Instructional Leadership, emphasis: K-12 School Leadership (MEd)
Student works outside on her laptop.

Pathways to Professional Leadership


The Pathways to Professional Leadership Program (aka “Pathways”) is a series of seminars, workshops, and lectures that complement the Business degree coursework. Events are designed to support students’ academic success, career exploration and job search, as well as professional and personal development. Skills learned in these activities give students a competitive edge when entering into the corporate world.

Career Steps and the Pathways requirements

In addition to at least five in-person Pathways, all incoming freshmen Business students are required to complete Career Steps, an online Pathways program, as a requirement for admission into the Business Professional Program (BPP). Career Steps is a 13-module course that provides articles, resource suggestions, and assignments as a portal to professionalism, career exploration, and job search strategies.



Suitable and Pathways support

Here you will find any information related to the use of Suitable in The W. A. Franke College of Business. Suitable is the method of tracking student engagement within the Franke College of Business at NAU.

Registering for Suitable

  1. Download the Suitable app on the IOS or Android app stores.
  2. Enter your NAU email address.
  3. You will be redirected to log into the NAU portal.

Career Steps on Canvas

  • Career Steps will be accessible via the Canvas platform.
  • If you are a business or HRM major, you will automatically be enrolled into Career Steps.
  • If you are unable to access Career Steps, please contact ITS through their website.

Additional help

If your question cannot be answered by the information on this page, please contact the FCB Ambassadors. The W. A. Franke College of Business Ambassadors are available to assist with any standard questions related to Pathways and Suitable.

More technical questions, such as missed credit, or why credit was removed from you, including why you were removed from a Pathways or asked to leave, can be directed towards the Office Assistant for Undergraduate Programs, Mr. Tristan Talosi.

FCB Ambassadors

Tristan Talosi – Office Assistant

Frequently asked questions

The Pathways to Professional Leadership program is a series of out-of-class seminars, workshops, and lectures that complement the Business degree coursework. Events are designed to support students to:

  • succeed academically
  • choose a major and career path
  • develop personal and professional skills

Credit usually takes up to one (1) week to post to student accounts. However, it should be noted, that in peak times such as the start of the semester, and enrollment in the spring, and fall, credit can take significantly longer. If you have attended an event and still need help after two (2) weeks, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Programs.

Please check your credit manually by selecting the checkbox on the bottom menu, selecting “Completed” under “Your Activities”. There, you should be able to count your total completions to date.

Credit may still need to be approved, please check your pending credit manually by selecting the checkbox on the bottom menu, selecting “Pending Approvals” under “Your Activities”. There, you should be able to count your total Pending Approvals. If you recently attended an event, and nothing appears in “Pending Approvals” or “Completed”, please contact the Office of Undergraduate Programs.

Credit for Career Steps is applied automatically in batches. Please allow up to two (2) weeks for credit to post upon successful completion.

Business majors: Only the Pathways presentations coordinated by FCB Office of Undergraduate Programs will fulfill the Pathways requirements for Business students. This does not include HRM pathways, or YourPath Events. Business Students MAY NOT attend HRM pathways for credit, unless they are labeled as a “Shared Pathways”.

HRM majors: HRM Students may attend any Pathways for credit. YourPath events do not count for HRM Pathways Events.

If you believe credit was removed from you, please note that the FCB Office of Undergraduate Programs reserves the right to remove credit from any student at any time due to conditions violating University Conduct, guidelines, or FCB Pathways Etiquette. In most cases, warnings will be given prior to removal, and the situation will be documented.

Business students are required to attend six (6) different Pathways before applying to the Business Professional Program. Students will not receive credit for duplicate Pathways events.

All business students benefit from Pathways and are encouraged to attend any event of interest.  Pathways Programs are created for all students from Freshmen to Senior level.

Transfer students who have completed all lower-division business core requirements at institutions other than NAU, are required to attend four (4) Pathways. Check with your advisor to verify that you qualify.

Some instructors also use Pathways as regular or extra credit assignments.

NOTE: There are other seminars, workshops, and lectures across campus, these do NOT count as Pathways. Only the Pathways presentations coordinated by The W. A. Franke College of Business Office of Undergraduate Programs will fulfill the Pathways requirements.

Business students are required to attend six different Pathways before applying to the Business Professional Program. Students will not receive credit for duplicate Pathways events.

All business students benefit from Pathways and are encouraged to attend any event of interest.  Pathways Programs are created for all students from Freshmen to Senior level.

Transfer students who have completed all lower-division business core requirements at institutions other than NAU, are required to attend four Pathways. Check with your advisor to verify that you qualify.

Some instructors also use Pathways as regular or extra credit assignments.

NOTE: There are other seminars, workshops, and lectures across campus, these do NOT count as Pathways. Only the Pathways presentations coordinated by The W. A. Franke College of Business will fulfill the Pathways requirements.

Remember to bring your NAU JacksCard to all Pathways.

At the end of each event JacksCards are scanned to record attendance. Students will not receive credit unless their cards are scanned.

Credit will be granted after the event. Make sure to verify your attendance has been recorded about a week after attending.

Check your attendance for Pathways events.

Check the Pathways activities calendar.

Flyers are posted on the front porches and TV slides throughout the FCB building. Reminder e-mails to FCB students’ NAU email accounts with date, time, and place of the event. Coming soon: ability to check upcoming events on your smartphones.

The Pathways events coordinator will: provide at least -25 Pathways events fall and spring semesters, and 2 in the summer; select pertinent topics and quality speakers; provide information about events throughout the semester; and publish attendance records for student access.

Bring your NAU JacksCard to every Pathway and arrive at least five minutes before the Pathway is scheduled to start. Doors are closed five minutes after the speaker begins; latecomers are NOT allowed in, no exceptions.

If the room fills to capacity, no additional students will be allowed in. This may occur before the event starts.

Have your JacksCard scanned at the END of every Pathway. The website contains the most current event information. It is your responsibility to check the website throughout the semester for any changes.

Listen and participate respectfully during every Pathway. You represent the FCB to our guest speakers; how you behave directly reflects how they perceive the FCB. Please treat them professionally and respectfully while they present their information.

If you are disruptive, we will ask you to be quiet. If you continue to be disruptive, we reserve the right to ask you to leave. This includes the inappropriate use of cell phones and laptops. If you are asked to leave, you will not receive credit for the event. There will be NO readmission. If you leave the event location once the Pathways has started, you will not be let back in and will not receive credit.