Blending liberal arts & business education

Liberal Education, Wntr, 2004 by E. Byron Chew, Cecilia McInnis-Bowers

The blended course

"Foundations of Business Thought" is an introductory course in the business major. With its blending of the domains of business and liberal arts, it functions as a cornerstone experience to anchor students in the fundamental outcomes expected from study within the liberal arts to be demonstrated through their application to the study of business.

These fundamental learning outcomes include: oral and written communication skills, critical thinking and analysis, breadth of perspective shaped from multiple points of view, understanding of one's own sense of values, ethical frames and perspectives, and the ability to understand time, place, and culture from a global perspective. The syllabus states:

  Using a variety of classic and contemporary literature, "Foundations
  of Business Thought" provides students the opportunity to explore
  their own and others' perceptions and opinions about business and the
  role individuals play in business organizations, whether corporate or
  entrepreneurial. The course reviews the evolution of thought on the
  organizational structure of business enterprises to gain a contextual
  framework for understanding how individuals contribute to
  accomplishing objectives of business organizations. In particular, the
  course considers objectives of business that include more than
  profitability, in other words, more than the "bottom line."

In addition to gaining a broad and enriched perspective of the purposes and objectives of business over time, the process of responding in writing and orally to thought-provoking discussion questions enables and ensures that the student dedicates the time it takes to hone both cognitive skills and communication skills; mandatory sessions with the division of humanities' writing tutorial service are required, to instill the value of continuous improvement of self expression.

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Learning to "interpret and evaluate information from a variety of sources" and "transform information into knowledge and knowledge into judgment and action" (AAC & U 2003) is a goal of the course. Research papers profile a company and its competitors, present the current situation and operational context of the business, plus reflect the company's stance on corporate social responsibility, ethical conduct, core values, and vision and mission statements. With continuing emphasis on written communication, a significant portion of the student's grade is determined by the quality of written expression, grammar and syntax, appropriate referencing, and formatting. This exercise, supported by the college's reference librarians, gives the students experience in transforming data into knowledge, and emphasizes the importance of written expression for business. The final section of "Foundations of Business Thought," entitled The Individual in Business, moves students into an exploration of themselves as individuals, their personalities, aspirations, and contemplation about their vocational "callings," as reflected in the course syllabus: