Collaborating with Bellevue University to build a business case for increased investment in tuition assistance led SunTrust to create PATHways.
by Site Staff
November 19, 2012
BELLEVUE UNIVERSITY
In the past, training for retail and commercial banking, and private wealth and mortgage management at SunTrust Bank were handled separately. As a result, a client might experience a certain style, methodology or approach in one line of business but feel something entirely different in another. Talent pools were also in career silos. SunTrust University saw the potential to create a more adaptable talent pool where teammates could move across lines of business.
Collaborating with Bellevue University to build a business case for increased investment in tuition assistance led SunTrust to create PATHways — Professional Advancement Through Higher Education — an education investment partnership focused on building a learning culture and making decisions.
SunTrust increased its tuition assistance limit from $1,500 to the maximum pre-tax limit of $5,250 for all employees — full-time, part-time and peak time. The Professional Banking Operations and Leadership (PBOL) degree program is the cornerstone of PATHways. Its 12 courses — representative of a junior/senior year for a bachelor’s degree — are online, providing a learning platform that transcends geography for 29,000 employees and cultivates a learning culture across regions.
All employees can enroll in PBOL courses regardless of how much previous college credit they have. The case studies, assignments, reports and other content in PBOL all relate directly to the SunTrust business. Because of this, and through the design of the assignments, employees can immediately apply what they learn to boost performance and grow their careers.
Students enter the program in groups of 15 to 25 and go through together, class by class. Their opting in helps SunTrust business leaders recognize people who have career aspirations, as participants are highly engaged and invest personal time in the program and finance the remaining tuition after the tuition assistance. Without the opt-in program, these employees might not be identified for career advancement opportunities.
Since Bellevue University funds development, marketing, deployment and impact research for its customized program with SunTrust Bank, the collaboration has helped it develop a learning infrastructure in tight economic times.