INTM Students Get Practical Experience in Warehousing

The students in Bob Footlik’s Warehousing and Distribution class, INTM 442/542, not only study concepts, they learn how to spot opportunities for extracurricular learning everywhere. Six of Footlik’s students recently became Certified in Warehouse Management by the American Supply Association (ASA) in a program recognized by the National Association of Wholesalers. They studied for and completed the ASA exam while taking Footlik’s class. The ASA Certification exam was not a class requirement or part of the curriculum, but Footlik made the text of ASA’s course available to all of his students, and encouraged them to take advantage of the opportunity to enhance their skills.

The INTM program is designed to combine classroom learning with practical experience, and Professor Footlik takes this idea to heart. This fall he took his class to the Greater Chicago Food Depository where they realized that for just a few hours of their time as volunteers, they could participate in a complex warehousing and distribution operation for free.

Two of Footlik’s current students, Bruno Monteiro Pinhal and Jose Oliveira Neto have gone back to the Food Depository to volunteer on their own. Bruno sent Professor Footlik a note thanking him for the opportunities and the things that they learned in his class, saying “I am certain that the things that I learned in this course will be with me for my entire life.”