Suggested Program Tracks
Our gateway courses are:
1) INTD 0116 “Accounting & Budgeting for the Liberal Arts”; 2) INTD 0120 “Introduction to Business & Enterprise”; 3) INTD 0217 “Introduction to Finance”; and 4) INTD 0130 “Business Ethics”
In addition to taking the gateway courses in business & enterprise, we strongly suggest our students take a minimum of 3 more courses from the following respective tracks.
Finance
1) INTD 0208 “Finance, Regulation, and Policy”
2) INTD 0219 “Corporate Governance”
3) INTD 0222 “Sustainable Finance”
4) INTD 0319 “Investment Management”
5) INTD 0320 “Capital Markets”
6) INTD 0401 “Advanced Topics: Venture Capital & Private Equity”
7) INTD 1250 “Real Estate Development & Finance”
8) INTD 1023 “Financial Analysis”
9) INTD 1008 “Quantitative Finance”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0116
Current
Upcoming
Accounting/Budgeting/Lib Arts
Course Description
Accounting, Budgeting, and the Liberal Arts
Accounting is the lingua franca of commercial and financial activity, and applies equally to corporations, non-profits, and governments. In this course we will learn the basic concepts and standards underlying the accounting language including: revenue recognition, inventory, long-lived assets, present value, long-term liabilities, and financial statements. We then turn to the application and use of accounting information in forecasting, operating, and measuring an enterprise. These managerial accounting concepts are used to develop budgets and evaluate results. Our understanding of accounting and financial statements is needed to understand how business interrelates with society. The major course project will be developing an Excel financial model; no prior Excel experience required. 3 hrs. lect., 3 hr. lab (not open to students who have taken INTD 0316).
Terms Taught
INTD 0208
Current
Finance, Regulation, & Policy
Course Description
Finance, Regulation, and Policy
With recent financial scandals and crises, an important question is whether the finance industry should be regulated and should undergo further policy reforms. Many scholars and policy experts contend that the current system is simply not designed to make policy choices on behalf of the public. In this course we will explore current financial innovations (e.g., mutual funds, hedge funds, securitizations, cryptocurrencies, just to name a few) and potential policy options in order to protect “Main Street” from “Wall Street”. Additionally, we will explore the manner in which modern finance has grown out of powerful theories, both mathematical and psychological. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0217
Current
Upcoming
Introduction to Finance
Course Description
Introduction to Finance
In this introductory survey course we will cover the role of finance in society, the basic workings of the financial system, how funds are allocated within the economy, and how institutions raise money. We will cover a range of topics, including: interest rates and the time value of money; uncertainty and the trade-off between risk and return; security market efficiency; stocks, bonds and optimal capital structure; financing decisions and capital budgeting; sovereign risk; foreign currencies; derivatives markets; and concerns about the role of finance in society. The course will include discussions of current news events in global markets. (INTD 0116 or INTD 0120 or by Instructor approval) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hr. lab
Terms Taught
INTD 0219
Upcoming
Corporate Governance
Course Description
Corporate Governance
In this course, students will learn about the topic of corporate governance with a focus on large publicly traded corporations. At the firm level, the importance of corporate governance is justified by the complexity of the contractual environment where owners (shareholders), executive managers, board of directors and other stakeholders interact. We will cover topics in ownership and control, managerial monitoring and compensation, the structure and diversity of the board of directors, and shareholder engagement and activism. Also, in the wake of various corporate scandals worldwide, the role of corporate governance codes and regulation in setting new standards and best practices is evident. We will look at the evolution of these corporate governance standards, both in the U.S. and internationally. (INTD 0120 and/or INTD 0217)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0319
Current
Investment Management
Course Description
Investment Management
In this course we will build on knowledge of accounting and finance and apply that knowledge to investment analysis, asset allocation, portfolio management, and capital markets and risk analysis. Designed to provide the basic concepts and principles of investing, the course examines investment theory and practice for investing a portfolio and evaluating its performance. We will discuss both traditional and alternative investments. Topics include securities markets, risk and return, capital asset pricing model (CAPM) and diversification, portfolio theory, private equity, valuation of equity, valuation of fixed-income securities, options and futures markets. Recommended prior courses would be: Math 0116, INTD 0116 or INTD 0217. Students who have not taken INTD 0116 or INTD 0217 are invited to contact the professor to discuss and review their basic proficiency in Accounting and Finance. 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs lab
Terms Taught
INTD 0320
Capital Markets
Course Description
Capital Markets
This course surveys and analyzes the instruments traded in modern asset markets, the mechanisms that facilitate their trading and issuance, as well as, the motivations of issuers and investors across different asset classes. The course will balance functional and institutional perspectives by highlighting the problems market participants are seeking to solve, as well as the existing asset markets that have arisen to accomplish these goals. We will consider the nature of structure of asset markets, and the design, issuance, and pricing of financial instruments, focusing on how arbitrage strategies keep their prices in-line with one another. (INTD 0116 or INTD 0217 or by instructor approval) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab
Terms Taught
INTD 1008
Upcoming
Quant Finance
Course Description
Quant Finance (Statistical Models of the Stock Market)
In this course we will learn about quantitative finance and the stock market specifically. We will focus on how the stock market works and what it means to be a “quant”. Students will use Matlab extensively or another statistical package to build models that predict future stock movements. Morning lectures/discussions will focus on the workings of the stock market and the inefficiencies that might be present. In afternoons “lab” sessions and as “homework” students will work by themselves or in teams (with the instructor’s help) to build actual models of future stock prices. Students will learn not only how to build those models but also how to evaluate how effective they are. It would be very useful if the interested student had some previous coding experience or took a matlab tutorial before the class starts. (BIOL 0211 or CSCI 0145 or CSCI 0150 or ECON 0210 or MATH 0116 or PSYC 0201 or STAT 0116 or Instructor Approval)
Scott Smallwood has worked in the hedge fund field for 15 years and is currently running his own small quantitative hedge fund./
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1023
Upcoming
Financial Analysis
Course Description
Financial Analysis
In this course we will learn basic accounting and corporate finance concepts and apply them to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Students will develop in-depth language skills for interpreting financial information (by way of case studies and the textbook) used to make decisions for shareholders, stakeholders, and government, and we will reflect on the impact of these decisions on society writ large. Topics of accounting ethics, corporate governance, and financial frauds will also be discussed in a liberal arts context.
David R. Miller is an experienced private equity investor and strategy consultant. His career included positions at a middle-market focused private equity firm, as well in investment banking and strategy consulting. David, with his wife Sonya and their two daughters, lived in Chicago for many years before moving to Charleston, SC, and more recently to just outside of Newport, RI. David earned an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign./
Terms Taught
INTD 1250
Upcoming
Real Estate Development&Financ
Course Description
Introduction to Real Estate Development and Finance
Urban planning and policy can shape cities, but in most cases our environment is actually built, project by project, by individual developers, whose choices of land use, building types, construction methods and operations are shaped by economic factors. Private equity funds, non-profit housing trusts, retailers, hotel operators and entrepreneurs all must grapple with the costs and risks, and potential returns and social impacts of a development project. Students in this course will learn the fundamentals of development, including the valuation of land and structures, financing with debt and equity, non-profit mission-driven development, modeling investment flows and managing risk.
Originally trained as an architect, David Hamilton has managed and consulted on innovative development and construction projects in tech office, healthcare, housing and farmland conservation. He teaches at Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design, and is the co-author of Professional Real Estate Development, ULI Press./
Terms Taught
Requirements
Organization Studies
1) INTD 0130 “Business Ethics”
2) INTD 0205 “Marketing”
3) INTD 0219 “Corporate Governance”
4) INTD 0220 “Management, Business, and Enterprise”
5) INTD 0221 “Enterprise & Entrepreneurship”
6) INTD 0321 “Minding Business: Neuroscience & Business”
7) INTD 1007 “Supply Chain & Global Commerce”
8) INTD1001 “Marketing & Brand Strategy”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0130
Business Ethics
Course Description
Business Ethics
Capitalism and competitive markets are often considered the most efficient system of simultaneously maximizing private wealth and public good. In the real world, however, truly competitive markets do not exist. Imperfect markets have been made to work efficiently while protecting public good through systems of public intervention, i.e., laws and regulations, and voluntary self-restraint by business organizations in response to societal expectations. In this class we will consider the role of ethics in business, with students analyzing the process by which ethical norms and strongly held moral beliefs guide the conduct of economically driven business organizations. Students will reflect on business managers’ responsibility to their owners, i.e., shareholders, other stakeholders, and society-at-large. 3 hrs. lect./dsc
Terms Taught
INTD 0205
Current
Marketing
Course Description
Marketing: Formulation, Methods, and Research
Marketing is both a qualitative and a quantitative discipline. It is one of the rare business fields that actively draws upon and integrates the creative and analytical components of the liberal arts tradition. In this course students will be exposed to a broad overview of marketing principles, focusing on the application of marketing theory to for-profit, not-for-profit, and the public sectors. Cause marketing and social marketing techniques will also be discussed to determine their utility in combating social ills and promoting favorable public health behaviors and outcomes. As the implementation of marketing programs is undergoing a massive transformation from conventional to digital media, students will be exposed to digital designing and marketing, which are driven by a sound understanding of consumer segmentation, brand positioning, distinct product benefits, and relevant in-market executions. (INTD 0120) Introductory statistics course recommended. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
INTD 0219
Upcoming
Corporate Governance
Course Description
Corporate Governance
In this course, students will learn about the topic of corporate governance with a focus on large publicly traded corporations. At the firm level, the importance of corporate governance is justified by the complexity of the contractual environment where owners (shareholders), executive managers, board of directors and other stakeholders interact. We will cover topics in ownership and control, managerial monitoring and compensation, the structure and diversity of the board of directors, and shareholder engagement and activism. Also, in the wake of various corporate scandals worldwide, the role of corporate governance codes and regulation in setting new standards and best practices is evident. We will look at the evolution of these corporate governance standards, both in the U.S. and internationally. (INTD 0120 and/or INTD 0217)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0220
Current
Management and Enterprise
Course Description
Management, Enterprise, and Business
What does it mean to lead or manage a business, non-profit or any other enterprise, and how does one go about doing it? Drawing on different management theories, this course will explore games and "tactics" deployed by organizations. We will leverage basic industrial organization frameworks from economics (eg. hold-outs, switch costs, network effects, economies of scope, etc) to decipher organizational behavior. In addition, we will review case studies of organizations facing serious management challenges and explore how those challenges could be addressed (INTD0120 or by waiver).
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0221
Upcoming
Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
Course Description
Creating New Enterprises To Solve Significant Problems: For-Profit and Social Entrepreneurship
In this class students will explore how entrepreneurial innovators solve significant problems by creating new enterprises, and how these new organizations impact our society. In today’s society, entrepreneurship seems ubiquitous. At times, it appears that entrepreneurs can do no wrong. At other times, they are depicted as over-optimistic fools. Such polar characterizations may sell magazines, but they do not capture what entrepreneurship is, which involves a more complex and interesting story— in both for-profit and social entrepreneurship environments. Students will explore entrepreneurship in depth with the goal of penetrating the popular veneer and uncovering the essence of starting and growing new enterprises designed to solve significant societal problems.
Terms Taught
INTD 0321
Upcoming
Neuroscience and Business
Course Description
Minding Business: Neuroscience and Business
In this seminar, we will explore the potentiality of building better businesses through brain science. We will investigate the field of neuroscience and business. Falling under the penumbra of organizational behavior and management science, this course will focus on the following five key areas: ethical, legal, and philosophical concepts of neuroscience in commerce and technology, group and team-based leadership chemistry and dynamics enhanced by neuroscience, neuroeconomics, neuromarketing, and lastly brain science and the humanities. Class discussion, short lectures, individual research projects, and oral presentations will inform student learning experience. (INTD 0120 and PSYC 0105, or Instructor Approval.)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1001
Upcoming
Marketing & Brand Strategy
Course Description
A Liberal Arts Introduction to Marketing and Brand Strategy
Brands surround us: Middlebury, Google, Coke. Even you are a brand. But what is a brand? How do consumers make brand choices? And what defines the market of competing brands? In this course we will explore the fundamentals of marketing strategy and branded communications through the lens of a liberal arts education spanning psychology, geography, economics, neuroscience and art history. We will discuss a range of brand cases along with a selective reading list including the gruesome story of Vermont railway worker Phineas Gage, Daniel Kahneman’s classic Thinking Fast & Slow, and cartoonist Scott McCloud’s guide to making comics.
Tom Palmer graduated from Middlebury in 1985 (as did his wife Heather Henderson Palmer) with a double major in Economics and Geography and a concentration in Modern Art History. That blend of disciplines has been instrumental in his business success, and it is the inspiration for this course proposal. He thanks his friend and Middlebury advisor, Bob Churchill, for inspiring him to learn for the love of learning and to teach for the love of teaching. As they say in advertising, Bob Churchill was the “pivot” in the story of his Middlebury experience./
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1007
Upcoming
Supply Chain & Global Commerce
Course Description
Supply Chain, Logistics & Transportation: The Backbone of Global Commerce
In this course, students will learn about the basics of supply chain, including activities such as planning, sourcing & procurement, manufacturing, transportation & freight, reverse logistics and supporting technologies. We will explore and go deeper into industries or aspects that students find a connection to (ex: “the supply chain of sports” or “the sustainable supply chain” or “GenAI-powered autonomous supply chains”). We will hear from guest speakers from companies such as Accenture, Nike, Patagonia and Amazon, etc. and discuss career opportunities in supply chain, and related areas (finance, marketing, operations, consulting, etc.). Weather and time-permitting, we will look to have a field trip to a warehouse or distribution center (TBD). The class will conclude with a project that asks the students to fuse what they’ve learned with an innovative new idea. (Open to Juniors and Seniors only.)
John Atherton graduated from Middlebury College in 1993 with a major in geography, and a minor in studio art. After coaching athletics at the college level, and teaching at a boarding school, he found his way into the world of global supply chain, and has been a practitioner for over 20 years. John has worked for a major global container shipping line, grew a tech start-up from nothing to something, and is now with the biggest consulting firm on the planet. In 2018, John was inducted into the Middlebury College Athletic Hall of Fame (Soccer, Ice Hockey, Lacrosse and Football)./
Terms Taught
Requirements
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
1) INTD 0209 “Big Data, Big Business, and Big Obligations”
2) INTD 0205 “Marketing”
3) INTD 0219 “Corporate Governance”
4) INTD 0220 “Management, Business, and Enterprise”
5) INTD 0221 “Enterprise & Entrepreneurship”
6) INTD 0321 “Minding Business: Neuroscience & Business”
7) INTD 0401 “Advanced Topics: Venture Capital & Private Equity”
8) INTD 1001 “Marketing & Brand Strategy”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0205
Current
Marketing
Course Description
Marketing: Formulation, Methods, and Research
Marketing is both a qualitative and a quantitative discipline. It is one of the rare business fields that actively draws upon and integrates the creative and analytical components of the liberal arts tradition. In this course students will be exposed to a broad overview of marketing principles, focusing on the application of marketing theory to for-profit, not-for-profit, and the public sectors. Cause marketing and social marketing techniques will also be discussed to determine their utility in combating social ills and promoting favorable public health behaviors and outcomes. As the implementation of marketing programs is undergoing a massive transformation from conventional to digital media, students will be exposed to digital designing and marketing, which are driven by a sound understanding of consumer segmentation, brand positioning, distinct product benefits, and relevant in-market executions. (INTD 0120) Introductory statistics course recommended. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
INTD 0209
Big Data & Big Obligations
Course Description
Big Business, Big Data, & Big Obligations
In this course we will examine the cultural, economic, ethical, and legal implications of, analytics, big data, and computation. Drawing on various disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences, students will read works relating to the science of data collection, aggregation, and analysis. Students will learn that with opportunities for both financial gain and social good (which big data brings) comes various perils, including privacy violations, disability/gender/racial discrimination, economic disruption, negative environmental spillovers, and political destabilization.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0219
Upcoming
Corporate Governance
Course Description
Corporate Governance
In this course, students will learn about the topic of corporate governance with a focus on large publicly traded corporations. At the firm level, the importance of corporate governance is justified by the complexity of the contractual environment where owners (shareholders), executive managers, board of directors and other stakeholders interact. We will cover topics in ownership and control, managerial monitoring and compensation, the structure and diversity of the board of directors, and shareholder engagement and activism. Also, in the wake of various corporate scandals worldwide, the role of corporate governance codes and regulation in setting new standards and best practices is evident. We will look at the evolution of these corporate governance standards, both in the U.S. and internationally. (INTD 0120 and/or INTD 0217)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0220
Current
Management and Enterprise
Course Description
Management, Enterprise, and Business
What does it mean to lead or manage a business, non-profit or any other enterprise, and how does one go about doing it? Drawing on different management theories, this course will explore games and "tactics" deployed by organizations. We will leverage basic industrial organization frameworks from economics (eg. hold-outs, switch costs, network effects, economies of scope, etc) to decipher organizational behavior. In addition, we will review case studies of organizations facing serious management challenges and explore how those challenges could be addressed (INTD0120 or by waiver).
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0221
Upcoming
Enterprise & Entrepreneurship
Course Description
Creating New Enterprises To Solve Significant Problems: For-Profit and Social Entrepreneurship
In this class students will explore how entrepreneurial innovators solve significant problems by creating new enterprises, and how these new organizations impact our society. In today’s society, entrepreneurship seems ubiquitous. At times, it appears that entrepreneurs can do no wrong. At other times, they are depicted as over-optimistic fools. Such polar characterizations may sell magazines, but they do not capture what entrepreneurship is, which involves a more complex and interesting story— in both for-profit and social entrepreneurship environments. Students will explore entrepreneurship in depth with the goal of penetrating the popular veneer and uncovering the essence of starting and growing new enterprises designed to solve significant societal problems.
Terms Taught
INTD 0321
Upcoming
Neuroscience and Business
Course Description
Minding Business: Neuroscience and Business
In this seminar, we will explore the potentiality of building better businesses through brain science. We will investigate the field of neuroscience and business. Falling under the penumbra of organizational behavior and management science, this course will focus on the following five key areas: ethical, legal, and philosophical concepts of neuroscience in commerce and technology, group and team-based leadership chemistry and dynamics enhanced by neuroscience, neuroeconomics, neuromarketing, and lastly brain science and the humanities. Class discussion, short lectures, individual research projects, and oral presentations will inform student learning experience. (INTD 0120 and PSYC 0105, or Instructor Approval.)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0401
Adv Topics in Bus.& Enterprise
Course Description
Advanced Topics in Business & Enterprise Seminar
In this seminar, we will explore advance topics in finance, organizations, management science, law and business, marketing, and decision theory. Typically, the theme of the seminar will rotate yearly with odd years being finance oriented and even years being management science or leadership-oriented topics. For AY23, we will explore the quantitative topic of venture capital and private equity. The course will focus on the following four areas: business valuation, financing, private and venture capital industry, and exit. Class discussion, short lectures, individual research projects, and oral presentations will inform student learning experience. (INTD 0120: Intro to Business & Enterprise and INTD 0217: Intro to Finance, or with Instructor Approval)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1001
Upcoming
Marketing & Brand Strategy
Course Description
A Liberal Arts Introduction to Marketing and Brand Strategy
Brands surround us: Middlebury, Google, Coke. Even you are a brand. But what is a brand? How do consumers make brand choices? And what defines the market of competing brands? In this course we will explore the fundamentals of marketing strategy and branded communications through the lens of a liberal arts education spanning psychology, geography, economics, neuroscience and art history. We will discuss a range of brand cases along with a selective reading list including the gruesome story of Vermont railway worker Phineas Gage, Daniel Kahneman’s classic Thinking Fast & Slow, and cartoonist Scott McCloud’s guide to making comics.
Tom Palmer graduated from Middlebury in 1985 (as did his wife Heather Henderson Palmer) with a double major in Economics and Geography and a concentration in Modern Art History. That blend of disciplines has been instrumental in his business success, and it is the inspiration for this course proposal. He thanks his friend and Middlebury advisor, Bob Churchill, for inspiring him to learn for the love of learning and to teach for the love of teaching. As they say in advertising, Bob Churchill was the “pivot” in the story of his Middlebury experience./
Terms Taught
Requirements
Leadership Studies
1) INTD 0130 “Business Ethics”
2) INTD 0202 “The Diverse Workplace: Gender, Race, and the Modern Corporation”
3) INTD 0203 “Purpose, Profit, and Planet”
4) INTD 0219 “Corporate Governance”
5) INTD 0209 “Big Data, Big Business, and Big Obligations”
6) INTD 0221 “Enterprise & Entrepreneurship”
7) INTD 0407 “Leadership”
8) INTD 1019 “From Shakespeare to Wall Street: Management & the Liberal Arts”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0130
Business Ethics
Course Description
Business Ethics
Capitalism and competitive markets are often considered the most efficient system of simultaneously maximizing private wealth and public good. In the real world, however, truly competitive markets do not exist. Imperfect markets have been made to work efficiently while protecting public good through systems of public intervention, i.e., laws and regulations, and voluntary self-restraint by business organizations in response to societal expectations. In this class we will consider the role of ethics in business, with students analyzing the process by which ethical norms and strongly held moral beliefs guide the conduct of economically driven business organizations. Students will reflect on business managers’ responsibility to their owners, i.e., shareholders, other stakeholders, and society-at-large. 3 hrs. lect./dsc
Terms Taught
INTD 0202
The Diverse Workplace
Course Description
The Diverse Workplace: Gender, Race and the Modern Corporation
Knowing why and how to harness the power of human difference to facilitate human flourishing is a critical competency for leaders. In this course we will learn about the challenges and opportunities of diversity. This course has three components. First, students will explore ways humans can advance in the modern workplace and how the roles of people of all genders must evolve in order to do so. The second component centers on the issue of race in and at the organization/corporation (for-profit and not-for-profit). And the third component relates to how workplace diversity is a valuable and strategic asset to the modern corporation. Students will learn that organizations, too, are social actors. As such, issues of gender and race shape organizations and their ability to obtain cultural, political, and material resources they need to survive—the organizing process. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0203
Purpose, Profit, and Planet
Course Description
Purpose, Profit, and Planet
In this course students will explore a question with deep implications for our society: do businesses have an ethical or social responsibility to move beyond the profit-maximization principle? If so, to what extent should businesses act as social institutions that shape the basic rules of society rather than simply reacting to them? By drawing on materials from social sciences, humanities, and the legal field, students will consider to what extent business should become part of the sustainable and planetary solution and what their ethical responsibility is to minimize their own harmful actions.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0209
Big Data & Big Obligations
Course Description
Big Business, Big Data, & Big Obligations
In this course we will examine the cultural, economic, ethical, and legal implications of, analytics, big data, and computation. Drawing on various disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences, students will read works relating to the science of data collection, aggregation, and analysis. Students will learn that with opportunities for both financial gain and social good (which big data brings) comes various perils, including privacy violations, disability/gender/racial discrimination, economic disruption, negative environmental spillovers, and political destabilization.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0219
Upcoming
Corporate Governance
Course Description
Corporate Governance
In this course, students will learn about the topic of corporate governance with a focus on large publicly traded corporations. At the firm level, the importance of corporate governance is justified by the complexity of the contractual environment where owners (shareholders), executive managers, board of directors and other stakeholders interact. We will cover topics in ownership and control, managerial monitoring and compensation, the structure and diversity of the board of directors, and shareholder engagement and activism. Also, in the wake of various corporate scandals worldwide, the role of corporate governance codes and regulation in setting new standards and best practices is evident. We will look at the evolution of these corporate governance standards, both in the U.S. and internationally. (INTD 0120 and/or INTD 0217)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0407
Current
Leadership
Course Description
Leadership
What is leadership, and what does good leadership require? In this course we will investigate these important questions, focusing on today’s world context. Examples from politics, business, and community organization around the world will guide our inquiry, help us evaluate the quality of leadership affecting us and others, and enable us to assess our own leadership potential. To achieve these course goals, we will analyze real-world examples of good and poor leadership from around the world, compare across leadership cases, and assess leadership examples against theories of leadership in business, political science, history, and psychology. Class discussions, in-class simulations, short lectures, individual research projects, and oral presentations will inform our learning experience while reflection papers, individual research projects, individual oral presentations, and class participation will help gauge student learning.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1019
Upcoming
Shakespeare to Wall Street
Course Description
From Shakespeare to Wall Street: Management and the Liberal Arts
In this course, students will explore how a Liberal Arts education (e.g., critical thinking, ethical behavior, and society building) can serve to humanize business. We will draw on various business case studies, videos, academic readings, and leverage wisdom from three Shakespearean works, Hamlet, King Lear, and The Merchant of Venice. We will then apply our newfound lessons to various business contexts (as Wall Street is a metaphor for business writ large) with the hopes of promoting human ethical conduct, corporate responsibility, environmental sustainability, and human equality.
(Grove Nichols can be contacted at ggnichols2@gmail.com)
Grosvenor (Grove) Nichols graduated from Middlebury in 1971. He majored in English, played varsity hockey and tennis, and was a fraternity social chairman. He went on to get an MBA from Stanford and has had a career in banking and consulting, including starting a bank in Sacramento, California, and serving as its CEO for ten years. Grove is currently a ski instructor and tennis pro at Stratton Mountain./
Terms Taught
Requirements
Nonprofit & Civic Management
1) INTD 0101 “Law, Organizations, and Society”
2) INTD 0130 “Business Ethics”
3) INTD 0202 “The Diverse Workplace: Gender, Race, and the Modern Corporation”
4) INTD 0203 “Purpose, Profit, and Planet”
5) INTD 0209 “Big Data, Big Business, and Big Obligations”
6) INTD 0219 “Corporate Governance”
7) INTD 0258 “Healthcare in the US”
8) INTD 0303 “Capitalism & Its Criticisms”
9) INTD 0407 “Leadership”
10) INTD 1223 “Nonprofits & Civil Society”
11) INTD 1231 “Financial Literacy & Inequality”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0101
Law, Organization, and Society
Course Description
Law, Organization, and Society
In this course students will learn about the structure and function of the U.S.’s legal institutions and reflect on their impact on individuals, commerce, and society. Inherently interdisciplinary in nature, students will read books by sociologists and journalists, examine important case law, and gain perspective about the role that the legal system plays in our society. Students will consider the law’s role as an essential social institution that shapes and is shaped by society and social actors.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0116
Current
Upcoming
Accounting/Budgeting/Lib Arts
Course Description
Accounting, Budgeting, and the Liberal Arts
Accounting is the lingua franca of commercial and financial activity, and applies equally to corporations, non-profits, and governments. In this course we will learn the basic concepts and standards underlying the accounting language including: revenue recognition, inventory, long-lived assets, present value, long-term liabilities, and financial statements. We then turn to the application and use of accounting information in forecasting, operating, and measuring an enterprise. These managerial accounting concepts are used to develop budgets and evaluate results. Our understanding of accounting and financial statements is needed to understand how business interrelates with society. The major course project will be developing an Excel financial model; no prior Excel experience required. 3 hrs. lect., 3 hr. lab (not open to students who have taken INTD 0316).
Terms Taught
INTD 0130
Business Ethics
Course Description
Business Ethics
Capitalism and competitive markets are often considered the most efficient system of simultaneously maximizing private wealth and public good. In the real world, however, truly competitive markets do not exist. Imperfect markets have been made to work efficiently while protecting public good through systems of public intervention, i.e., laws and regulations, and voluntary self-restraint by business organizations in response to societal expectations. In this class we will consider the role of ethics in business, with students analyzing the process by which ethical norms and strongly held moral beliefs guide the conduct of economically driven business organizations. Students will reflect on business managers’ responsibility to their owners, i.e., shareholders, other stakeholders, and society-at-large. 3 hrs. lect./dsc
Terms Taught
INTD 0203
Purpose, Profit, and Planet
Course Description
Purpose, Profit, and Planet
In this course students will explore a question with deep implications for our society: do businesses have an ethical or social responsibility to move beyond the profit-maximization principle? If so, to what extent should businesses act as social institutions that shape the basic rules of society rather than simply reacting to them? By drawing on materials from social sciences, humanities, and the legal field, students will consider to what extent business should become part of the sustainable and planetary solution and what their ethical responsibility is to minimize their own harmful actions.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0209
Big Data & Big Obligations
Course Description
Big Business, Big Data, & Big Obligations
In this course we will examine the cultural, economic, ethical, and legal implications of, analytics, big data, and computation. Drawing on various disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences, students will read works relating to the science of data collection, aggregation, and analysis. Students will learn that with opportunities for both financial gain and social good (which big data brings) comes various perils, including privacy violations, disability/gender/racial discrimination, economic disruption, negative environmental spillovers, and political destabilization.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0258
Current
Healthcare in the U.S.
Course Description
Healthcare in the U.S.
At a time when achieving consensus on anything is close to impossible, nearly everyone agrees that our current health care system is broken. In this course we will explore the impediments to reforming health care in the United States, which by a variety of measures wastes approximately 25% of the country’s 3.8 trillion dollars spent annually. The goal in this course is not to argue a certain perspective. Rather, through readings and discussion of original sources, we will explore the complexities of our health care system, evaluate its attributes and failings, compare it with other systems around the world, and wrestle with questions posed by our current trajectory. We will explore how powerful interests—Big Pharma, insurance companies, hospital lobbyists, and physician guilds-- array to maintain the status quo despite clear evidence of alternative paths that would serve the greater good.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0303
Capitalism & Its Criticisms
Course Description
Capitalism & Its Criticisms
In this course we will explore the concept of capitalism and how it carries variegated meanings, which spans a wide range of societies and differing relationships between economic, political, and civic institutions within them. Students will have the opportunity to examine various forms and perspectives of capitalism which include contraband capitalism, racial capitalism, gendered capitalism, and scientific capitalism. We will also track how conceptions of capitalism have changed over time and globally. Primary and secondary works from the field of history, law, economics, philosophy, religion, and sociology will be incorporated to carry out the goal of the course which is to provide tools and perspectives that help students engage thoughtfully in these debates and to extend them into application in their own roles as engaged citizen, corporate, nonprofit, public, and entrepreneurial leaders.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0407
Current
Leadership
Course Description
Leadership
What is leadership, and what does good leadership require? In this course we will investigate these important questions, focusing on today’s world context. Examples from politics, business, and community organization around the world will guide our inquiry, help us evaluate the quality of leadership affecting us and others, and enable us to assess our own leadership potential. To achieve these course goals, we will analyze real-world examples of good and poor leadership from around the world, compare across leadership cases, and assess leadership examples against theories of leadership in business, political science, history, and psychology. Class discussions, in-class simulations, short lectures, individual research projects, and oral presentations will inform our learning experience while reflection papers, individual research projects, individual oral presentations, and class participation will help gauge student learning.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1231
Financial Literacy &Inequality
Course Description
Financial Literacy & Inequality
This course will apply an interdisciplinary approach to issues of financial literacy, financial exclusion, and financial inequality. Topics relating to the specified domains include intergenerational equity, retirement security, consumer debt, individual taxation, and economic development. These concepts provide a disciplined way of thinking about personal financial decisions while simultaneously framing how we think about retirement security and issues of financial equity writ large.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1233
Nonprofits & Civil Society
Course Description
Nonprofits & Civil Society
Nonprofit and civil society organizations of all types play a crucial and growing role in the economy. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States today. According to the Global Journal, there are more than 10 million nongovernmental organizations worldwide. As the nonprofit sector has grown in scope and size, both domestically and internationally, the boundaries between for-profit, governmental, and charitable organizations have become intertwined. In this course we will learn about the economics, history, governance, law, and structure relating to the nonprofit sector (also known as the Third Sector).
Terms Taught
Requirements
Environmental, Social, and Governance Oriented (ESG) Firms
1) INTD 0101 “Law, Organizations, and Society”
2) INTD 0130 “Business Ethics”
3) INTD 0202 “The Diverse Workplace: Gender, Race, and the Modern Corporation”
4) INTD 0203 “Purpose, Profit, and Planet”
5) INTD 0209 “Big Data, Big Business, and Big Obligations”
6) INTD 0219 “Corporate Governance”
7) INTD 0222 “Sustainable Finance”
8) INTD 0258 “Healthcare in the US”
9) INTD 0303 “Capitalism & Its Criticisms”
10) INTD 1233 “Nonprofits & Civil Society”
11) INTD 1231 “Financial Literacy & Inequality”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0101
Law, Organization, and Society
Course Description
Law, Organization, and Society
In this course students will learn about the structure and function of the U.S.’s legal institutions and reflect on their impact on individuals, commerce, and society. Inherently interdisciplinary in nature, students will read books by sociologists and journalists, examine important case law, and gain perspective about the role that the legal system plays in our society. Students will consider the law’s role as an essential social institution that shapes and is shaped by society and social actors.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0130
Business Ethics
Course Description
Business Ethics
Capitalism and competitive markets are often considered the most efficient system of simultaneously maximizing private wealth and public good. In the real world, however, truly competitive markets do not exist. Imperfect markets have been made to work efficiently while protecting public good through systems of public intervention, i.e., laws and regulations, and voluntary self-restraint by business organizations in response to societal expectations. In this class we will consider the role of ethics in business, with students analyzing the process by which ethical norms and strongly held moral beliefs guide the conduct of economically driven business organizations. Students will reflect on business managers’ responsibility to their owners, i.e., shareholders, other stakeholders, and society-at-large. 3 hrs. lect./dsc
Terms Taught
INTD 0202
The Diverse Workplace
Course Description
The Diverse Workplace: Gender, Race and the Modern Corporation
Knowing why and how to harness the power of human difference to facilitate human flourishing is a critical competency for leaders. In this course we will learn about the challenges and opportunities of diversity. This course has three components. First, students will explore ways humans can advance in the modern workplace and how the roles of people of all genders must evolve in order to do so. The second component centers on the issue of race in and at the organization/corporation (for-profit and not-for-profit). And the third component relates to how workplace diversity is a valuable and strategic asset to the modern corporation. Students will learn that organizations, too, are social actors. As such, issues of gender and race shape organizations and their ability to obtain cultural, political, and material resources they need to survive—the organizing process. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0203
Purpose, Profit, and Planet
Course Description
Purpose, Profit, and Planet
In this course students will explore a question with deep implications for our society: do businesses have an ethical or social responsibility to move beyond the profit-maximization principle? If so, to what extent should businesses act as social institutions that shape the basic rules of society rather than simply reacting to them? By drawing on materials from social sciences, humanities, and the legal field, students will consider to what extent business should become part of the sustainable and planetary solution and what their ethical responsibility is to minimize their own harmful actions.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0209
Big Data & Big Obligations
Course Description
Big Business, Big Data, & Big Obligations
In this course we will examine the cultural, economic, ethical, and legal implications of, analytics, big data, and computation. Drawing on various disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences, students will read works relating to the science of data collection, aggregation, and analysis. Students will learn that with opportunities for both financial gain and social good (which big data brings) comes various perils, including privacy violations, disability/gender/racial discrimination, economic disruption, negative environmental spillovers, and political destabilization.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0219
Upcoming
Corporate Governance
Course Description
Corporate Governance
In this course, students will learn about the topic of corporate governance with a focus on large publicly traded corporations. At the firm level, the importance of corporate governance is justified by the complexity of the contractual environment where owners (shareholders), executive managers, board of directors and other stakeholders interact. We will cover topics in ownership and control, managerial monitoring and compensation, the structure and diversity of the board of directors, and shareholder engagement and activism. Also, in the wake of various corporate scandals worldwide, the role of corporate governance codes and regulation in setting new standards and best practices is evident. We will look at the evolution of these corporate governance standards, both in the U.S. and internationally. (INTD 0120 and/or INTD 0217)
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0222
Current
Upcoming
Sustainable Finance
Course Description
Sustainable Finance
In this course we will posit the rationale for Sustainable Finance, which aims to facilitate business propositions and accelerate capital allocation to initiatives that benefit society, the environment, employees, customers, and investors alike. The starting point will be the traditional building blocks of finance. From these foundations, we will assess the impact of Sustainable Finance decisions on different societal crisis points (climate change, health pandemic, social inequality and injustice, financial crisis, etc.) The course will question what the individual can do, in the face of the sustainability crisis, through innovative (finance-driven) initiative. The course offering will be deeply anchored around project based learning principles, exploring innovative finance and sustainable framework solutions away from the singular focus of short-term financial profit maximization. (ECON 0265, INTD 0120, INTD 0217, or by instructor approval) 3 hrs. lect., 3 hrs. lab.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0258
Current
Healthcare in the U.S.
Course Description
Healthcare in the U.S.
At a time when achieving consensus on anything is close to impossible, nearly everyone agrees that our current health care system is broken. In this course we will explore the impediments to reforming health care in the United States, which by a variety of measures wastes approximately 25% of the country’s 3.8 trillion dollars spent annually. The goal in this course is not to argue a certain perspective. Rather, through readings and discussion of original sources, we will explore the complexities of our health care system, evaluate its attributes and failings, compare it with other systems around the world, and wrestle with questions posed by our current trajectory. We will explore how powerful interests—Big Pharma, insurance companies, hospital lobbyists, and physician guilds-- array to maintain the status quo despite clear evidence of alternative paths that would serve the greater good.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0303
Capitalism & Its Criticisms
Course Description
Capitalism & Its Criticisms
In this course we will explore the concept of capitalism and how it carries variegated meanings, which spans a wide range of societies and differing relationships between economic, political, and civic institutions within them. Students will have the opportunity to examine various forms and perspectives of capitalism which include contraband capitalism, racial capitalism, gendered capitalism, and scientific capitalism. We will also track how conceptions of capitalism have changed over time and globally. Primary and secondary works from the field of history, law, economics, philosophy, religion, and sociology will be incorporated to carry out the goal of the course which is to provide tools and perspectives that help students engage thoughtfully in these debates and to extend them into application in their own roles as engaged citizen, corporate, nonprofit, public, and entrepreneurial leaders.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1231
Financial Literacy &Inequality
Course Description
Financial Literacy & Inequality
This course will apply an interdisciplinary approach to issues of financial literacy, financial exclusion, and financial inequality. Topics relating to the specified domains include intergenerational equity, retirement security, consumer debt, individual taxation, and economic development. These concepts provide a disciplined way of thinking about personal financial decisions while simultaneously framing how we think about retirement security and issues of financial equity writ large.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1233
Nonprofits & Civil Society
Course Description
Nonprofits & Civil Society
Nonprofit and civil society organizations of all types play a crucial and growing role in the economy. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States today. According to the Global Journal, there are more than 10 million nongovernmental organizations worldwide. As the nonprofit sector has grown in scope and size, both domestically and internationally, the boundaries between for-profit, governmental, and charitable organizations have become intertwined. In this course we will learn about the economics, history, governance, law, and structure relating to the nonprofit sector (also known as the Third Sector).
Terms Taught
Requirements
Public Management & Public Policy
1) INTD 0101 “Law, Organizations, and Society”
2) INTD 0208 “Finance, Regulation, and Policy”
3 ) INTD 0209 “Big Data, Big Business, and Big Obligations”
4) INTD 0258 “Healthcare in the US”
5) INTD 0303 “Capitalism & Its Criticisms”
6) INTD 1233 “Nonprofits & Civil Society”
7) INTD 1231 “Financial Literacy & Inequality”
Courses offered in the past four years. Courses offered currently are as noted.
INTD 0101
Law, Organization, and Society
Course Description
Law, Organization, and Society
In this course students will learn about the structure and function of the U.S.’s legal institutions and reflect on their impact on individuals, commerce, and society. Inherently interdisciplinary in nature, students will read books by sociologists and journalists, examine important case law, and gain perspective about the role that the legal system plays in our society. Students will consider the law’s role as an essential social institution that shapes and is shaped by society and social actors.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0208
Current
Finance, Regulation, & Policy
Course Description
Finance, Regulation, and Policy
With recent financial scandals and crises, an important question is whether the finance industry should be regulated and should undergo further policy reforms. Many scholars and policy experts contend that the current system is simply not designed to make policy choices on behalf of the public. In this course we will explore current financial innovations (e.g., mutual funds, hedge funds, securitizations, cryptocurrencies, just to name a few) and potential policy options in order to protect “Main Street” from “Wall Street”. Additionally, we will explore the manner in which modern finance has grown out of powerful theories, both mathematical and psychological. 3 hrs. lect.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0209
Big Data & Big Obligations
Course Description
Big Business, Big Data, & Big Obligations
In this course we will examine the cultural, economic, ethical, and legal implications of, analytics, big data, and computation. Drawing on various disciplines in the humanities and the social sciences, students will read works relating to the science of data collection, aggregation, and analysis. Students will learn that with opportunities for both financial gain and social good (which big data brings) comes various perils, including privacy violations, disability/gender/racial discrimination, economic disruption, negative environmental spillovers, and political destabilization.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0258
Current
Healthcare in the U.S.
Course Description
Healthcare in the U.S.
At a time when achieving consensus on anything is close to impossible, nearly everyone agrees that our current health care system is broken. In this course we will explore the impediments to reforming health care in the United States, which by a variety of measures wastes approximately 25% of the country’s 3.8 trillion dollars spent annually. The goal in this course is not to argue a certain perspective. Rather, through readings and discussion of original sources, we will explore the complexities of our health care system, evaluate its attributes and failings, compare it with other systems around the world, and wrestle with questions posed by our current trajectory. We will explore how powerful interests—Big Pharma, insurance companies, hospital lobbyists, and physician guilds-- array to maintain the status quo despite clear evidence of alternative paths that would serve the greater good.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0303
Capitalism & Its Criticisms
Course Description
Capitalism & Its Criticisms
In this course we will explore the concept of capitalism and how it carries variegated meanings, which spans a wide range of societies and differing relationships between economic, political, and civic institutions within them. Students will have the opportunity to examine various forms and perspectives of capitalism which include contraband capitalism, racial capitalism, gendered capitalism, and scientific capitalism. We will also track how conceptions of capitalism have changed over time and globally. Primary and secondary works from the field of history, law, economics, philosophy, religion, and sociology will be incorporated to carry out the goal of the course which is to provide tools and perspectives that help students engage thoughtfully in these debates and to extend them into application in their own roles as engaged citizen, corporate, nonprofit, public, and entrepreneurial leaders.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 0407
Current
Leadership
Course Description
Leadership
What is leadership, and what does good leadership require? In this course we will investigate these important questions, focusing on today’s world context. Examples from politics, business, and community organization around the world will guide our inquiry, help us evaluate the quality of leadership affecting us and others, and enable us to assess our own leadership potential. To achieve these course goals, we will analyze real-world examples of good and poor leadership from around the world, compare across leadership cases, and assess leadership examples against theories of leadership in business, political science, history, and psychology. Class discussions, in-class simulations, short lectures, individual research projects, and oral presentations will inform our learning experience while reflection papers, individual research projects, individual oral presentations, and class participation will help gauge student learning.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1231
Financial Literacy &Inequality
Course Description
Financial Literacy & Inequality
This course will apply an interdisciplinary approach to issues of financial literacy, financial exclusion, and financial inequality. Topics relating to the specified domains include intergenerational equity, retirement security, consumer debt, individual taxation, and economic development. These concepts provide a disciplined way of thinking about personal financial decisions while simultaneously framing how we think about retirement security and issues of financial equity writ large.
Terms Taught
Requirements
INTD 1233
Nonprofits & Civil Society
Course Description
Nonprofits & Civil Society
Nonprofit and civil society organizations of all types play a crucial and growing role in the economy. According to the National Center for Charitable Statistics, there are more than 1.5 million nonprofit organizations in the United States today. According to the Global Journal, there are more than 10 million nongovernmental organizations worldwide. As the nonprofit sector has grown in scope and size, both domestically and internationally, the boundaries between for-profit, governmental, and charitable organizations have become intertwined. In this course we will learn about the economics, history, governance, law, and structure relating to the nonprofit sector (also known as the Third Sector).
Terms Taught
Requirements