The School of Liberal Arts has introduced a new minor in management with the goal of teaching management practices to non-business majors. 

The school has worked to implement this minor for a year. Shellond Chester, assistant dean of finance for the School of Liberal Arts and [School of Liberal Arts Management Minor] program administrator, said the minor will strengthen the School of Liberal Arts.

“The idea came from the Dean of Liberal Arts, Carole Haber,” Chester said. “It came from the growing demand for students to have a basic set of business skills during their undergraduate education, so by creating the SLAMM minor, students are able to major in whatever area they feel passionate about but are able to gain financial literacy that will help them in the workplace.”

The School of Liberal Arts hosted a launch event on March 11 for the new minor in the Lavin-Bernick Center.

“The response has been great,” Chester said. “I was having students come in inquiring about SLAMM before the launch, but ever since, every day I have had several students stop by to have the declaration form signed or to pick up information about SLAMM.”

The SLAMM program requires six courses. The first tier is comprised of two courses, Microeconomics and Financial Accounting.

For the second tier, students must take either two or three courses designed specifically for the SLAMM program. The final tier consists of a variety of classes that span different departments in the School of Liberal Arts.

“Outside of their major area of study, it gives them a set of skills that can look at the business world but from a liberal arts perspective,” Chester said. “For example, you will have courses like the Economic History of the United States and Economics of Money and Banking.”

Courses in the second tier will focus on skills to bring liberal arts perspective to the business world. Former Tulane President Scott Cowen will teach a class on leadership in the spring semester. Sociology department chair Michelle Adams will teach a class called Philanthropy and Social Change next year, as well.

“It gives the student a balance,” Chester said. “You can still do whatever you came here to do, but it still gives you concrete skills that could give you a competitive edge in the workforce.”

There was an emphasis on collaboration in creating the minor so that it would be beneficial for any student who is not a business major.

“Each of the chairs of the departments have worked with the dean to establish courses in their discipline that could be a part of the program,” Chester said. “I would say that she has gotten great feedback from every department within the School of Liberal Arts.”

Those involved with the creation of the program are optimistic about the future.

“A couple of the members of the Dean’s Advisory Council, which are Tulane [alumni] who have been successful in their respective fields, have been very supportive and have actually donated money to support this new minor,” Chester said. “We have gotten great feedback from the students, the faculty and the [alumni].”

School of Liberal Arts Government President Jamie Albaum said she is really excited to see the much-needed addition to the School of Liberal Arts come to fruition.

“For a long time liberal arts students have craved their own business-oriented classes that would compliment their chosen majors and make them more competitive in the workplace,” Albaum said. “It is a wonderful example of Dean Haber and the SLA administration heeding to the needs of the students.”