The project’s purpose was to provide students with an in-depth exposure to the retail sector.  This exposure was to be presented through the customization of two separate classes - Principles of Business (GEB 1011) and Microeconomics (ECO 2023).  This interdisciplinary approach has the potential to provide the students with an enriched understanding, both academic and real world, of this critical industry. 
How the project was accomplished:
Course structure:    Instead of creating a learning community which would require students to register in both courses. We sought to create a synergy between students in two separate classes. This model was a viable alternative to that of a learning community. Students were either in Principles of Business (GEB 1011) or Microeconomics (ECO 2023). 

1. Syllabi:  Each professor prepared a customized syllabus for her course.  The syllabus contained information on the project and the students’ role in it.
2. Visiting Professors:  In order to better understand the retailing industry, as well as to provide a multidisciplinary approach, each faculty member would visit the other’s class to lecture on pertinent material to retailing.
1. Professor Rosenthal:  As an expert on marketing and advertising, she visited the ECO 2023 Microeconomics course.  In her presentations, Professor Rosenthal taught students about advertising and its role in consumer demand and expectations and discussed market segmentation within the retail industry.  As part of her presentation, Professor Rosenthal brought to light the marketing side of the industry and how it influences market demand and supply.
2. Professor Mari:  As an expert on economics, visited the GEB 1011 Principles of Business course.  In her presentation, Professor Mari discussed the factors that influence consumer demand and discussed how these factors are used by the retailing industry to encourage buying.  In her second presentation, Professor Mari discussed the different types of markets, specifically monopolistic competition, and how such influences the actions among retailers.

Pre and Post Test:  Students in both courses were given a quiz on the retail industry.  The quiz was given on the first day of the course and collected by the instructors.  Quiz results were analyzed by the faculty and used to determine the starting point for their lectures and presentations.  At the end of the semester, the same instrument was given and the results were again tabulated.   Students taking the pretest scored on average 61% of the questions correct.  Students in GEB 1011 did not score significantly different from the students in ECO 2023, thus allowing us to realize that students in both courses came into the semester with the same information about retailing.   The post test revealed that students in both courses scored over 84% of the questions correct.  Though the students in the GEB 1011 scored on average higher than the ECO 2023 students, the difference was not significant.  Therefore, students did demonstrate a higher level of learning about the retailing industry as a result of the project.

Joint class meetings:  Students in both courses met regularly throughout the semester to discuss retailing
 issues and in the preparation of their case studies. The final joint meeting was for the presentation of the case study to both classes.

1. Case Studies:  Students in both courses were expected to conduct discussions and research surrounding a case study in the retail industry.  The cases were selected to reflect a variety of issues facing retailers today.  Instead of having students in groups by course, the groups were a composed of 50% of students from GEB and 50% of students from ECO.  The creation of these mixed groups became the agent for the synergy that occurred.  Why the mixed groups?  We believed that the students from each course would bring a different perspective to the case study and by mixing the groups they could explore differences.  Students were encouraged to meet outside of the joint meetings to complete their presentations and discuss their case.  Most groups later stated that they met at least twice to accomplish this.

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