Workshops not working? No time for a graduate degree? Customized executive education is growing to fill the gap.

• Author: Caley, Nora
• Position: EDUCATION REPORT

Leaders at Colorado Parks and Wildlife faced a triad of organizational challenges in recent years, including migration through a state-mandated merger, a covey of impending retirements, and challenges between a more urbanized Colorado citizenry and wildlife. Employees working in the state division needed effective leadership development training while still accomplishing their work out in the field. CPW Director Bob Broscheid sought out a university-level customized education solution --a growing trend in executive education. The University of Denver's Daniels College of Business created a personalized class for Parks and Wildlife through the college's executive and professional program and the class was so successful that CPW is selecting its fourth annual cohort of 30 students through a competitive process.

"It's succession planning at its finest, and it's preparing [them] to be better leaders, but also better mentors, supervisors and coaches," Broscheid says of DU's custom program. So far, 90 CPW employees have graduated from the combined in-person and online 10-month course, 54 of them current supervisors and 35 non-supervisors. Of the students, 25 percent later earned promotions, Broscheid says, noting the training led to better organizational decision-making and thought processes at CPW.

"Morale within the agency is improving because of this," the director says.

"More robust decision-making leads to cost savings, better efficiency and better public engagement."

Customized learning programs are delivered in a variety of lengths and formats to fit the needs of businesses and nonprofits. Clients range from police departments to food bank staffers to corporate customers, such as Level 3 Communications, Arrow Electronics and Comcast. The university options are offered through adaptations of college business programs or the formation of new nonprofit entities within higher-ed settings. Classes can run from one week to 18 months and cost from $5,000 to $100,000 or more.

"We listen to the needs of our clients to identify pain points, growth opportunities and operational needs that can be solved or assessed by experts and resources that are available at CSU," says Arthur Sintas, director of ASCEND at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. "All our services are based on their unique needs."

The distinguishing factor of the customized options is that the classes reach a deeper level than half- or day-long public workshops, but take less time...