• USI The College of BusinessAdministration (COBA) helped students get ahead in their careers after graduation, but the real business of COBA was to prepare its students for their f uture as Christians in the workplace. COBA's Big Cedar Seminar, held annually in Branson, Mo., since 2004, provided the kind of leadership training for business students that would do JUSt that: allow students to develop Christian ethics in a world that dealt mostly in under-the-table exchanges and behind-the-back schemes. The COBA Leadership Seminar was a three-credit-hour class geared toward senior business students and directed by Allen Frazier. Twenty-five students attended the 2010 seminar. itious desire Tuesday night, when the students returned to Searcy. "This is a unique opportunity for our students to learn from the successes and failures of those who are in the business world right now," Frazier said. "We really strive to make the seminar a place where students can pose challenging questions in hopes that the answers will help them navigate the business world as a Christian and servant leader." Senior Marcy Hammons said the seminar helped her feel plugged into a larger community of alumni before she ventured out into the wide world of business and marketing. "The students are nominated by our faculty with an attempt to select students who have strong potential for leadership," Dr. Bryan Burks, the current dean of COBA, said. "I have always been impressed by these students." The students heard from several speakers, ranging from directors of banks and corporations to President David Burks. Networking, accounting and finance students meet with Harding business alumni in Ci:<orlotte, N.C. on Oct. 22. The Charlotte trip was Q new event for the business deportment this yeo} "The leadership seminar was an amazing opportunity for us students to access Harding's most valuable asset, its alumni base," Hammons said. "We were able to connect with some remarkably successful individuals who more importantly care enough to come back and share their experiences and pride in Harding University." Harding offered valuable global networking opportunities, but what was unique about Harding's business program was the faculty's commitment "The Big Cedar Seminar is particularly good because it allows students in a Covrtesy of Phillip Brown -:..:- :... to Christianity and their keeping the short period of time to focus in on the leadership strategies that work as they listen to alumni who have been very successful," Dean Burks said. The group focused on church leadership during the worship service on Sunday and continued the afternoon sessions until ~ business concepts "grounded in the Word of God," according to President Burks. "The real difference is the intentional effort to tie Christian ethics, or the Christian world view, with the world of business," Burks said. "I think the two go hand in hand." Gabrielle Prvitt COBA 185
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