Gen Ed 176 Draws Overeager Crowds To Learn Business

Students who showed up for the first meeting of General Education 176, "Business in American Life," probably didn't except to see 300 other students there too. But section leaders for the ever-popular course, which was returning after a year's hiatus, knew better.

After excluding all but the 183 serious from the course, they held a lottery to knock out 90 more. And for those unlucky serious who might lose their chance to take the course, Thomas J.C. Raymond, professor of Business, Administration, will offer the course again this spring.

Raymond, who chairs the Management Communications Department at the business School, yesterday ascribed the course's popularity to students increasing desire to learn about the workings of the business world in an era of high unemployment and business failures.

Developed 10 years ago as a general survey course for liberal arts concentrators who want basic knowledge of the business world, Gen ED 176 "gives students something to talk about in the interview" for business school or a job, james J. Dowds, a section leader for the course, said yesterday.

Students in the course say they are attracted to the course because of its case-study method--similar to that used in B.School courses--and its speakers program, which brings prominent business leaders to lecture and eat lunch with students.

Brain R. Rodli '83 said he was "curious to meet the different prominently named business leaders." He also wanted to see "what it's like to be taught by a B-School professor" he said

"It's quite different from what one experiences in a regular economics clss, "Joseph J. Lauer '83 an Economics concentrator, said yesterday.

Laucer, who took advantage of the speakers program to have lunch with Thomas Phillips, chairman of the board of Raytheon Corporation said that "the most interesting part was listening to [Philips] experience and background and why he thinks he is successful."