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Southern Adventist University’s new non-profit Market Research Institute will offer business students hands-on experience and local businesses a place to learn about their customers.
“I think this just kicks it up a notch,” said Lisa Goolsby, assistant professor at the SAU School of Business and Management.
She said students in the 21st century want more and more real-life experience before entering the career world, and working in the MRI is a great way to do that. The impact on local businesses will be just as profound, she said.
SAU professor Lisa Goolsby teaches marketing truths to eager students. The school’s new Market Research Institute will provide a more hands-on way to learn about marketing. From left are junior NaRissa Selent, an accounting student, and freshman Victor Paez, a business financial management student.
“It’s going to make market research affordable to a greater majority of businesses out in the community,” said Goolsby. “They’re going to get a great quality service and pay a fraction what they would pay at a for-profit business.”
Money made through the program, she said, will fund scholarships for business students.
“They’ll know that any money they have put into it has gone, one, to help their market research project, but, two, to help a student in need,” Goolsby said.
The MRI, which will open in late October, will have offices at Fleming Plaza. A marketing professional will actually perform the research while students in university classes will observe the process and progress. Student job positions will allow students to be more involved.
Researchers will rely on focus groups, one-on-one interviews, telephone surveys and statistics to help clients see where their businesses have been and where they might want to take them.
SAU’s audio-visual technology and computer technology will allow a client to actually watch a focus group in action at the office or at home. Goolsby said the client can text message questions to the moderator in real time and be involved in the process.
Eventually, Goolsby said, she would like to add other services through the School of Visual Art and Design, like Web site, film, video and graphic design services.
Goolsby, a former hospital administrator, said her hospital relied on market research to overhaul its emergency room services.
“We redid our entire emergency department based on that focus group,” she said.
For more information call 236-2756 or e-mail lisagoolsby@southern.edu.
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