The University of Nebraska–Lincoln College of Business received national recognition for giving first-year students an opportunity many business schools reserve for juniors and seniors. The Business Battle, the signature experience in the college's required Introduction to Business course, received the 2026 MidAmerican Business Deans Association (MABDA) Innovation in Business Education Award for Pedagogical or Curricular Innovations.
The association presented the award during its annual meeting July 26-28 in Chicago, where Laurie Miller, associate dean of undergraduate programs and curriculum, shared the college's approach with business school leaders from across the Midwest.
In announcing the award, Committee Chair Taggert J. Brooks, dean of the College of Business Administration at the University of Wisconsin–La Crosse, noted that the Business Battle "does more than describe a promising idea. It shows a serious attempt to improve business education in a way that is practical, transferable and tied to meaningful outcomes."
The Business Battle reflects the commitment of the Nebraska College of Business to maximize hands-on learning by bookending the core curriculum with large-scale signature experiences that connect students with industry professionals.
"We believe this early exposure to a business challenge with an industry partner in their first year accelerates their development and sets a new standard for undergraduate business education. They work alongside classmates, faculty and business professionals, learn how business decisions come together and discover they can contribute and communicate ideas from their very first semester," said Kathy Farrell, James Jr. and Susan Stuart Endowed Dean of the College of Business.
The Introduction to Business (MNGT 101) course introduces first-year students to every business discipline. Midway through the semester, a corporate partner visits class to introduce a business case. Student teams spend the remainder of the semester researching the opportunity, developing recommendations and refining presentations with guidance from upper-level peer coaches and volunteer business consultants before presenting their ideas during multiple rounds of competition.
In its inaugural academic year, Business Battle engaged 1,457 students, 26 peer coaches and 134 volunteer consultants representing 126 organizations from Nebraska and across the country. The scale of the experience allows every student in Introduction to Business to receive guidance from both an upper-level peer coach and a business professional before presenting recommendations.
"In the first half of the course, they explore every area of business, then bring those ideas together to develop recommendations for a company. That's when students begin to understand how the disciplines connect while giving them confidence to contribute much earlier in their college experience."
Many students begin the project convinced they don't know enough to contribute, explained Shawntell Kroese, instructor of Introduction to Business and assistant professor of practice in management.
"The first reaction from many students is, 'I don't know enough to do this,' A few weeks later, they're standing in front of business professionals explaining recommendations they created together. They leave knowing they're capable of more than they expected," Kroese said.
Finance major Sienna Thurman transferred into the College of Business in the spring semester and experienced Business Battle during her first semester in the college.
"It was a really good start to my business path and showed me I can do the things I need to be successful," Thurman said. "It applied all the concepts that we individually learned about in class and put them all together at the end of the class."
Jess Fernau, assistant director of experiential learning, coordinates the volunteer consultants and peer coaches who support the Business Battle.
"You don't have to be a CEO or have decades of experience to make an impact. Our consultants ask thoughtful questions, challenge students' thinking and encourage them as they develop their ideas. Those conversations help students grow while giving professionals a chance to invest in the next generation of business leaders," Fernau said.
The College of Business is recruiting volunteer consultants for this fall's Business Battle. Consultants commit about four hours between late October and mid-November, including two meetings with one student team. They ask questions, offer feedback and help students strengthen their recommendations before final Business Battle presentations. Meetings can take place in person or virtually. Training sessions will be offered Oct. 26 and 27, followed by consultant meetings with student teams on Oct. 30 and Nov. 18. Learn more or volunteer at https://go.unl.edu/101consultant.
