Comments on: Knowing about Business in a Business School http://cac.ophony.org/2008/03/21/knowing-about-business-in-the-business-college/ Fri, 05 Dec 2008 09:55:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Hillary http://cac.ophony.org/2008/03/21/knowing-about-business-in-the-business-college/#comment-31596 Hillary Mon, 31 Mar 2008 16:57:00 +0000 http://cac.ophony.org/2008/03/21/knowing-about-business-in-the-business-college/#comment-31596 I too have had similar experiences of needing to bridge the gap between myself and students oriented towards fields I know very little about...fields which I previously (to my own detriment, perhaps!) made few attempts to appreciate. Those of us working with the Fin/Eco department are frequently faced with Powerpoint presentations that serve as reminders of how tricky it can be to try to separate content from form when working on communication issues. As a "theatre person," I've been frustrated in the past by the lack of business acumen that crippled so many of the artistic endeavors I've been involved in. It's not just the current financial crisis (crises?) that presents an imperative for me to "catch up" in some of these subjects, but also my own growing sense that collaborations between business-minded students (and faculty) and artistically-inclined ones should be encouraged whenever possible. I too have had similar experiences of needing to bridge the gap between myself and students oriented towards fields I know very little about…fields which I previously (to my own detriment, perhaps!) made few attempts to appreciate. Those of us working with the Fin/Eco department are frequently faced with Powerpoint presentations that serve as reminders of how tricky it can be to try to separate content from form when working on communication issues.

As a "theatre person," I've been frustrated in the past by the lack of business acumen that crippled so many of the artistic endeavors I've been involved in. It's not just the current financial crisis (crises?) that presents an imperative for me to "catch up" in some of these subjects, but also my own growing sense that collaborations between business-minded students (and faculty) and artistically-inclined ones should be encouraged whenever possible.

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]]> By: James Drogan http://cac.ophony.org/2008/03/21/knowing-about-business-in-the-business-college/#comment-31301 James Drogan Sat, 22 Mar 2008 14:01:13 +0000 http://cac.ophony.org/2008/03/21/knowing-about-business-in-the-business-college/#comment-31301 My sense is that this is a significant development, not unlike what I think various members of the Business Advisory Council have been suggesting for some time. The operative line in your post is, "I saw every one of my nine students make immediate eye contact with me rather than with their computer screens."  And you were excited.  Isn't that what we want, exciting discourse around a topic? On the other hand, there is much in classical literature to be admired and to learn from.  The business wonks need to get as excited by the classicists as they do about the Business Section of the NYT.  Teachers and students share an obligation to produce a product, the graduate, who has the potential for making a meaningful contribution in a world marked by an increasing rate of unpredictable change.  I don't see narrowness of interest and purpose as being as useful as a more general view of the world. I've no magic answer for developing this general view of the world beyond demonstrating its power by the example of ourselves and others, then providing the means for those who wish to pursue this path. "Who the deuce ever did anything worth naming without sacrifice?" John Herschel 1830 My sense is that this is a significant development, not unlike what I think various members of the Business Advisory Council have been suggesting for some time.

The operative line in your post is, "I saw every one of my nine students make immediate eye contact with me rather than with their computer screens."  And you were excited.  Isn't that what we want, exciting discourse around a topic?

On the other hand, there is much in classical literature to be admired and to learn from.  The business wonks need to get as excited by the classicists as they do about the Business Section of the NYT. 

Teachers and students share an obligation to produce a product, the graduate, who has the potential for making a meaningful contribution in a world marked by an increasing rate of unpredictable change.  I don't see narrowness of interest and purpose as being as useful as a more general view of the world.

I've no magic answer for developing this general view of the world beyond demonstrating its power by the example of ourselves and others, then providing the means for those who wish to pursue this path.

"Who the deuce ever did anything worth naming without sacrifice?" John Herschel 1830

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