School of Business

Business Essentials Courses

Business Essentials faculty teach courses that help all business majors develop core business and professional skills that are critical to your success as a student and beyond. Business Essentials courses introduce our EPIC approach and are part of the shared undergraduate business curriculum.

• Foundations of Business (BUSN 201)
• Winning Presentations (BUSN 225)
• Organizational Communication (BUSN 325)
• Mathematical Applications for Business (SCMA/BUSN 171)
• Differential Calculus and Optimization for Business (SCMA/BUSN 212)
• Legal Environment of Business (BUSN 323)
• Intercultural Communication (BUSN 329)

Studio BE

Be Prepared, Be Confident, Be Ready with Studio BE. 

All consultation appointments will be held via Zoom for the Fall 2020 semester. When we are all back in person, you will find Studio BE at 1212 Snead Hall. 

Studio BE offers on the spot solutions for business students to develop professional presence and polish. Don’t go it alone. A Business Peer Consultant is ready to help you with written and oral communication assignments, and business math classes. 

Studio BE peer consultations are available in 25-minute sessions from August 18th through November 24th. 

How to Schedule an Appointment

How to Schedule an Appointment for Presentation & Writing Consultations

• With your VCU credentials, log-in to Navigate, vcu.campus.eab.com

• Click on Appointments/Schedule an Appointment

• Click on Writing Consultation 

• In the next dropdown list, select the service you wish to sign up for, 

• School of Business Presentation Consultation

• School of Business Writing Consultation

• Location is Studio BE virtual
  
  
• Select the time and day of the appointment
  
  
• Check your VCU email for confirmation with the Zoom link

How to Schedule an Appointment for Math Consultations

• With your VCU credentials, log-in to Navigate, vcu.campus.eab.com

• Click on Appointment/Schedule an Appointment

• Click Campus Learning Center

• Individual Tutoring appointment, click next

• Select, location is Studio BE virtual 

• Select the time and day of the appointment

• Check your VCU email for confirmation with the Zoom link

 

Cancelation and No-Show Policy 

• If you are not able to attend, please cancel with at least 12-hours notice. This will allow for another student to sign-up for the timeslot.

• Cancellations made with less than 12-hours notice will be considered a No Show.

• Students who do not cancel or show up for a scheduled appointment are put on the No Show list. 

• First infraction: If you are listed as a No Show you will receive an email reminding you of the policy. 

• Second infraction: If you are listed as a No Show for a second time, you are no longer permitted to utilize the services at Studio BE for the remainder of the semester. You will receive an email alerting you of this and any subsequent appointments will be cancelled.

• Instructors may be notified of students on the no show list if attendance is a requirement. 

 

What to Expect

You can expect the same welcome and friendly service online that you’ve come to know in-person. 

 

• All consultation appointments will be held via Zoom for the Fall 2020 semester. Sign up for a Zoom account with your VCU credentials. Click here for more information about Zoom at VCU.

• The Zoom link will be included in the confirmation email sent to your VCU account.

• Peer consultants will meet you where you are in your process, from brainstorm to drafting, or dress rehearsal.

• Check-in for your appointment in Navigate.

• At the start of the appointment you and the consultant will go over your goals.

• The consultant will send you a feedback form in the chat to be completed in the last 5-minutes of the session. 

• The consultant will email you the notes from the session.

What We Expect

BE Prepared, BE Professional
Students often report that the experience could have been better if they were more prepared for the appointment. 

• Arrive on-time. Communicate with the consultant if you will be late. 

• More than 5 minutes late? Your instructor will be notified to determine if credit for attendance is awarded. The consultant will do the best they can to help you with the time allotted. The appointment will conclude at the scheduled time so you can complete the feedback form and they can prepare for the next appointment.

• Writing consultations: Check the confirmation email for instructions on submitting your assignment prior to your appointment.

• Be ready to read your written work aloud, or rehearse your presentation on your feet and out loud. The consultant will take notes and offer feedback. 

• If you are still in the brainstorming stage, consultants will ask questions to help you discover and craft your content. They will not craft content for you.

• Due to the nature of the work, we would like to replicate the in-person experience as much as possible. If you can, please  have your camera on during the appointment. If you are not able to have the camera on, no problem. The consultant will work with you through audio. 

Our Services 

 Services for students:

• Peer Writing Consultations via Zoom

• Peer Presentation Consultations via Zoom

• Peer Business Math Consultation via Zoom
  
  

Writing Consultation

Get one-on-one help from a peer consultant for your written assignments. From choosing a topic to perfecting your final draft, an experienced business major will guide you to success, 25 minutes at a time. If you need assistance with long reports or papers, please schedule two back-to-back appointments. This is not a proof-reading service. You are expected to read your work aloud to the peer consultant. Reading aloud is a tried and true practice that will help you identify errors and improve your writing skills.
**Note, if you are drafting a presentation, make sure to sign up for a presentation consultation. Writing consultations are for written assignments, reports, papers, etc.**

Consultants can help with: 

• Decoding what your professor expects

• Choosing and refining your topic 

• Locating information/conducting research 

• Strengthening your draft and organizing your thoughts 

• Implementing professor feedback

• Identifying grammar and mechanics issues that can cost you your grade

Visit as much as you need.

 *Special Note: A Studio BE consultant will email you your Zoom link shortly before your appointment. If you have not received the link 10 minutes before your appointment, please email studiobewrite@vcu.edu to receive the link.

Presentation Consultation

Work one-on-one with an experienced peer consultant to nail your next presentation. Get 25 minutes of personalized coaching as you develop and polish your content and visuals. Peer consultants will guide you through the process from start to finish. If the length of your presentation is 10-minutes or greater, schedule two back-to-back sessions. All teams/groups need to sign up for two back-to-back sessions.

You will be expected to rehearse your presentation aloud, as if you were presenting the real thing. Rehearsing aloud helps you identify what is working and what needs work. It also will help you learn your content to deliver with confidence. The consultants will not read through your outline or drafts. You will deliver your ideas to the consultants and they will take notes and offer feedback.

Be prepared to share your screen if you are working with a slideshow.

Consultants can help with: 

• Overcoming presentation anxiety

• Designing effective slides

• Speaking with authority 

• Brainstorming ideas

• Writing out your outlines

• Standing on your feet and presenting. 

Come back as often as you like.

 *Special Note: A Studio BE consultant will email you your Zoom link shortly before your appointment. If you have not received the link 10 minutes before your appointment, please email studiobespeak@vcu.edu to receive the link.

Math Consultation

Get one on one help with BUSN 171: Math Applications for Business, & BUSN 212: Differential Calculus. Don’t go at it alone. A trained peer consultant has successfully completed both courses and is ready to help work through problems with you and help you troubleshoot. Please come to the appointment prepared with your course materials and the problems you’d like help with. Keep in mind, sessions are only 25 minutes long. If you need more help, sign up for 2 back to back appointments.