Kelly Slaughter is a 23-year veteran of Ameren Missouri\u2019s Callaway \u00a0Energy Center, a senior outage scheduler and now a member of the first MBA cohort offered through a unique partnership between his employer, Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPP and Westminster College. He thanks his son, Samuel Slaughter, for his student status.<\/p>\n
Last year, Kelly Slaughter had reached a point where he wanted to advance his career by furthering his education.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt the same time, Sam was looking at colleges,\u201d says Slaughter. \u201cHe decided early that he wanted to go into the nursing program at Maryville. Meanwhile, Ameren announced they would offer an online MBA program with Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPand Westminster. Sam encouraged me to apply immediately. He kept saying, \u2018You gotta go Dad, you just gotta go.\u2019 So, I applied.\u201d<\/p>\n
The program is an academic partnership that offers the flexible education opportunities required by Ameren employees and others who balance their time between a host of professional and personal responsibilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cAmeren\u2019s leadership wanted to provide access for employees to graduate education,\u201d says Katherine Louthan, executive director of Maryville\u2019s School of Adult and Online Education. \u201cUtilizing Westminster\u2019s established relationship with Ameren, we were able to offer Ameren our online virtual classroom, which accommodates the reality of shift work and the very specific needs of these highly specialized employees.\u201d<\/p>\n
Launched in January of 2017, 12 Ameren employees are enrolled in the MBA program. It\u2019s the job of Caitlin Ladd, associate \u00a0director of Adult and Online Education, to identify ways in which organizations can best invest in their employees.<\/p>\n
\u201cË¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPdoesn\u2019t deliver the same education package to everyone,\u201d she says. \u201cWe work closely with a company\u2019s human resources leaders, listen to their needs, then discuss how we can best meet them. In this case, we were able to creatively design an online course delivery model, complemented by either virtual or face-to-face engagement.\u201d<\/p>\n
The online format opens a door to education long sought by Ameren employees in Callaway County. The prospect of traveling to nearby Columbia or St. Louis for classes had always been out of the question.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith our busy lives and varied work schedules, we simply don\u2019t have the time, nor the physical and mental energy, to be sitting in classes,\u201d says Slaughter. \u201cË¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPhas just been great to work with. They have helped make our cohort a cohesive group. We support each other, and congratulate each other on a great online post or comment. And with a son in college, partnership benefits like tuition reimbursement make it all possible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sam, who began classes this fall, has quickly immersed himself in academics and campus life. Two serious knee injuries playing football in high school helped steer him toward a nursing career.<\/p>\n
\u201cI toured Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPand looked at the nursing program<\/a> in June, before my senior year of high school,\u201d he says. \u201cIt was a great decision, because someday I can help kids like me. And now, I get to tell people how cool it is that my dad is going to the same school.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n (EDITOR’S NOTE: This article first appeared in the Fall 2017 edition of Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵAPPMagazine.<\/em>)<\/p>\n