COMMERCE, Texas, Jan. 9, 2018 /PRNewswire/ — On December 1st, the College of Business at Texas A&M University-Commerce recognized the Information Technology (IT) Managed Services firm Columbia Advisory Group (CAG) for sponsoring a new internship program. The program pairs graduate students from Computer Science and Business Analytics to solve real-world problems while working at CAG.

Chris Frost, Director of Student Information Systems for CAG at A&M-Commerce, explained that the program grew naturally from the Graduate Assistant program that he revamped for the school and created an opportunity for students to earn college credit and gain work experience on a new Document Management System rollout.

“This has been, and continues to be, one of the highlights of working with A&M-Commerce. The students brought their creativity and curiosity to the guided internship project at CAG. We achieved superior results on real-world projects while helping students gain an edge as they prepare to enter an ultra-competitive job market,” Frost explained. “Bringing together the knowledge of two leading University departments was a win-win-win for A&M-Commerce, their students and Columbia Advisory Group.”

Students who are pursuing a Master of Science degree in Computer Information Systems or a Master of Computational Science degree competed for the internship opportunity by submitting resumes and participating in interviews. “The practical skills honed by competing for a job are lessons in and of themselves, and the internship provided invaluable career insight,” noted Dr. Sang Suh, Computer Science Department Head.

Across campus, Dr. Chris Myers, Marketing and Business Analytics Department Head, said that the cross-disciplinary nature of the student internship team allowed them to “cross-pollinate ideas and strategies to solve problems more effectively, while enriching their academic experience. Employers increasingly seek practical experience and business acumen within technical teams, so these interns are well-prepared.”

As an IT consulting partner with various colleges and universities, Columbia Advisory Group has led on-campus projects for numerous higher-education campuses. As they pointed out during a recent on-campus recognition banquet, they’ve hired several students who participated in their programs after graduation from college. David McLaughlin, President and CEO of Columbia Advisory Group, said, “the chance to hire proven performers and Texas A&M Commerce grads to work for us is a unique opportunity we couldn’t pass up.”

About Columbia Advisory Group

Columbia Advisory Group (CAG) is a well-respected Information Technology (IT) consulting firm. An established and proven company with 100+ years of combined technology experience and business acumen, CAG’s team has assessed and helped improve the performance of more than 300 technology organizations and IT departments. By focusing on simple, meaningful and practical solutions combined with straight-forward analysis and recommendations, CAG’s team has experience in many regulatory and economic environments with companies and organizations of all sizes. CAG not only offers a deep understanding of IT, but its solutions are software and hardware agnostic. Whether a client is high growth or economically challenged, CAG can adapt to the complexities and nuances of that business. Based in Dallas, Texas, CAG works extensively with clients throughout the U.S. For more information, visit www.columbiaadvisory.com

About Texas A&M University-Commerce

Founded in 1889, Texas A&M University-Commerce is a member of The Texas A&M UniversitySystem. Located in Northeast Texas, A&M-Commerce is home to more than 12,000 students, four academic colleges, a thriving graduate school, and more than 140-degree programs. As the region’s focal point of higher education, A&M-Commerce offers students facilities ranging from the world-class Keith D. McFarland Science Building and University Planetarium to the Sam Rayburn Student Center, to a fully equipped recreational facility and music hall. The university also has convenient locations in Corsicana, downtown Dallas, Midlothian, McKinney, Mesquite, and Rockwall.

About the A&M System

The Texas A&M University System is one of the largest systems of higher education in the nation, with a budget of $4.2 billion. Through a statewide network of 11 universities and seven state agencies, the Texas A&M System educates more than 150,000 students and makes more than 22 million additional educational contacts through service and outreach programs each year. System-wide, research and development expenditures exceeded $946 million in FY 2015 and helped drive the state’s economy.