role with my company,” Bonnewell said. “I believe those skills helped me to get where I am now.”

Bonnewell, of Greensburg, Indiana, believes the degree program was a “perfect fit” for him, as he has a passion for people, mentoring and coaching.

He is not alone. Others have seen the payoff from the program as well, such as recent graduate Kathy Whelan of Perry Hall, Maryland.

Kathy Whelan (Purdue Global photo/Kelsey Lefever) Download image

Whelan, who serves as a medical student coordinator at MedStar Health, a large health care provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, wanted to finish her degree.

A Purdue Global advisor talked to her about her goals, what she wanted to do as she finished up her degree program and what she needed to complete the program.

Many of her previous credits transferred over to Purdue Global, and Whelan was able to complete the program in 15 months. She participated in the May 2023 commencement and also has placed her diploma on display at her office.

“This may help me advance into better positions, such as management,” Whelan said. “I had really great professors. They were able to help me apply the concepts to the real world.” “Their life experiences and the fact they work in the professional field really helps enhance the education for the student.”

The organizational management degree program through the Purdue Global School of Business and Information Technology launched following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, as many sectors of the economy suffered huge job losses. More than 400 students have enrolled in the program, with more than 60 students graduating since its inception.

Purdue Global administrators and faculty members, including Jennifer Lasater, vice president of student and career advancement, looked for ways to create a program that could help workers who lost their jobs and were looking for retraining or a new career path.

“There are people with top skills such as management, leadership, operations, sales, communication, customer service and scheduling who have spent a good amount of time in their jobs but without a lot of upward mobility,” Lasater said.

The job market in many categories is looking for general management roles. Employers are traditionally looking for skilled workers with previous experience, and many of them require a bachelor’s degree. While some workers can’t leave their current job, they could pursue additional education that would help them upskill.

“We’ve seen outcomes in many different environments and industries. This degree is what Purdue Global is all about: recognizing the skills and experience that our adult learners possess, educating them on the skills they need, and helping them to advance in their careers,” Lasater said.

Writer/Media contact: Matthew Oates, 765-496-6160, oatesw@purdue.edu; @mo_oates

Sources: Jen Lasater, Kathy Whelan, Jeffery Bonnewell