DECATUR, Ill. – The history of Performance Learning at Millikin University is long and storied, as Big Blue students use their classroom-learned skills in real-world situations to gain unique learning experiences.
Students in Millikin’s Master of Business Administration program recently continued that tradition, sharing the results of a six-month-long Performance Learning project done in conjunction with the Village of Forsyth, Ill., located seven miles north of Millikin’s campus.
“Our MBA program focuses heavily on the application of material learned in the classroom. I always enjoy seeing our students do this via a client project, while also benefiting an organization or area in our community,” said Jaclyn Cantwell, Director of Millikin University MBA Program.
The Data Analytics-concentrated students worked with village leaders to analyze and visualize data from a recent Forsyth resident satisfaction survey.
The students received the survey results from three surveys done over three years (2018, 2021, and 2024) from the village and then “cleaned the data” to identify, correct, or remove any errors, inconsistencies, or irrelevant information from the data.
The 2024 survey was conducted online and asked residents questions about their demographic information (age, gender, number of children/elderly in their household) as well as several questions rating Forsyth as a community on a scale of 0-5. (ex: rating Forsyth as a place to live). Residents were also asked about their feelings on future village projects. A comparison was then completed among the survey results conducted in 2018 and 2021 to see changes in opinions and demographic shifts.
In their analysis, the MBA students conducted t-tests, a statistical test used to determine if a process affects a population, as well as an ANOVA test, which performs an analysis of variance among the data sets.
During the presentation, students utilized Power BI, a Microsoft interactive data visualization software program that can transform data sets to create interactive dashboards and reports.
Big Blue students had the opportunity to provide village leaders with insights into their community and gave them the knowledge to plan for community development needs in the future. Village of Forsyth Administrator Jill Applebee was on hand for the presentation and thanked the group for their efforts over the lengthy process.
"This collaboration with Millikin University's MBA students has provided us with invaluable insights into the evolving needs and priorities of our residents. Their analysis of survey data allows us to make data-driven decisions that will directly impact community development,” Applebee said. “Moving forward, we anticipate using this information to shape future projects, allocate resources more effectively, and ensure Forsyth remains a great place to live and grow."
About Millikin’s MBA Program
Millikin offers a top-notch MBA program designed for students and professionals who want to take the next step in their academic and professional careers. Working with our experienced faculty, students will learn how to connect theory with practice to strengthen their overall understanding of the business landscape.
Millikin's MBA Program offers students the same rigorous MBA curriculum through two options, both tailored to the unique needs of different types of students. Regardless of which program students choose, they will gain mastery-level knowledge of all the functional areas of business and be prepared to positively impact people, organizations, and communities.
