First-year experience classes help students achieve success in the classroom and in business

Zach Harrington '14 (left, by overhead screen), partner and chief investment officer at Rise Advisors LLC in Rochester, talks to students in Alfred University College of Business Dean Pauline Stamp's Business Perspectives (BUSI 105) class. The course, required of all first-year students in the College of Business, brings in speakers-some of them alumni-to talk about their experiences in business.

Two courses for first-year students enrolled in the Alfred University College of Business are providing them valuable real-world business experience while also helping them to chart their academic and professional journeys. The classes-BUSI 105 (Business Perspectives) and BUSI 106 (Contemporary Business)-are mandatory first-year experience courses, taught by Dean Pauline Stamp in the fall and spring semesters, respectively.

BUSI 105 aims to teach students the basics of business and help them settle on majors-and minors or double majors-by helping them understand the variety of business disciplines (finance, accounting, marketing, analytics, health care planning and management, equine business management, i.e.) and the career opportunities they present. Students network with invited speakers who talk about their own experiences in business; business faculty discuss the variety of educational opportunities the college offers; and students learn about the wealth of helpful on-campus resources available to them.

The class began in August with an orientation on the first week of the fall semester. Course instructor Pauline Stamp, dean of the College of Business, discussed topics such as first impressions, cultural humility and professionalism in today's world. "At the same time, business is business, so we talk about expectations they have to meet" both academically and in their future careers.

The 58 first-year students enrolled in the college were divided into 10 teams, with each supervised and mentored by a sophomore or junior business student. The groups meet two hours a week to discuss the class, and their expectations and goals; one of the hours is spent outside the classroom, in a more informal setting, such as the local coffee shop. "What has happened organically (during the team discussions) is they began focusing on expectations in terms of attire, etiquette, and work ethic" Stamp noted.

The teams visited offices on campus-such as the Center for Academic Success, Career Development Center, and the libraries-that provide resources for students to help them succeed. "By physically going there, they know where the offices are located and what they offer," said Theresa Gun, associate professor of accountancy.

The entire class attends sessions where guest speakers from business come in and talk about their careers. Steve Heine '81 (B.S., management and health care administration), CEO and director of Woodsboro Bank in Frederick, MD, and vice chair of the Alfred University Board of Trustees, talked to the class on Sept. 18. Amy Irvine, owner of Rooted Planning Group, a fee-based financial planning firm visited the class on Sept. 25, while Zach Harrington '14 (B.S., finance), partner and chief investment officer at Rise Advisors LLC in Rochester, and Angelica Sudore '20 (B.S., accounting; MBA '21), a paraplanner at Rise Advisors, presented on Oct. 16. Steve Goodman, host of the television program "Higher Education Today" and author of the book, "College Success Stories," which focuses on the various pathways and turning points available to college and university students, spoke to students on Oct. 30.

Before the speakers come to campus, students are required to research them to learn more about their careers and background in business and connect with them on LinkedIn. They are also required to dress appropriately (business attire), and each team must come prepared to ask three questions.

First-year students often begin their time at Alfred as undeclared business majors. Faculty talk to them in BUSI 105 about the different business disciplines, with the goal of helping them choose a major or majors, or perhaps select a minor.

"When they finish the course, they will have an established LinkedIn account that has been vetted by a teaching assistant, and will have connected with faculty, President Zupan, and all the invited speakers," Stamp commented. "What we're doing is starting to raise the bar for the students at the very beginning of their time at Alfred. They are contributing to their own education. Retention is about relationships. Through this course, they're building those relationships and creating a sense of belonging."

Stamp agrees that the class will contribute to student success, during their time at Alfred and also in their professional careers. "When you own your education, and you're creating it as you go, there is a self-fulfilling prophecy there. This program holds students accountable for their education. It prepares them for their business classes and sets them up for success at Alfred University and in the business world."

BUSI 106, which was first offered in 2015, builds on the experiences from BUSI 105 by having students put what they've learned into practice. The course, also taught by Stamp, has first-year students divided into 10 teams, with the same teaching assistants who worked with students in BUSI 105 guiding them in BUSI 106. Their assignment? Creating a new product, building a business from the ground up, utilizing the resources available throughout campus, and creating intersections between various academic units. In late spring, the students sell their products on campus at small pop-ups. The money students earn is donated to charities of their choice.

Stamp said she has a few ideas of possible businesses teams can run during the spring 2025 semester, but students are given the opportunity to choose their own ventures.

The class instills in students skills and competencies-including budgeting, delegation, innovation, entrepreneurial thinking, strategic planning, and marketing-which reflect the college's commitment to preparing students for future employment. "The College of Business continues to expand its offerings for first-year students through the guidance of its Business Executive Advisory Committee, keeping our curriculums up to speed, graduating a workforce ready student," Stamp commented.