Through Service-Learning, Business
Professor Instills Social Responsibility
“The challenge facing business schools today,” said Joan
Ball, Ph.D., Assistant Professor of Marketing, “is how to
prepare future global business leaders who are socially responsible
as well as profit-oriented. I can think of no better way of doing
this than by incorporating Academic
Service-Learning (ASL) into business courses and connecting
marketing principles with experiential learning in the nonprofit
arena.”
Academic Service-Learning, which consists of course-related
volunteer activities, is central to the University’s Vincentian
mission. ASL is being integrated into a growing number of courses
across all disciplines.
Dr. Ball joined The Peter
J. Tobin College of Business (TCB) at St. John’s in 2007, after
nearly 17 years in marketing and public relations. “My background
positioned me to embrace the focus on service-learning,”
she said. “I was drawn to the opportunity of being able to provide
students with valuable, hands-on professional experience by having
them work with community organizations.”
With the help of the University’s Vincentian Institute for Social
Action (VISA), Dr. Ball identified community nonprofits whose
marketing needs dovetailed with the content of her courses. She
then introduced a series of ASL initiatives into her Service
Marketing, Principles of Marketing, Marketing Management and Sales
Promotion classes — which have earned praise from students as well
as administrators.
“We nominated Dr. Ball for the
Ernest A. Lynton Award for the Scholarship of Engagement for Early
Career Faculty,” said Jessica Cook, Associate Director of ASL.
“We were impressed by her ability to teach and empower students
while providing marketing support to the University’s community
partners,” said Cook. She was referring to City Harvest, Intermediate
School 49 (IS49) and Our Lady of Trust Academy. Colleges and
universities nationwide nominate professors for the award, which is
annually presented to one pre-tenure faculty member.
In addition, Dr. Ball received TCB’s 2011 John Dobbins Service
Award and the student-determined Excellence in Teaching and
Mentoring Award, sponsored by the Office of Residence Life at the Staten
Island campus. Tin Tran ’12TCB submitted her name for the second
award. “I thought her Service Marketing and Principles of Marketing
classes were transformational,” said Tin, who presented the award
to Dr. Ball at the 2012 Senior Dinner.
Dr. Ball divides her classes into small, autonomous consultancies
that develop campaigns for clients — the nonprofit groups that
serve as St. John’s community partners. This approach replicates
conditions students will face as marketing professionals. “We had
to make important decisions on our own,” said Tin. “But we also
pulled together to get our work done.”
Acting as professor and “chief marketing officer,” Dr. Ball
provides guidance while letting students make their own decisions.
“I give them the freedom to set up and conduct client meetings, run
focus research groups, do market research and determine the scope
of their work,” she said. “Agency executives rarely tell their
teams precisely what to do.”
Her students not only met the challenges but performed with
distinction. “I am gratified that our clients adapt so many of
their recommendations,” said Dr. Ball. “Being able to list these
achievements on their résumés has helped students land competitive
marketing positions. These projects helped set them apart.”
In September, Dr. Ball will begin teaching Advertising Research,
readying students to participate in the annual National Student
Advertising Competition. She expects to continue incorporating
ASL principles into her teaching.
“ASL’s combination of experiential and theoretical learning offers
the most effective framework for educating future business
leaders,” she said. “It also embodies St. John’s Vincentian and
Catholic values, helping to develop business practitioners who are
ethical, compassionate and socially conscious.”