NIU Marketing Professor Rick Ridnour says that students who have taken his Principles of Selling class usually report an increased confidence. Last semester he learned that many of his students also report great confidence in him.
Ridnour, Enterprise Rent-A-Car Professor of Sales, was voted favorite business professor by many NIU students in the 2007 BusinessWeek student survey, the results of which were included in the magazine’s evaluation of best undergraduate business schools in the nation.
Students who voted for Ridnour cited his "interactive and hands-on teaching style," which involves putting students in his Principles of Selling class through role-play assignments that challenge them to put the concepts they’ve learned into action.
The class's final assignment is no exception. Seated across from another classmate, each student is required to individually execute the process of selling learned throughout the semester. From the introduction to creating value, the entire enterprise is broadcast via live video to the rest of the classmates, who evaluate the student’s performance from another room.
While part of Ridnour’s popularity among students lies in the experiential learning opportunities he provides, his appeal might also be due to the fact that he doesn’t simply talk the talk; many of the real-world lessons he shares with students are drawn from his own career experiences in the fields of banking, real estate and sales.
He is also respected by many of his students for the support he provides beyond the classroom, often placing calls to companies’ human resources departments and putting in a few good words to his personal industry contacts in order to help students land internships and jobs.
“I get tremendous satisfaction from witnessing the personal and professional development of my students,” Ridnour said.
Ridnour is the recipient of the NIU Presidential Teaching Award, NIU's Excellence in Teaching Award (both college and departmental levels) and the 2006 NIU Student Choice Award.
- Abby Nall, NIU Public Affairs
- Photos by Bob Banke, NIU Media Services