The Paul R. Carter College of Business Administration will host its annual Faith and Business Symposium today, beginning at 9 p.m. The symposium includes lectures in classrooms on the first floor of the business building.

This year’s Faith and Business Symposium comes at an opportune time as COBA continues to develop its Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business that will officially begin in the fall of 2016 according to Allen Frazier, dean of COBA. COBA uses the return of alumni for Homecoming to its advantage during the symposium.

“One of the things we have going this year is several of our alumni that are coming back run their own businesses,” Frazier said. “Part of the highlights of this year’s symposium is the several speakers throughout the day that are entrepreneurial focused.”

As COBA seeks to expand interest in the Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Business, the Faith and Business Symposium provides a great opportunity to spark business students’ interest in entrepreneurshi according to Frazier.

“I look at the names of speakers here and I see a lot of people that have started their own businesses or have had their hands in entrepreneurship,” senior Austin Yates said. “I think that’s a really big deal because in entrepreneurship it’s as much about who you know as it is the product or the service you want to provide.”

The wealth of experience that Harding alumni offer is one of the unique and important aspects of the Faith and Business Symposium according to Yates. Students attending the symposium are able to hear real-life examples of COBA’s desire to integrate business and missions and have the opportunity to network with alumni.

“It is very important that those (students) about to launch into their chosen careers know that so many others who have left here as a new grads have been able to balance work and life commitments and expectations through integrating their faith throughout every aspect of the life away from Harding,” Professor of Accounting, Phil Brown, said.

Frazier said that the symposium is open to students of any major that seek perspective on balancing work and family or are interested in learning more about entrepreneurial pursuits.

“There are people that are going to be in the medical sciences, graphic design and other places who are going to run their own businesses someday, so there may be some of these entrepreneurship topics that will be interesting to students outside of the business building,” Frazier said.

For more information about the Faith and Business Symposium and to pick up a schedule of the lectures, visit the main office in the Mabee Business Building.