On August 15, the College of Business welcomed 88 students to the inaugural year of the Bears Business Community. The Bears Business Community, nicknamed the “BBC”, is a Living Learning Community composed of two floors in the Blair-Shannon residence hall exclusively for top incoming business students. As members of the BBC, students have exclusive access to events hosted by COB faculty and administration and opportunities for service, travel and learning experiences that go above and beyond a typical freshman-year experience.
Our BBC students have been busy since they moved in. Dean Stephanie Bryant and Associate Dean Elizabeth Rozell have both spent time with the students, leading educational activities based on their areas of expertise. Our BBC Faculty Fellows — James Philpot, Dana Frederick and Sarah Evans — have volunteered to spend time with the students throughout the academic year. They have put on educational programs, cheered their students on in intramural games and have been a friendly point of contact for any questions. BBC students have also had the opportunity to get to know COB department heads through monthly breakfasts in the Blair-Shannon dining hall.
The spring semester will see an equal number of exciting events. The social and educational activities will continue through programs such as an etiquette dinner and LinkedIn workshop. To cap off the year, BBC students will have the opportunity to travel to Rome and Sorrento, Italy, for a short-term study-away trip in May. Students will spend their time in Italy touring local businesses and learning from guest lecturers, in addition to sightseeing and learning Italian culture. This trip will be the culminating activity for a course comparing American and European businesses offered only to BBC students. As an added bonus, all participants will receive a $1,000 scholarship to help cover costs associated with the trip.
Although this academic year is still in full swing, we are already setting our sights on the second class of BBC students, entering in fall 2014. Students who would like to live in the BBC must have a minimum 3.0 cumulative high school GPA, be an entering freshman and be a declared business major. Spots are limited and interest has already been high. If you know an incoming freshman who would be a good fit for the BBC, please encourage him or her to contact Sarah Nenninger at 417-836-5072 or SarahNenninger@MissouriState.edu for more information.