Students don't just learn from textbooks and professors at the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Savannah State University. As part of the school's focus on businesscommunity integration, several students spent their summer vacations working on a real-life, community-based strategic marketing and operational plan that is now being utilized by the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum in historic downtown Savannah.

Dr. William Jamerson, museum board vice chair, approached SSU in the hopes of getting a "blueprint" for a plan to market the museum. "Our main objective was to raise some capital. As a result of that, Professor Antoinette Scaringi volunteered and stepped up. Her vision was far greater than what we had ever imagined," he said.

Antoinette Scaringi, Visiting Professor at the COBA, said she didn't just want to implement a strategy, but actually show her students how to make it happen. "Through her persistence, dedication, and inspiration, she motivated a sufficient number of students to gets this ready much sooner than we ever imagined," Jamerson said. "They put together a wonderful, extremely professional packet that allowed us to venture out into areas we never had before."

Dr. Jamerson said the COBA students¿ work is a classic example of using real life experiences to supplement classroom learning. He said the museum would welcome more opportunities to do things like this. "This is just one way students from local colleges can support the community," he said.

Professor Scaringi said she knew the experience would be challenging yet positive. "In class I remind students to apply textbook theories to real life business applications," she said. "This was an opportunity for them to see, in real life, what really happens."

The summer months were spent working hard and balancing schedules, and not all the students who originally signed up made it all the way to the end. "I led the team similar to a work environment; if you don't show up and you don't do the work, you're fired," she said.

The result: "Students received an additional level of education," Professor Scaringi said. "I think this is the best kind of credit¿ they can obtain; the experience and the exposure they received are invaluable to their education. Students will receive a notation on their transcripts, indicating their contribution to this project." She also pointed out this is the type of business community integration promoted and championed by the college's President E. Yarbrough and COBA Dean Dr. Mostafa Sarhan.

The marketing students agreed it was an invaluable addition to their college education. "I know that this experience will help me greatly and it gives me more confidence to look for a job when I graduate," said Shanna Copeland. "I would do it all over again, because I know it will one day pay off when I look for a job and can say I have some real life experience in my field," added Felecia Wyatt.

Another aspect of the marketing plan was to identify additional revenue sources that would ultimately achieve more notoriety. "My intent as part of the bigger scope was to open up all avenues to get the maximum exposure of the museum to the community both locally and to visitors," Professor Scaringi said. "I can say, with confidence, many people who were not aware of the museum before now have a greater awareness."

Before the end of September, the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum will be opening a new annex building, connected to the museum but open for the community to host events ranging from weddings to Christmas parties to hightech business meetings. A gala opening will be held sometime in October to allow the community to see the space and learn more about what the museum has to offer. The annex will be able to seat 300 people and offers kitchen facilities.

The Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum was recently named "Georgia's Best New History Museum" by the Georgia Journal. The museum is named in honor of the late Dr. Ralph Gilbert, who is known as the father of Savannah's modern day Civil Rights Movement and was a leader of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

The museum chronicles the civil rights struggle of the state¿s oldest African American community from slavery to the present. Three floors display beautiful pho- tographs and interactive exhibits of significant civil rights sites and events, a lunch counter where sit-ins occurred, and video presentations.

To find out more about the Ralph Mark Gilbert Civil Rights Museum, scheduling a field trip or educational talk, or about becoming a museum member, stop by the museum on Martin Luther King Boulevard, open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday, or call 912-231-8900 or visit http://www.sip.armstrong.ed u/CivilRightsMuseum/info.h tml.

Out of more than 5,000 business schools around the world, the College of Business Administration is one of 554 schools accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. The college received the prestigious AACSB accreditation in 2005 and since then, has shown tremendous growth on campus and within the surrounding business community. Through innovative instruction, mentoring, applied research, and community involvement, the college fully develops business graduates who can compete effectively in the public and private sectors.

To find out about getting involved with the College of Business Administration for a community project, or for additional information about the college and any of its upcoming programs and events, please visit http://coba.savstate.edu/tikiindex. php or contact Ms. Yakima Buckner at (912) 356-2335.

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