Business Education Meets Catholic Intellectual Tradition at Ave Maria Conference

"Mission-Driven Business Education" was attended by more than 30 scholars from universities across the United States from January 2-4.

Ave Maria University recently held a conference on "integrating the Catholic faith and the Catholic intellectual tradition" into the teaching of business disciplines, the University announced in a press release.

"Mission-Driven Business Education" was attended by more than 30 scholars from universities across the United States from January 2-4. Attending scholars wrote papers for the conference explaining their concepts regarding the integration of Catholic thought with their respective business disciplines.

Teaching notes and syllabi from the scholars will be made publicly available, "with the aim of helping business professors in any university who want to bring the Catholic intellectual tradition to their own students," according to Ave Maria.

The University reported:

“Through the questions we raise, through the topics we choose, through the answers we give, we can give our students and our colleagues a sense of the meaning and fulfillment we have found as Christians and as Catholics,” said Dr. Martinez. “The Catholic tradition gives us a different perspective and a unique impetus to study finance, economics, marketing, accounting, management, and business ethics, which makes our classroom and research occasions for – appropriate, respectful, opportune – evangelization.”

"The seminar, which focused on the uniquely Catholic dimensions of business education, lasted two and a half days, with formal presentations and informal discussions. In their presentations, the participants laid out their understanding of the Catholic intellectual tradition and of Catholic social teaching. Then they connected these ideas with the specific pedagogical strategies that they use to help students make relevant connections. Other scholars responded by highlighting what they thought was most relevant, thus starting a discussion among the whole group.

…

"Together with a very favorable impression of Ave Maria, the participants (from Notre Dame, Pepperdine, St. Thomas, Seton Hall, St. Joseph’s, St. John’s, Dayton, Catholic University of America, Loras, St. Norbert’s, Lexington, Le Moyne, St. Francis, and Ave Maria) left with strong bonds and with plans for future collaboration and extensions of their work into the world of business."

Ave Maria University is recommended in The Newman Guidefor its strong Catholic identity.

Courtesy of Catholic Education Daily of the Cardinal Newman Society.