University of Colorado at Boulder management Professor John Garnand is making sure his undergraduate business students are ready for the real world by making class projects relevant to the business community.
This summer, his Business and Society class tackled four pressing issues: Internet security and access, diversity in the workplace, managed care and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Instead of reading about them in textbooks, the students used database information and local interviews to develop a series of four hour-long television programs which will be aired on Boulder Cable Channel 55 in late September and early October.
"This was a way for students to actively learn about the subject and also teach members of the public and business community about the issues," Garnand said.
Problem solving and critical thinking are two musts in the business world, and Garnand said this type of project allows students to sink their teeth into pressing issues. "It was rewarding and worthwhile to me and to the students," he said.
College of Business news programs
Boulder Cable Channel 55
7 p.m. Sept. 28: Managed Care: A Second Look
Seventy-five percent of Americans who have health insurance through their employer have managed care. This program examines why HMOs are popular and questions whether patient care plays second fiddle to profits.
8:30 p.m. Sept. 30: Workplace Diversity: A Competitive Advantage
When companies can recruit and retain individuals with diverse backgrounds and talents, they have a competitive advantage. This program on diversity features a contentious argument on whether or not this is true.
7 p.m. Oct. 5: Americans with Disabilities Act
The goal of this act, signed by President George Bush in 1990, is to integrate people with disabilities into the economic and social mainstream of American society. This program examines how the Boulder community, including ¶¶ÒõÂÃÐÐÉä, provides access and accommodations for the disabled.
8:30 p.m. Oct. 7: Virtual Confusion: Facing Internet Issues
This program starts with a brief history of the Internet and then delves into issues of access, privacy and accuracy. Much of the access discussion focuses on how companies can pay search engines to have their sites appear first on the list.