A new class and a capstone course will be added to the business core in the spring.
One of the new courses will cover introductory topics, and the other will synthesize ideas from different areas of business.
Associate Professor of Economics Charles Steele, chairman of the economics, business, and accounting department, said the courses will be introduced as part of a series of changes to the business curriculum.
“The changes have been in the works for several years, at least,” Steele said. We’ve thought about this and it is taking a bit of time to work it all out, but I think we finally have.”
Faculty in the business department held an open meeting on Nov. 3 to explain the changes to students.
Steele said the new core class will serve as an introduction to business, establishing the purpose of business and examining the history and development of the American corporation.
“The American corporation is distinctive, it’s really unique,” Steele said. “When you look at how and why it developed the way that it did, it says a lot about why America has consistently been the most entrepreneurial country in the world and why our economy has consistently outpaced anyplace else.
Steele said the cornerstone will investigate the proper role of business in society. He said this aspect of the course is especially important given the recent emergence of environmental, social, and governance standards, which frame corporations as instruments of social change rather than providers of goods and services.
“This is a particularly opportune time for these changes because business education in most schools now is really taking a bad turn. It’s a mess, and it has a lot of people alarmed,” Steele said. “Hillsdale is going to provide an alternative direction for business education.”
The upcoming changes will also include the addition of special topics courses featuring guest lecturers and class offerings that Steele said will be easier for students to fit into their schedules. Steele said students will integrate knowledge from accounting, finance, marketing, and management to solve business problems in the new capstone.
Junior Josh Devlieger, a financial management major, said he has been working with Assistant Professor of Management Douglas Johnson, the Management Consulting Club, and others to create a course for the business department that would focus on business valuation and financial modeling.
Devlieger said he thinks the addition of the special topics courses will have a positive effect on the department.
“They add an extra layer of technical depth that allows students to dive deeper into specialized areas of study, and I think that the courses create a strong differentiating factor that will make Hillsdale students stand out in the workforce,” Devlieger said.
Senior Annette Postma, who’s pursuing a financial management minor, said the curriculum changes will allow her to take classes that better align with her professional goals.
“I am interested in the business and corporate perspective of finance, so having more of a variety in courses I can take is fantastic,” Postma said.“I think future students will find it easier to complete the business minor requirements and have more freedom in choosing the classes that fit their interests and career goals.”
