Students who aren’t enrolled in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management will be able to get a taste of the business world through a two-course program.

Whitman will offer a two-course sequence titled “Business Essentials” beginning this fall. The course will teach business fundamentals across a variety of disciplines to non-Whitman majors, addressing a need for a general introductory class for students who haven’t decided to pursue business. The sequence will be available to sophomores, juniors and seniors.

“We have students who might not want to take a minor or don’t have time for a minor, but with this they can get a basic idea of business,” said Amanda Nicholson, associate dean of undergraduate programs.

However, it won’t be structured like a typical course. It will be taught through the lens of a fictional chocolate company, giving students examples of business scenarios and challenges that a company might face in the world, Nicholson said.

She said by observing how the company runs, students will run into a series of “teachable moments” that will give them a foundation of business principles.

Nicholson said the official layout of the course is still a work in progress, but she added that the format will allow students to learn in a way that’s more exciting than other classes.

“Sometimes people think of business as dry, so we’ll try to make these classes as understandable and engaging as possible,” Nicholson said.

The creative concept for the course and its accessibility to students outside the Whitman school make the sequence something totally original.

“There isn’t anything like that on campus right now,” said Lindsay Rapp, assistant dean of undergraduate programs at Whitman.

The sequence is unique because non-Whitman students could previously only take entry-level courses in specialized subject areas like accounting or entrepreneurship, Rapp said.

A team of seven Whitman professors from a variety of disciplines will teach the course, Rapp said.  Students will receive a wide base, as they will deal with multiple aspects of running the chocolate company.

“You’re going to see the whole gamut,” Rapp said. “You’re going to learn about every area of business.”

Rapp said that students didn’t raise any particular concerns about the lack of a general business course. Rather, Whitman faculty saw a general need to offer fundamental business education to students outside of the school.

Nicholson said planning for the course began at the end of the summer when new dean Ken Kavajecz joined the Whitman faculty.

Susan Smith, professor of marketing, is one of the professors spearheading the course. She said usually professors develop their courses individually, but in this case, all seven faculty members have helped with planning.

“It’s been a lot of fun and has been a total collaborative effort,” Smith said. “And in the industry all business functions work together.”

Smith said the key teaching points for both semesters have been developed, but now those points have to be woven into the story of the chocolate company. She added that students need to learn the fundamentals of business before more detail is layered on in the course.

Enrollment for the fall course, Business Essentials I, will be limited to 200 students, Rapp said. Students who wish to continue the sequence can register for Business Essentials II in the spring.

Published on February 27, 2014 at 2:03 am