Program mission statement
Built on the general education foundation informed by Saint Martin’s
Catholic, Benedictine heritage and values, the School of Business (SoB)
offers a unified business program that integrates the separate
functional areas of business.
Acknowledging the technologic innovation, ever-changing global
marketplace and challenged ecosystems currently shaping the world, the
business administration program’s mission is to offer students an
opportunity to learn and practice general management skills, discover
the need for ethical decision-making, and to develop functional business
area expertise. Through practice and active learning, students also gain
the ability to work cooperatively in diverse teams. They become
effective writers and speakers, and they demonstrate sharpened critical
thinking skills and professional judgment. Students graduate with a
broad perspective on the business world and its place in our culture.
Saint Martin’s graduates have the ability to work across business
functions, adjust quickly to new situations, accept change and ambiguity
as a natural part of life, and become enthusiastic lifelong learners.
Similarly, the mission of the accounting program is to offer a
descriptive/analytical discipline that provides quantitative information
critical to management decision-making. A variety of courses are offered to
prepare graduates for responsible positions in private practice, corporate
accounting and government service. Because of the University’s liberal arts
heritage, students are trained to be well-rounded professionals rather than
technicians.
Customer satisfaction and the competitive need for continuous quality
improvement provide the major focus for this integration. Emphasis also is
placed on the multicultural setting of business competition, both in
national and international markets, and on the political economy in which it
operates.
Program goals, objectives and outcomes
Knowledge
Students must learn to deal with a variety of business situations in ways
that are likely to lead to a satisfactory outcome. This involves an
understanding of the perspectives of government and stakeholders both
nationally and internationally. To accomplish this, students must:
- Learn fundamental business principals and functions.
- Learn at least one business discipline or functional area.
- Learn multidisciplinary approaches to critical and
analytical thinking.
- Learn the relationship of business to individuals,
government, society, and other organizations.
- Learn the effects of globalization on the marketplace.
Skills
Students must begin to develop the basic skills necessary to reliably achieve
desired results with a minimum investment of resources. This involves an
understanding of people and business processes. To accomplish this, students
must:
- Learn to evaluate situations and think critically.
- Learn to communicate effectively.
- Learn to work with other people in diverse and changing
environments.
- Learn to effectively lead people and manage resources.
Dispositions
Students must begin to develop their personal abilities in ways that will
allow them to be productive members of the business community. This involves an
understanding of individual strengths and weaknesses and the ability continually
develop, grow and mature. To accomplish this, students must:
- Learn to motivate themselves.
- Learn to evaluate their behavior from an ethical perspective.
- Learn to identify their personal strengths and weaknesses.
- Learn to acquire and employ the personal and professional
resources necessary for personal success.