Introductory business program helps first-year students make lasting connections

Making the transition to college can be challenging, but a program at Saunders College of Business helps ease that stress. The Freshman Experience: BIZ 1+2 program is built around the concept that students succeed when they feel supported by their professors and peers.

The program, part of core programming for all business students, is a two-semester sequence built around hands-on learning. Students explore core business concepts, then build on that foundation by developing and pitching original ideas to industry professionals. They also run business simulations and learn from alumni-led presentations, gaining early experience in teamwork and leadership.

Andy Lawrence, senior lecturer of business management, along with adjunct professor Phillippa Thiuri, assistant vice president for Academic Access and Success, redesigned the longtime program over the last year. They understood that support was important, and it comes in part from Chief Learning Consultants (CLCs), paid upperclassmen who work directly with both the professors and first-year students throughout the course. Lawrence said the role was intended to help make the transition to college feel more approachable.

“It can be intimidating for a student in a first-year class,” Lawrence said. “They're just totally blown away by the people that are trying to teach them all this complex material, and the CLCs are there to help them navigate; to help mentor them and shepherd them as they become a part of the college.”

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Scott Hamilton/RIT

Upperclassmen like Jackson Hogan (pictured), a third-year global business management and marketing major, serve as chief learning consultants, who look to mentor and academically support students in the class.

The experience that Jackson Hogan, a third-year student from Los Gatos, Calif., received in his first year gave him the confidence to pass it along to future cohorts. Hogan, a double major in marketing and global business management, is the most seasoned of the group, a fourth-semester CLC.

“I found it to be really fun,” said Hogan about his first-year experience. “We were able to learn through using business simulations. We got to be a little competitive with a few other teams in the class and we learned a lot about how to make decisions in marketing, finance, and operations. We got the basics down while working with team members who have different work ethics.”

Carol Adamski, a second-year global business management major from Brighton, N.Y., said serving as a CLC has helped her gain confidence in other aspects of her college journey. Along with mentoring students through their presentations and other projects, CLCs help professors grade papers and steer the direction of some classes.

“The writing has been the biggest improvement so far,” said Adamski. “I've seen some great writing, whether it's formatting or the way they present their ideas. It’s also made me think about how to attack some of my own assignments and reports in other classes.”

For Mina Lahm, a first-year marketing student from Lincoln, Neb., having access to peer mentors helped make the transition to college feel more manageable.

“At the beginning, it was kind of weird, because we didn’t know who anybody was,” Lahm said. “But I think it was less pressure than having to go to the professor. It’s more on our level.”

Ultimately, Lawrence is hoping that the program will help all students develop leadership and communication skills. By supporting first-year students, CLCs learn how to balance guidance with accountability, and the first-year cohort gain confidence as they assimilate into RIT.

“Of course, we want to make them an expert in business, said Lawrence, “But we also want to acclimate them to college and get them to feel like they’re a part of the school and the community. We want to show them all the resources and support systems, you know, expose them to business, but really help them make friends.”