Free business publications give students
a weekly jolt of commerce in the real world

Students get tired of lugging heavy books to class, so the School of Business Administration has come up with something a little slimmer for them to read. For the first time, juniors, seniors and graduate students will receive free subscriptions to BusinessWeek; MBA students will also receive the Mississippi Business Journal.

“This is a new pre-professional initiative in the School of Business Administration,” said Dean Brian Reithel. “The goal is to help students rapidly and successfully transition into a business mind-set.”

BusinessWeek was chosen because of its industry-leading content and because of its timeliness as a weekly magazine.

Reithel said it is crucial for the students to be exposed to the critical coverage of unethical practices that are often highlighted in BusinessWeek. “It is important for students to conduct themselves with integrity and to be aware of the consequences of unethical acts,” he added. He also feels it is key to ensure that University of Mississippi business graduates are armed with knowledge of the contemporary global business environment so they will be competitive in the work force.

The business school faculty, who will also receive subscriptions, will obtain additional materials about each upcoming issue so they can incorporate emerging business issues into their courses. An instructor’s guide, searchable archives and several specialized newsletters are just a few of the resources available.

All MBA students have received the Mississippi Business Journal since Aug. 15, and MBA Director John Holleman said he hopes it will help professors integrate real-world business events into the classroom. “While our curriculum is rigorous, we’re always interested in relating it to real-world events in the business community,” he said. “If we’re successful in developing regular business news consumption, I think that’s very important.”—Rebecca Lauck Cleary BF