The new Information Management and Analytics concentration rolls out in Spring 2021
Alisha Samnani // Managing Editor, News Editor
Capilano University’s School of Business just unveiled its new concentration in Information Management and Analytics (BIMA), the first new concentration offered by the Bachelor’s of Business Administration (BBA) program, in five-and-a-half years.
Daniel Yasinski, an instructor in CapU’s School of Business, says that the new concentration—which will officially begin in Spring 2021—aims to address “the gap between senior management and the IT department.”
“Everything that we’re involved in—everything from social security to school grades to bicycle traffic in Vancouver—is data,” said Yasinski. “[IT technicians] know the technology and they know how to implement certain software protocols and hardware management. Senior management deals with strategies and big picture stuff. Many of the managers in the middle do not know how to manage data because they’re involved in it on a daily basis.”
The BIMA concentration is one of six concentrations available to BBA students in their third year, all created to provide students with “the skills employers demand, and an edge in today’s competitive job market.” Yasinski explained that while BIMA was created by the School of Business, the concentration is valuable for every student at CapU.
“These are future areas that business and society need. This is a whole new paradigm[…]Whether it’s a for profit business or a nonprofit business, these are needs that are required by management or managers,” said Yasinski. “We hear about Google and Facebook and Twitter collecting our information. We know that every tweet that we create, every Facebook site that we search, every Google search that we ask for, every cell phone communication that we start and initiate—all that information is collected. All of that data is collected. I would like people to understand how that data is used.”
While other Canadian universities offer similar concentrations, Yasinski says that it’s faculty experience that sets CapU apart. “[Instructors like] Susan Romeo-Gilbert, John Molendyk, Amir-hassan Ghaseminejad-tafreshi…these are professionals that are working in the business now, that have had experience in these areas and that [currently] work with clients,” said Yasinski. “I’ve been involved in data analytics for a number of years now on behalf of my clients or with my clients. It’s never the same. It’s always different. It always changes. Information always changes.”
Students wanting to declare a concentration should fill out the BBA Concentration Declaration Form and submit it to the Registrar’s Office.