Business Students Share Consulting Skills with Community Through Management Course

Media Contact: Eric M. Eckert, 254-710-1964
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by Liesbeth Powers, student newswriter

WACO, Texas (July 31, 2018) – Baylor University business students are taking their management skills and sharing them with more than a dozen local businesses.

Each year, 15 to 20 businesses partner with the management consulting course offered at Baylor’s Hankamer School of Business. In order to be chosen, the business must be able to work well with Baylor students and have a project that is definable and achievable within a semester, according to Michael Wright, clinical assistant professor in the Hankamer School of Business.

“This course provides students with a real-world project to apply what they learn in class and have learned in their life,” Wright said. “I feel this is one of the best learning environments and prepares them for one they will be in for the rest of their career after college.”

Each business is paired with a set of students who address their assigned projects by incorporating the consulting and project management skills learned in the classroom. These skills include a range of marketing elements, like understanding and implementing digital analytics. Consulting firms also are invited to the class to teach and interact with students.

To see students using their management skills, watch Building Community, an SPG Production.

“Most students truly care about doing a great job for the businesses they are working for and want to see their plans implemented by those businesses,” Wright said. “I have had many students that came to this course not thinking about a career in consulting, and before the semester was over, they had obtained a job in consulting.”

For Cassandra Smith, a senior human resources management major from Oakland, New Jersey, the management consulting course was a solidifying force in her career.

“For me, this class was clarifying because it reminded me how much I like problem-solving, working with clients and facing new challenges,” Smith said.

Since taking the management consulting course, Smith has pursued consulting further and will serve as president of the Hankamer Consulting Group this fall. She looks forward to making further strides in consulting at Baylor.

From this course, students get to experience a big challenge and a wonderful learning experience and businesses get to apply their consults, Wright said.
“I think there is great value to be received by each party,” Smith said. “Students are able to get insight into a career in consulting and businesses are able to profit from free consulting services.”
By working with the community, business students are reflecting Baylor’s mission, Smith said.
“Baylor is located in the incredible city of Waco and students love working with the Waco residents and businesses,” Smith said. “This is another opportunity for them to give back and help improve their local businesses.”

Any business major can take this elective after completing the required operations management course. Two sections are offered each semester and a course for graduate students will be added in the spring.

ABOUT BAYLOR UNIVERSITY

Baylor University is a private Christian University and a nationally ranked research institution. The University provides a vibrant campus community for more than 17,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating University in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 12 nationally recognized academic divisions.

ABOUT HANKAMER SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Baylor University’s Hankamer School of Business provides a rigorous academic experience, consisting of classroom and hands-on learning, guided by Christian commitment and a global perspective. Recognized nationally for several programs, including Entrepreneurship and Accounting, the school offers 24 undergraduate and 13 graduate areas of study. Visit www.baylor.edu/business and follow on Twitter at twitter.com/Baylor_Business.