The Professional Sales Education Center at Penn State Harrisburg partnered with Harrisburg LaunchBox and Truist Foundation to host a symposium on artificial intelligence in sales.
MIDDLETOWN, Pa. — Penn State Harrisburg’s Professional Sales Education Center has been recognized as an associate member of the University Sales Center Alliance (USCA), a designation that will create additional opportunities for students studying sales at the college.
The USCA is a collective of universities with dedicated sales centers and programs, with a mission to advance the sales profession by setting high standards for sales programs, sharing best practices, and preparing students for successful careers. USCA members represent sales centers in the U.S. and Europe.
“We are so excited to be a member of the University Sales Center Alliance,” said Darrell Bartholomew, faculty director of the Professional Sales Education Center and associate professor of marketing in the School of Business Administration. He said the designation will help him network with other sales centers around the country and bring additional resources to students.
To become associate members of the USCA, institutions must meet a list of criteria, including offering a minimum of two sales classes, with two levels of sales training; have an active sales center advisory board; be recognized as a stand-alone entity of their college; and more.
Harrisburg’s center will work to become a full member of the USCA over the next five years, Bartholomew explained. A more experienced member of the USCA will serve as a mentor for Bartholomew.
With the sales center as a USCA associate member, when Harrisburg students complete the sales minor, participate in national sales competitions and in the Pro Sales Club, they will be able to work toward attaining USCA Certified Sales Student status, Bartholomew said.
“These additional certifications do make a difference when students are interviewing for jobs,” he said.
The center’s designation has already increased visibility and led to more companies reaching out to work with the Professional Sales Education Center, Bartholomew said.
Penn State Harrisburg offers a sales minor and has held a sales competition the past two years. The Professional Sales Education Center was established in 2023 and aims to help students transition from college to careers through the development and application of sales skills. This spring, the center partnered with Harrisburg LaunchBox and Truist Foundation to host a symposium on artificial intelligence in sales.
The center’s advisory board includes community business representatives – Chris Lilley, from TEKsystems, and Jared Kline, from Fastenal – in addition to faculty and the president of the Pro Sales Club.
“We hope that the Sales Center programming will be able to impact both student learning and sales education for students and working professionals,” Bartholomew said.
