Carthage celebrates the opening of the School of Business and Economics

More than 300 people attended the grand opening celebration for Carthage’s School of Business and Economics on April 5.

Keynote presenter Kunal Kapoor, CEO of Chicago-based Morningstar, raved about the value of a broad-based education. In his public address and a separate Q-and-A session with business student leaders, he emphasized the critical thinking chops and gritty determination that liberal arts graduates acquire.

Kunal Kapoor and Dean Jim Padilla speaking at the School of Business and Economics celebration. “It’s really easy to hire smart kids, but it’s really hard to find kids who can think for themselves,” he said. “We’ll look for critical thinking before the finance degree.”

The day’s events also included a roundtable discussion hosted by the College’s Business and Professional Coalition. Over 80 community leaders took part, offering input to help shape the new school’s educational vision.

The School of Business and Economics brings faculty from several thriving academic programs together under one umbrella. The new collaborative model promises to expand hands-on learning and pave the way for new programs and partnerships in emerging fields.

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