Prebusiness: Bringing the Boardroom into the Classroom

Read Time

2 Minutes

"We can prepare future business leaders who are bright and technically competent to also have a moral compass," says Holy Cross prebusiness faculty advisor David Chu.

Chu, who is associate professor of accounting, works with students from all majors to increase their awareness of and preparation for opportunities after Holy Cross. The prebusiness program includes academic advising, summer internships and special programming, and sponsors a number of panels, speakers and seminars.

One of the unique and most exciting aspects of the Holy Cross prebusiness program is the Executive Leadership Workshop, offered during spring break. Students apply to attend the free workshop, designed to expose students to a wide range of business concepts, opportunities and skills. Sessions are taught by successful Holy Cross alumni from the fields of entrepreneurship, finance, management, advertising, human resources, marketing and many more. The presenting executives also discuss ethical issues they have faced in making important business decisions. Included in the program are numerous student projects that provide students with the opportunity to work in teams and give presentations before an executive audience.

This past spring, 37 students attended the intensive, weeklong program. Each day of the program was devoted to a particular aspect of business. For instance, Brian Kelley '83, president and chief executive officer of SIRVA held a seminar titled "From LBO to IPO: Taking a Company Public." Other seminars headed by the executives included, "From Idea to Real Company: Getting Venture Capital Funding"; "What Can Go Wrong and How to Fix It"; and "How Do You Keep a 100-Year Old Institution Growing Strong?"

In addition to Kelley, executives who participated in the March workshop include: Peter George '81, President and Chief Executive Officer, Crossbeam Systems, Inc.; Thomas Patton '86, President, QDx, Inc.; and Edward Ludwig '73, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Office, Becton, Dickinson, and Company.

At the end of the week, after working in groups, students presented solutions to business problems to a panel of the executives.

Chu is confident that Holy Cross students who participate in the Executive Leadership Workshop are getting an invaluable, real-world education.

"The only cost to the students is that they are giving up their spring break," Chu says. "They are working 60-80 hours during that week," he continues. "But, in working hard, they learn a lot. I thought, 'where could I find a free-of-charge, weeklong workshop like this taught by top executives on fundamental business topics?'—and I couldn't think of any. It's an opportunity students should not forgo."

More Stories

View All Stories