On September 19th, over 200 students gathered in Perdue Hall for THE Meeting, a required assignment as part of the BUAD 200-Personal & Professional Development course. THE is an acronym for Transition to the professional program, Hear from faculty, and Engage with other departments and students. THE Meeting is modeled after a typical business conference with the goal of providing students more exposure to their desired major and Perdue School opportunities. THE Meeting consisted of 3 sessions: opening, resource, and breakout. After checking in by major, students made their way to the auditorium for the opening session, led by Nikolaus Kober, senior Student Business Leader (SBL) and event chair. The session provided students with the agenda and explanation for the event, including instructions regarding the following sessions. The lineup also included Associate Dean and Professor, Dr. Jamie Emerson, who spoke on Perdue School policies, offered reminders about professionalism as well as how to get involved. Next up, Student Business Leader and senior, Isabella Casey, talked about her time as a student and stressed the importance of campus involvement. She challenged students to step out of their comfort zone and seek opportunities available to them.
Immediately following the opening session, students were dismissed and split into 2 groups. Students were either sent their breakout session to meet with faculty and other SBLs about their specific major; or resource session, which gave them the chance to connect with campus clubs and organizations. In the breakout sessions, students heard a presentation given by a faculty member of their major. This presentation included – what to expect from the courses, the projected coursework and potential career paths for the major. Afterwards, students were able to network with their faculty members and Student Business Leaders; who provided feedback on their own experience with the major and offered guidance to students seeking help with deciding what to pursue. The resource session encouraged students to connect with each other, Perdue clubs, and additional organizations on campus. Those in attendance included representatives from Career Services, Women In Business, Financial Management Association, SU Libraries, Economics Club- and many more. Students were required to ask at least one question, allowing them to learn more about clubs and departments that were of their specific interests.
Overall, THE Meeting was a resounding success. It effectively engaged students, fostering active learning about their future goals and providing valuable insights into professional development. As one student put it, “This was a great experience; I learned a lot of useful information and found some great resources.”