Banking on Engagement: The Corporate Academy Model for Industry-Embedded Teaching and Workforce Readiness

About

50-minute Workshop

Presenters: Jacob Monarez, Banking Academy Manager, Dean's Office, Woody L. Hunt College of Business; Prithu Vatsa, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Finance, Department of Economics and Finance, Woody L. Hunt College of Business

Traditional coursework alone rarely closes the gap between classroom learning and employer needs. In our region — West Texas and Southern New Mexico — this gap is acute in banking and financial services, where employers report a persistent shortage of prepared talent and Hispanic professionals remain underrepresented in management roles. Students often graduate without professional networks, industry credentials, or a realistic picture of the careers available to them.

The Banking Academy at the Woody L. Hunt College of Business was launched to address this challenge through a Corporate Academy model: a program that embeds industry directly into the student experience. The Academy integrates specialized coursework with a structured co-curricular program built with twelve corporate partners.

This session shares the Academy’s design as a transferable teaching model — not a finance program pitch. Every element is a teaching practice that faculty in any discipline can adapt with their own industry partners.