As Iona College in New Rochelle prepares for this year”™s opening of a $37 million, 67,000-square-foot building housing the LaPenta School of Business and basks in the limelight from being named to The Princeton Review”™s list of “Best Business Schools for 2020,” an assistant professor at LaPenta has been continuing to enhance a unique business course.
Bret Sanner, assistant professor of management, business administration and health care management, teaches “The Role of Business in Contemporary Society.” It challenges students to use their personal and professional talents outside of the classroom in real-world experience with businesses and nonprofits. He classifies it as an experiential learning process whereby students take what they”™ve learned in the classroom out into the field and put their knowledge to work for local nonprofits and businesses.
“It”™s really about helping students navigate the intersection of business and society by helping them learn how to manage and influence various stakeholders,” Sanner told the Business Journal.
In addition to classroom sessions twice a week, students spend about 40 hours per semester in field work on specific projects at selected businesses and nonprofits.
“Maybe they”™ll do a needs analysis of a product or look at a gap in what a business is doing. They”™ll think through what”™s needed for a new program or to market and reach customers,” Sanner said. “They”™re coming back to class with a sense of what”™s working, what”™s not, getting some high-level generalizations on what works and what doesn”™t and then practicing and planning in class to do better when they get back out into the field and re-engage with the stakeholders and the client.
“The projects have resulted in students finding passions they”™ve embraced by changing career goals and aspirations.”
Typical of the projects was one at NDA Architects in White Plains where a group of Sanner”™s students created a survey for a target market segment. Another group of students worked with the New Rochelle Chamber of Commerce to increase participation by young people in community events. Data analysis was conducted for HOPE Community Services and a marketing campaign was worked on for Meals on Wheels. Other clients included the New Rochelle Youth Bureau and Sheldrake Environmental Services.
“Management theory can sound exactly like inapplicable theory. Until they”™ve gone out there and done it, had to network with suppliers, gone to a networking event, tried to influence. That”™s when it becomes real,” Sanner said. “I also check in with the client to make sure that the client doesn”™t have any concerns that the student isn”™t picking up on or maybe doesn”™t want to tell me.”
Clients are asked to evaluate the performance of the students.
“Before we start the projects the clients and I come up with three or four goals. At the end of a semester, the client is given seven questions and asked to grade the students from zero to 100,” he said.
The students also take surveys throughout the semester.
“Each team member will rate some aspect of what is going on within the team,” Sanner said.
Scores are averaged and team members are advised where they are and where they should be.
One benefit of Sanner”™s class appears to be that students build social acumen, awareness of the needs of others and placing a high priority on honesty and integrity. Sanner told the Business Journal that he”™s been working on a research paper that looks at the things other business schools prioritize and teaching social acumen doesn”™t appear to be one of them.
“The schools that do teach social acumen end up with students who demand higher starting salaries coming out of the business program,” he said.
