Thomas S. Fitzmaurice, assistant professor of Business at Mount Saint Mary College, recently highlighted how community involvement can create better Business students in his presentation, "Service-Learning in Business Programs."
The talk was part of the Mount's Investigating Research on Campus (iROC) series, which is taking place virtually this semester and is open to the public. The series provides a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with the college and local communities. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.
Service-learning is hands-on community service with a focus on social responsibility, reinforcing academic concepts learned in class. Service-learning should be an organized activity that meets a community need. It should also foster reflection on the course content and a broader appreciation of civic engagement.
Fitzmaurice noted that service-learning and civic engagement programs have become widespread in higher education, both as extracurricular, volunteer activities and as curriculum requirements. Mount Saint Mary College is no different: In addition to other disciplines on campus, service-learning is utilized in the Mount's Business curriculum and can assist in developing ethical business leaders.
Some businesses have been known to prioritize the maximization shareholder value over ethics. This issue has created a call from those both inside and outside of the business community for more ethical businesspeople, Fitzmaurice notes.
"It really puts the pressure on people in Business education to make sure that we are graduating and teaching ethical students," he explained.
In this way, service-learning is especially important and useful for Business students. While case studies in ethics classes are useful, hands-on community experience can create a working relationship between students and real business leaders, encouraging professional, social, and moral growth.
In short, service-learning "can help create better Business education graduates," said Fitzmaurice.
Fitzmaurice has integrated service-learning into his Seminar in Finance courses, accounting for about 30 percent of the final grade. Recently, his class worked with Catholic Youth and Family Ministries in Garrison, N.Y.
One class developed a cost analysis for a new drama-based summer camp/retreat, and the final result was Family Ministries moving ahead with plans for the event and using many of the students' suggestions and information.
The next year, Fitzmaurice's Seminar in Finance students worked on a cost analysis for an existing Catholic Youth and Family Ministries retreat program to clarify costs and provide guidance for future price setting and fundraising pitches. Their findings helped the organization to continue the program in a more cost effective way.
"I think [service-learning experiences] really increase the students' appreciation for a nonprofit mission," said Fitzmaurice. He added, "Doing something like this gives students an opportunity for creativity and for incorporating their business skills, but it's also similar to what you'd find at a start-up."
It's not just Business students who are enjoying service-learning at the college: The Mount prepares all students for fulfilling careers and for lives of leadership and service. Recently, Dr. Jason N. Adsit, president of the Mount, announced his vision for the Mount's future – one that involves a comprehensive, institution-wide commitment to service-learning and community engagement. With the goal of becoming the most community service-oriented college in the United States, the Mount will move into the future by embracing and amplifying the concept that is at its core: service matters.
Fitzmaurice has taught in Catholic education on both the college and secondary level at institutions that place a high level of importance on service and service-learning, including the Mount. He has served at the college, teaching both undergraduate and graduate finance courses, since 2017. Fitzmaurice holds a BE from Manhattan College, an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, and an MS and PhD from Fordham University.
The goal of the college's iROC is to provide a forum for Mount faculty, staff, and students to showcase their research endeavors with the college and local communities. Presentations include research proposals, initial data collection, and completed research projects.