Daniels Takes Classes Into Corporate Offices
A new pilot program called Class@Work brought business students face to face with professionals from local companies.
Written by Kathryn Mayer
Earlier this year, while preparing materials for his Strategic Cost Management course, Lorenzo Patelli found himself wrestling with an issue facing universities everywhere: Artificial intelligence is increasingly shaping the world; yet students are increasingly interested in making in-person industry connections.
“I believe that in higher ed we are called to create more and more opportunities for students to experience the power of human connections and real-world environments,” said Patelli, a professor in the School of Accountancy and senior associate dean at the Daniels College of Business.
That line of thinking led Patelli to pilot a new idea at Daniels: Class@Work, an experiential learning initiative that moves the lectern directly into corporate offices across the Denver metro area.
Class@Work is The Daniels Effect: an apt illustration of what it means to be the country’s most market-connected business school. Already, Daniels welcomes more than 600 unique companies to campus for meet and greets, coffee chats, and office hours that can lead to job and internship opportunities.
During the spring quarter, Daniels did the traveling. MBA students sat in boardrooms in real workplaces, absorbing course concepts while gaining real-life insights into professional atmospheres.
Patelli created the Class@Work course to connect students with industry professionals. “Through Class@Work, students experience, even for just a few hours, different organizational structures, cultures and industry dynamics,” Patelli said. This spring, students in Class@Work visited six organizations: Ball Corporation, KPMG, Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain, Arrow Electronics, GLC Advisors and Plante Moran.
The initiative also offers students exposure to the nuances that are difficult to replicate in a traditional classroom: organizational culture, office dynamics, leadership styles and professional communication in live business settings.
“We weren’t just walking through. We had actual conversations with management, learned how these companies operate day-to-day, and got a real look at different roles and career paths,” explained Nick Helleen, a full-time MBA student in the course. “A few of those visits actually shifted my thinking on what direction I want to go after graduation, which I didn’t expect.”
DMBA student Summit Milone agreed, saying that engaging directly with industry leaders and connecting with Daniels alumni in real-world professional settings has been extremely valuable. She also appreciated the opportunity to learn about different industries and “better understand what those career paths could look like as [she navigates] a career transition.”
The response from corporate partners has also exceeded expectations, Patelli said. Companies have eagerly opened their doors to students, viewing the visits as both an opportunity to connect with young talent and a chance to strengthen ties with the university community.
Patelli says the collaboration is a prime example of how Daniels’ professional network creates opportunities that extend beyond campus walls. “It has been amazing for me and my students to enjoy the breadth and depth of the Daniels corporate network,” he said.
Helleen agreed, saying the networking connected to Class@Work has been unmatched.
“Daniels already has a strong network, but there’s a difference between knowing that and actually sitting in a room with local business leaders and DU alumni, building those connections face to face,” he said. “Beyond that, it just tied everything together. You could see exactly how what we’re learning applies in the real world.”
After the program’s inaugural run, Patelli said Class@Work will continue in future quarters and may eventually expand into additional courses.
“We are even more certain now that Daniels opens doors and the community multiplies them,” he said.
