Corporate Leadership Council
The Corporate Leadership Council (CLC) was a program begun by Dean Ron Shiffler in 2006 for the purpose of providing additional opportunities for our highest-potential Business majors to enhance their leadership skills. Though the program is no longer in existence in its initial form, due to a lack of funding for scholarships in these difficult economic times, the program was a contributor to two new programs, a Business Honors Program, and a COBA Student Advisory Board.
The Business Honors Program is being developed this year to provide a comprehensive experience for our students with high academic potential. Before the CLC was started, there were few opportunities for such students to engage outside of the classroom directly with each other, with faculty, and with the business community. Students with a strong academic record were able to participate in the University Honors Program in the past, but they have not had an honors Business curriculum designed especially for them. This year, using our experience with the CLC as an input, we are putting in place specific honors courses, supplemented by extra-curricular activities. For example, Business honors students will read current business books and will then participate in a discussion about the book that will be hosted by faculty and facilitated by business leaders.
The Dean’s office initiated a COBA Student Advisory Board as a means of hearing from student leaders about current and future plans for COBA. As part of the start-up process, Dr. Susan Williams, Associate Dean of COBA presented the idea for the Board to the CLC students. Subsequently, several of the students volunteered to participate in the Board as a means to continue contributing to COBA while simultaneously enhancing their leadership skills.
In sum, though the CLC as we have known it no longer exists, we are pleased with these two new programs that will expand our academic offerings to our highest-potential Business majors and will provide students with practical leadership experience.
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