2024-25

MGMT 132: Contemplative Leadership and Sustainable Practice (CLASP)
This is a course dedicated to building leadership capabilities, in particular an ability to respond with empathy and awareness to associates, to their communities, and to the world. In this course students explore the relationship between personal values, business, and sustainability, and learn humane leadership practices they can exercise amid the real-world challenges we face in our work and communities. CLASP invites students to explore issues of environmental justice – defined as an integration of, and practical service to, people, planet and prosperity within business, communities, and the public sector.  The course immerses students in the opportunities and needs of our community through a quarter-long placement with a local organization engaged in the work of sustainability and social / environmental justice.

Class sessions meet regularly on Tuesdays; Thursday sessions in Weeks 3 – 10 take place within the designated community-based organizations.  This course fulfills the ELSJ  requirement and counts toward both the Applied Ethics and Sustainability pathways.

ENGR 176-1: Marketing Strategy.
This course reviews the strategic segmenting/targeting/positioning and practical messaging skills used in product marketing and thought leadership positions and which are core to entrepreneurial technology ventures. Specific topics include an overview of core marketing skill sets, practical examples of successful market segmentation and target selection, best practices for positioning and messaging creation, competitive landscape modeling and developing differentiation, translating customer requirements into effective positioning/messaging, and wholesale market (re-)definition. 

The course is being taught by Mark Weiner, a Professor of Practice in the Marketing department, and a former chief marketing officer at eight different startups. Wednesdays, Weeks 2-5, 5:10PM - 7:00PM, 1 unit.

THTR 7: Improv
Improv is a Core Arts class that draws students from all majors on campus. Business students, in particular, have found the lessons in non-verbal communication, storytelling for influence, building on the ideas of others, and group collaborative creativity to be profoundly useful in other classes and environments. This is the perfect class to develop the "soft skills" that are in demand in all fields! Designed for majors and nonmajors, Improv seeks to expand the participant’s capability for spontaneity, flexibility of thought, creativity, communication, and teamwork through the use of theatre games and specifically structured improvisation exercises. No previous acting experience is necessary for this course. Every level of performer or non-performer will have something to contribute and learn from this experience. Topics such as the impact of status on relationships, nonverbal communication, staying positive, building on ideas offered by others, and developing narratives will be explored throughout this class.