During the month of June, the halls of Owen Graduate School of Management were full of undergraduates eager to learn more about the world of business. This summer program, known as Accelerator, exposed students to business fundamentals with classes taught by Vanderbilt professors; they also had the opportunity to work on real-world consulting projects.
During the four-week course librarians from Walker Management Library were available to help students with a broad range of questions, from citations to intense research. The team of librarians also played a role in students’ presentations. Each week, Accelerator students presented on a different project, tackling a specific business question from their client. Librarians judged students on the quality of their information sources, clarity of citations, and continuity between the annotated bibliography and material on presentation slides. From this, students gained a greater understanding of how to conduct effective research, how good research can make you be more persuasive in your client pitch, and learned how librarians can help in student success – in academics and career.
“Judging Accelerator is a blast,” Business and Data Analyst Librarian Meredith Broadway said. “I’ve said this a lot the past four weeks, but Accelerator students are more poised and have greater research skills than I ever did at their age.” The process of judging was an enriching experience for the librarians. “Their presentations are fun to watch and judge because they’re all good,” Broadway said.
For more information on the Accelerator program, you can visit their website.