From Classroom To Community: NU Students Helping Habitat For Humanity, Buffalo Center For Arts & Technology
Students taking a management principles course at Niagara University are being presented with an opportunity to make a major difference in the community.
One section of MGT 271 is working with the Niagara Area Habitat for Humanity on a variety of tasks that will ultimately lead to the construction of a home for a family in need. The other class section is performing a study to help determine the feasibility of a satellite campus in Niagara Falls for the Buffalo Center for Arts and Technology.
Both projects are being coordinated through the Rev. Joseph L. Levesque, C.M. Institute for Civic Engagement, Niagara University’s center for community outreach.
Professor Mitchell Alegre runs the class as what he terms a “learning community,” with the students serving as project managers, and the Habitat for Humanity and BCAT as their clients. Alegre says that the assignments are intended to help the students learn through application – while upholding NU’s mission of service to others.
“I don’t want my students to simply learn about management; I want them to learn how to manage,” Alegre explains.