Shorter University’s Robert H. Ledbetter College of Business is teaming up with Panera Bread franchise Breaking Bread Corporation (BBC) to initiate a yearly scholarship campaign for upper-level Marketing students. Panera Bread, BBC comprises 11 bakery-cafes in the metro-Atlanta area.

Each year, Shorter University Marketing students will have the opportunity to compete in a marketing/advertising plan competition to win one of four $500 scholarships to be awarded during the following academic year. The students will be given a marketing campaign topic from Panera Bread, BBC, and students create a strategic marketing campaign related to the theme.

The partnership will be launched in the Fall 2016 semester when members of the Panera Bread, BBC Management Team will visit the Shorter campus for a speaking engagement; the marketing scholarship competition will begin during the Spring 2017 semester.

“The Ledbetter College of Business is very grateful to have been presented with this opportunity to establish a partnership with Panera Bread, BBC,” said Interim Dean Heath Hooper. “Our students will benefit immensely from not only the marketing campaign but also hearing from professional management associates about the business world and what to expect after graduation. It is an excellent opportunity that our College of Business students will take full advantage of going forward.”

In addition, Panera Bread, BBC will also offer internship opportunities to Shorter’s Business Administration students and seek to connect them with potential job opportunities within the corporation.

“Students will have an opportunity to learn about the restaurant industry, and to put the management and marketing topics they’ve learned in the classroom to work in a practical setting,” Hooper said.

“I’m so excited about the partnership with Panera Bread, BBC,” said Nancy Mount, chair of the Marketing Department within the Ledbetter College. “This relationship will provide outstanding opportunities for our students to gain real-world experience while earning their degree.”

Since Panera Bread was founded, the company and its franchisees have been active participants in the communities in which it does business. In 1992, Panera established its national Operation Dough-Nation® program to formalize Panera’s commitment to community involvement.

Founded in 1873, Shorter University is a Christian university committed to excellence in education. The Princeton Review annually includes Shorter on its list of best Southeastern Colleges. Shorter University is a member of the Council of Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU). Shorter offers traditional bachelor’s degree program in 50 areas of study, online courses and degree programs, undergraduate programs for working adults, and four master’s programs. Shorter is online at www.shorter.edu.

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