At Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s College of Business Administration (CBA) and Singelyn Graduate School of Business (SGSB), teaching excellence is not just an aspiration—it’s a community effort. This year, the college is proud to introduce the Dean’s Teaching Seminar Series (DTSS), a faculty-led initiative designed to spotlight innovative teaching practices and spark conversation across disciplines.
The idea is simple: share your expertise, inspire your colleagues, and lead the conversation. But the impact is much bigger. By creating a regular space for faculty to present their teaching strategies and classroom experiments, the series builds a culture of reflection, collaboration, and discovery. The concept and necessity of the DTSS stems from Dr. Maha Ghosn, DTSS director, and lecturer for the International Business and Marketing Department, who believes that great teaching creates great leaders.
Ghosn sought out leadership support for this initiative from Singelyn Family Dean Sandeep Krishnamurthy, who immediately recognized the value of her vision and supports the DTSS wholeheartedly. “The future of business education will not be defined by what we teach, but by how boldly, creatively, and compassionately we choose to teach today,” says Ghosn. At its heart, DTSS champions the belief that excellent teaching is the cornerstone of preparing students to thrive in a rapidly changing business landscape.
“Business education today can’t just be about transferring knowledge,” the call for proposals reads. “It must cultivate critical thinking, adaptive problem-solving, and principled decision-making.” That philosophy is central to DTSS, which embraces Cal Poly ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½’s signature “Become By Doing” approach. Or, as faculty like to joke, it’s also “teach by doing”—with plenty of opportunities to test, tweak, and reimagine what works best in the classroom.
Fall 2024: Innovation and Industry Integration
The first DTSS season launches this fall with a lineup that blends creative teaching methods with real-world business challenges. Faculty from across departments will take the stage to demonstrate how they engage students, integrate industry, and even play a few live games.
- Tuesday, 09/16/2025, 11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, 09/23/2025, 11:30 a.m.
- Tuesday, 11/18/2025, 11:30 a.m.
These sessions are designed for full-time and part-time faculty, primarily. Selected staff are welcome, and selected students may also be invited from time to time, but the focus for the DTSS centers around fresh approaches for faculty educators.
Spring 2026: Community and Collaboration
The spring series will turn the spotlight on community engagement and experiential pedagogy. Presenters will highlight how service-learning, teamwork, and hands-on projects can connect classrooms to communities and make business education even more impactful.
- Thursday, 02/19/2026, 11:30 am
- Thursday, 03/19/2026, 11:30 am
- Thursday, 04/23/2026, 11:30 am
For questions, contact Maha Ghosn, DTSS director, at mghosn@cpp.edu