Right down to business

No dawdling allowed. Students in Skidmore’s legendary BU 107—the intro course in management and business—have just one semester to study a few basics, work up a proposal to solve a real-life business problem, and pitch their plan to CEOs and other executives. Each student team has one or two upperclass coaches who challenge the rookies to think on their feet and hone their strategic, collaborative, and persuasive skills.
After last-minute run-throughs and critiques, the students show up at the Holiday Inn downtown, where each team faces a panel of execs (many of them Skidmore alumni and parents) and presents its plan, backed with research, forecasts, and financials. The execs grill the students briefly, then dismiss them to the hallway until they’re ready with their verdict: an evaluation and a letter-grade.
A few weeks of intensive prep, and twenty minutes in the hot seat, are all over. But many students are hooked and hungry for more: they’ll soon declare a major in management and business. —SR