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Kris Racina on Quality Programs at SOM

 

As both a School of Management alumna and faculty member, Kris Racina has a strong connection to the school. She experienced what it was like to be a student, left to enter the professional workforce, and now teaches for the university full-time. Kris is a part of the reason why SOM programs are of such high quality, whether in-person or online - hardworking instructors help ensure their students are prepared to enter the workforce after graduation. When asked what stood out to her about SOM, this is what Kris had to say.

“I graduated from SOM in 2009 with my MBA. I was a longtime student, having taken my first class at UAF in 1979. My path was similar to many students

, in that I changed my major a few times while attending UAF. Once I found SOM, I knew a business degree was my destiny. I can literally say SOM changed my life, so when I was asked to teach a class as an adjunct faculty member, I jumped at the opportunity. The moment I stepped into the classroom, I knew teaching was a part of my future. Currently, I teach full-time, using my extensive HR experience to structure classes in a way that bridges the gap between classroom learning and real-world experiences.

 Another passion of mine is linking local businesses with SOM students for internships. Not only do these internships often lead to full-time job opportunities, they provide valuable learning experiences for students. Internships connect the dots between education and job duties. I am thrilled when I hear from students who applied what they learned in school to help solve a problem at work.

SOM works to ensure all programs stay relevant, and even innovates by adding more diverse programs. The Bachelor of Security and Emergency Management program that emerged about 20 years ago is a very high quality program that addressed a need at UAF. The recently added Bachelor of Sport and Recreation Business program has also been a huge hit. Our increasing number of majors provide increasing opportunities for students to choose topics they care about. At SOM we’re training people not only for the jobs that are available today, but for the jobs and industries that will be created in the future. It’s important to teach students how to think and innovate, and not just how to do one specific task.”