Daily Skiff

The Neeley School of Business is in the process of restructuring its general business minor, the dean of the business school said.

Students who declare a business minor after spring 2008 will be under the restructured minor if the business school faculty, Undergraduate Council and University Council approve the changes by the end of this semester, said Bill Moncrief, senior associate dean of the Neeley School of Business.

The business school will also need university funding to hire more professors, said Dan Short, dean of the business school.

Students who declare a business minor before the summer may have the option of taking classes in the current or restructured minor to fulfill their requirements, Moncrief said.

Short said the business school will combine the basics of the courses to make them more applicable.

"We are trying to revamp the minor with the idea of providing students with what they need to know to start a career in business," Short said.

Classes in the restructured minor will have new course numbers and will be open only to business minors.

"Many of the same courses will be there; they will just be reconfigured," Short said.

The current business minor requires students to take six set classes, including two accounting classes. The restructured minor will require four set classes, only one of which will be accounting, and two of three business electives, Moncrief said.

"They're going to get a good overview of functional areas of business and go into depth with the electives," said Lynn Cole, assistant dean of undergraduate programs in the Neeley School.

Mike Haeg, a junior political science and business minor, said the restructured business minor will be beneficial because only the basics of the classes were important.

"It gives you a very good look at business without actually majoring in it," Haeg said.

The current business minor puts students in existing courses for business majors, however, the restructured minor will have courses specifically for business minors.

"It's not intended to be a watered-down business degree, but rather a complement to a broader liberal arts education," Short said.

Short said the restructured minor will have the same rigor as the current minor but students might perceive it as an easier minor because it will seem more relevant.

Administrators said they expect the restructured minor to increase the number of business minors, which is currently more than 500, Moncrief said.

Cole said the restructuring will alleviate overcrowding in business classes because business minors will have different classes than business majors. The restructured minor will help everyone involved because business minors will have more course options and business majors will have more focused classes, Cole said.

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