LHC 488: Business and the Public Policy Process

The Ross School of Business, in conjunction with The Washington Campus, offers a three-credit BBA course in Washington, D.C. in early May. Fees, transportation, and lodging are covered for students admitted to the course, who are designated as “Carson Scholars.”

• Carson Scholars Information Session - an information session for Junior BBAs interested in the May 2009 session will be held:
   
  • Thursday, November 6th at 4:30 PM in K1310
     
• Frequently Asked Questions  - in addition to the details listed below, read our Frequently Asked Questions for more information about the Washington Campus program.
   
• Apply to Attend - download the application to attend the 2009 Washington Campus. Applications are due Monday, November 10 at NOON.

The Washington Campus is a consortium of business schools at seventeen prominent U.S. universities, including the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Organized in 1978 by L. William Seidman (Michigan MBA, ’49) and other visionary academic and business leaders, the Campus was founded on the principle that understanding how government works is indispensable knowledge for all business leaders.

The Washington Campus course “Business and the Public Policy Process” is designed to provide students with the frameworks, concepts, and tools needed to incorporate the public policy dimension into managerial decision making and strategic planning.  The course focuses on Congress and the legislative process, the structure of the federal courts, the impact of judicial decision making on business, the federal regulatory process, the organization of the White House, the role of lobbyists and interest groups, and the role of the media in the public policy process.

1. Dates & Location:  The course is offered in Washington, D.C. and is scheduled for the week after Winter Term final examinations. This time was selected in order to avoid conflict with summer internships. In the past double and triple rooms have been reserved at a hotel within walking distance of the White House.
    
2. Cost: In 2005, David Carson (Michigan BBA, ’55) established a fund at the Ross School of Business that enables at least 50 BBA students to attend the course free of charge. Forbes magazine named Mr. Carson, the now-retired CEO of People’s Savings Bank in Bridgeport, Connecticut, as one of the 500 “most powerful people” in corporate America. Students admitted to the course are designated as “Carson Scholars.”
   
   The Thomas C. Jones Center for BBA Education has contributed funds to cover transportation by bus from Ann Arbor to Washington, D.C. (if there is sufficient interest) and hotel expenses. The course is closely aligned with the goals of the Jones Center. As Thomas Jones (Michigan BBA ’68, MBA ’71) noted in establishing the Center: “I want the Ross School to take undergraduate education to a new level, to develop the leadership the nation needs in government and business.” Mr. Jones embodies this goal, as he served in leadership positions in government as Michigan Commissioner of Insurance and in business as President of CIGNA Retirement & Investment Services.
   
   Because fees, transportation and lodging are covered by the Carson fund and the Jones Center, students are responsible only for meal expenses. Students who elect not to travel by bus to and from Ann Arbor and Washington must pay their own transportation costs.
    
3. Faculty: The faculty director is Professor George Siedel. Professor Siedel received a Thurnau Professorship from the University of Michigan for contributions to undergraduate education. He has served as Visiting Professor at the Stanford and Harvard business schools and on the Law Faculty at Cambridge University. As a Fulbright Scholar, Professor Siedel has held a Distinguished Chair in the Humanities and Social Sciences. He represents the Ross School of Business on The Washington Campus Board of Directors and has been admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court.
   
   Lecturers in the course include current and former government officials—for example, members of Congress, senior White House and Congressional staff, regulatory and cabinet agency executives, journalists, business executives, political professionals, and representatives of advocacy organizations. The course includes site visits to various government buildings, such as the Federal Reserve.
    
4. Registration Information:  Students must complete and submit an application form to enroll in the course:
    
   • Applications for the 2009 session are due Monday, November 10th at NOON. (To complete the application form electronically, SAVE the word document to your computer, complete the application, SAVE again, and attach the file to your email message along with your resume.)

   Admission decisions are announced before the Thanksgiving break. Admitted students add the class when registering for Winter Term courses (This course is included in the 18-credit-hour limit for the Winter Term.) Admitted students must submit a form that includes parental consent for students who are not self-supporting. Students not admitted to the course will be placed on a waitlist. Please note that to obtain security clearance for days when the class meets with senior government officials, members of Congress, and others in official government offices, the application form requires your Social Security Number - or passport if you are a non-US citizen - and date of birth.

For More Information:  Be sure to read our handout of Frequently Asked Questions about the Washington Campus program. If you have additional questions, please contact Katie McCartney, BBA Student Advisor at kmccart@umich.edu, or (734) 615-7395.