Faculty textbooks have global impact

  Wednesday, January 21, 2015 2:00 AM
  News

Pittsburg, KS

Their classrooms may be in Pittsburg, Kan., but faculty in the Kelce College of Business are touching students around the world. 

Textbooks written by Pittsburg State business educators have been adopted at universities throughout the U.S. and in several countries.

 University Professor Don Baack and Associate Professor Eric Harris, along with Don’s son, Daniel Baack, co-wrote an international marketing textbook that has been adopted at schools such as the University of Wisconsin, Glasgow University and the University of Bologna.

 Paul Grimes, dean of the KCOB, is a co-author of “Economics of Social Issues,” which is used at Purdue, Arizona State and the University of Massachusetts. 

University Professor Maeve Cummings co-wrote “Management Information Systems for the Information Age,” which is used at the University of Southern California, UCLA and New York University.

 The faculty authors said contributing to higher education on a global scale is just one of the benefits of writing textbook material.

 “Writing textbooks is a natural extension of teaching,” Grimes said. “Every time a student opens up your book, you’re teaching.”

 Harris said their works around the world also bring attention to the Kelce College of Business.

 “It is important for the Kelce College of Business to show that our work has an impact both nationally and internationally,” he said.

 Baack said writing textbooks also helps keep faculty members up to date in their fields.

 “The research involved keeps you engaged in the field,” he said. “You constantly come across concepts and best business practices that you can talk about in the classroom.”