Harding Summer Academic Institute launches Honors Business Experience

Harding University’s Honors College hosted its Honors Business Experience, a new summer academic program for high school juniors and seniors, June 15-29, 2018, as part of the Summer Academic institute. In collaboration with the Honors College, Dr. David Kee, assistant professor in the Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration, helped start the program that is facilitated by University faculty members, local businesses and entrepreneurs to give students first hand exposure to the world of business.

“Dr. Allen Frazier, dean of the college, asked me to serve as director of this new and unique offering,” Kee said. “I accepted because I came to Harding from a high school teaching environment and relate well with that age group.”

Honors Business gives students that are still attending high school the opportunity to take college-level courses for credit. Kee believes this program adds substantial value because few high school students are exposed to the inner workings of the corporate world, yet business is one of the University’s largest majors.

“Harding has had much success with its Honors Symposium program, yet it encompasses only a limited segment of the overall Harding experience,” Kee said. “This is a time where students can learn the rudiments of business in an experiential and academic manner without committing to it as a major.”

Kee feels that through the program, the faculty are able to assist students entering college given their work experience as entrepreneurs, managers and leaders. Through the faculty’s stories and anecdotes, the students are able to hear what life in business is all about.

A large number of our College of Business Administration faculty were a part of the experience focusing both on the classroom piece and also providing activities and experiences directly related to business.

As part of the Honors Business Experience, students toured factories and major companies’ headquarters, and some took part in a real-life branding project for a Little Rock sports team.

Kee shared that both of his children participated in Honors Symposium, and not only were they exposed to talented and interesting professors, topics and themes, but they also met other students with aspirations to achieve something meaningful in life.

“Their fellow classmates became their roommates and best friends even to this day,” Kee said.  “There are not many summer programs like this. Harding’s Summer Academic Institute provides students with a foot in the door of high quality Christian education. Now with Honors Business Experience added to the program, students seeking to enter the exciting world of business will be a step ahead in their preparation for a business related major and life beyond.”

Learn more at www.harding.edu/summeracademic.