Students in Clemson University’s Master of Business Administration program don’t just learn theory from textbooks. They also learn the ins and outs of business from faculty with business-world experience.
Aaron Cullip is such an instructor. In addition to teaching in the MBA program, Cullip serves as the regional vice president of sales for Paylocity, a payroll and human resources software company. But around downtown Greenville’s Greenville ONE business complex, which houses Clemson’s MBA program, Cullip trades in his VP title for the academic title of lecturer. His subject matter is business negotiations and he draws from his 24 years of experience to bring “authenticity” to his classes.
“Part of my day-to-day stuff is negotiating,” Cullip said. “I negotiate contracts, I negotiate deals and proposals and things of that nature.”
It’s in the classroom where Cullip said he feels he makes his greatest contribution.
“Teaching, to me, is my endgame,” he said. “I just want to invest in people. I’m a coach right now in my business. I coach and develop (people) as a sales leader. I get a lot of satisfaction out of watching people grow.”
Students in Cullip’s classes also benefit because he is a graduate of the program, in which he enrolled as an adult.
“I’ve taken all the courses these students are taking. … When I’m teaching, I know what (students) are getting in the other courses,” Cullip said. “I know what’s working well for them. I know what’s not working well. So I can connect with my students because I’ve been in their chair.”
Cullip extolled the value of Clemson’s MBA program, which he said enabled him to earn his MBA in only two years and at a competitive cost to many other programs, while he continued to work full time.
“I thought I knew everything about business, then I went back to school,” he said. “It stretches you, pushes you, pulls you. I would love to see more people take that next step.”
