Mission and Learning Goals

As the School of Business in a Franciscan, Catholic, and liberal arts college, we place paramount importance on teaching. We prepare our students with the analytic, communication, leadership, teamwork and learning skills necessary to help their organizations solve complex problems while thoughtfully considering the impact on all stakeholders and the natural world.

In support of our mission:

The School of Business provides intellectually challenging educational programs in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Marketing and Management. Students are exposed to teaching strategies and modes of evaluation designed to emphasize active learning, collaborative activities, and critical and creative intellectual inquiry.

In support of the College’s liberal arts and Franciscan mission, the School of Business strives to empower its students to address the challenges of an ever-changing world and a diverse society. Study in the liberal arts serves to inculcate and nurture the importance of life-long learning in our students. The Franciscan values imparted to our students provide a moral compass for future behavior. 

The School of Business requires students to master the fundamental knowledge and perspectives common to all business disciplines. Students are expected to develop the ability to define and synthesize, to form independent, well-reasoned judgments, and to understand and apply common business research methods and practice.  Students will attain discipline specific knowledge through studies in their major field.

Teaching and learning are of paramount importance. The faculty should: 

• offer students the opportunity to be known as individuals;
• use a wide variety of teaching and learning techniques and the diversity of skills necessary for critical and creative intellectual inquiry;
• challenge students to attain their best performance levels;
• utilize the curriculum to help students identify the ethical dimensions embedded in business decisions;
• provide opportunities throughout the curriculum for students to enhance written and oral communication skills;
• immerse students in a learning environment which blends current business theory and practice.

Student learning is enriched by faculty and student interaction with business, non-profit, and government enterprises through means such as international and domestic student internships, faculty externships, and business speaker series. 

The School of Business is composed of a dedicated faculty of teachers who are accomplished classroom instructors, who provide a blend of theoretical and practical aspects of their discipline and who primarily engage in pedagogical and applied business activities and profession/community service on a regular basis. 

School of Business faculty members believe teaching and scholarly activities are interrelated. Scholarly activity increases faculty effectiveness in the classroom by enabling faculty members to incorporate the latest business theories and practices in their teaching. In this light, the business faculty conducts research to enhance teaching, improve management practices, and contribute to the body of knowledge in various management disciplines.

School of Business Learning Goals

Each School of Business graduate will attain the following outcomes: 

Problem Solving
Think critically and creatively to solve complex organizational problems, using appropriate and analytic and quantitative techniques while integrating knowledge and skills from various disciplines. 

Communication
Communicate orally and in writing using language appropriate to the audience.

Teamwork and Leadership
Demonstrate respect, responsibility, and a focus on serving others as a leader and team member.

Moral Consideration
Work toward a just, peaceable, and humane solution with thoughtful consideration of the impact on all stakeholders, the external environment, and the natural world.

Life-Long learning
Pursue opportunities that provide growth as an individual and as an organizational member.

Business Specialization
Develop competency in a chosen business discipline.

Revised 3-2009

The School of Business has an Assessment Plan for each of the learning goals listed above.  Contact Melinda Costello, Learning Assurance Coordinator for the School of Business, with any questions (mcostello@siena.edu).