by Megan Kramer, ’27
Business Communication (BUS 003), an entry-level course for undergraduate students, piloted a new curriculum in fall 2023. The course focuses on enhancing students’ written and oral business-professional skills early in their undergraduate career.
The BUS 003 syllabus achieves these goals through experiential learning and projects. Initial assignments include writing professional emails, crafting a business pitch, and preparing for interviews. The latter part of the course emphasizes real-world communication. Experiential learning is combined with community interaction as students volunteer at local nonprofits and network with Lehigh alumni.
A key addition to the curriculum is the Networking Capstone Project, designed to help students hone the necessary skills to make professional connections. Madisyn Babb ‘27, pursuing a major in marketing, took this course during her first semester and found these projects beneficial for her career growth and procuring positions at Lehigh.
“The most useful assignments of BUS 003 were the informational interview and Networking Capstone since they helped me learn how to reach out to alumni and professionals,” Babb said. Babb has since applied the skills and knowledge she gained to presentations, job interviews and networking opportunities.
In the Networking Capstone Project, students are placed in teams, and everyone is given a different responsibility. Objectives include emailing alumni, writing elevator pitches, crafting an agenda for the meeting, and organizing logistics. The project culminates in a Zoom meeting, where students deliver elevator pitches and receive direct feedback from alumni. Both students and alumni viewed the project as a valuable experience, solidifying its place in the curriculum.
John Larson, ‘17, a senior value engineer at Celonis, served on an alumni panel for the inaugural Networking Capstone Event. “I was impressed by everyone’s skills during the elevator pitches; I’m glad this event is now part of the curriculum,” Larson said.
Across three semesters there have been 118 alumni that have helped make this event a success. Larson has participated on the panel twice and is eager to continue supporting Lehigh students grow professionally. Larson’s main advice to students entering the business world: “It’s better to overshare rather than undershare.” In the context of communication, this means keeping supervisors updated and being proactive when problems arise. According to Larson, consistent and honest communication is essential for strong working relationships.
