Professors Teaching in High Schools

Launching this fall, the College ofBusiness’s “Business High” program, (formerly “Free Enterprise High”) had a good start. The new program allows high school teachers to invite professors to their classrooms to speak on various business topics. So far, the program has reached over 300 students in five high schools including the three public high schools in Pocatello as well as the Pocatello Charter School, and the Meridian Medical Arts Charter School.

“The primary goal is to build relationships with the high school teachers and their students,” said Assistant Dean John Ney. “It’s also a great opportunity to show high school students, first hand, the great professors we have in the College of Business and what a great University we have right here in Southeast Idaho.” Ney explained that one of the most important aspects of the program is to keep the topics interactive and fun for the high school student audience. Focusing on this approach, Healthcare Administration Professor Josh Thompson conducted a case study with a Pharmacy Tech class in Pocatello. During the course, students were presented with a real situation where a patient had died due to being given the incorrect medication. Thompson then broke the students into groups representing the various business units, challenging them to determine who was at fault for the patient’s death.

For teachers, the program has benefitted greatly in emphasizing their instruction. Jennifer Parker, a registered nurse and the school district 25 Health Occupations instructor said, “It’s so good for these students to hear from a college professor, as it reinforces what I have been teaching. I really appreciated them coming to my class and for setting up a tour of the College. I look forward to having them back.” Schedule a visit: isu.edu/cal/liberalarts-high or email neyjohn@isu.edu.