A Ball State marketing class is teaming up with one of the nation's leading financial companies to urge students to wisely manage their credit cards.

Citi Cards, the largest issuer of credit cards, is working with 24 students in a senior-level class taught by Tom Baird, a professor in the management and marketing department, to create a campaign to educate the campus community about the proper use of credit.

The company has provided the class with $2,500 to fund a research study and start the campaign later this semester. As part of the project, students also will attempt to raise awareness of the corporation and its services.

"This is an opportunity for our students to get first-hand experience in working with a major corporation," Baird said. "In the past, my class has used a fictional firm to develop a marketing campaign. The campaign to educate students and the public about how to properly use credit opportunities is a strong one."

"We are excited about offering this opportunity to students," said Amer Sajed, senior vice president of Citi Cards. "Research tells us students want to be responsible and learn the ABC's of credit, and we're pleased to have students help themselves to accomplish this."

Citi representatives came to Ball State from New York in early September to review the project with Baird's students, who have already collected 300 surveys. The students and Citi representatives will conduct a videoconference next month to review the marketing campaign.

"Our students should learn a great deal by both developing and then actually doing the campaign on campus among their fellow students," said Brien Smith, chair of the marketing and management department in the Miller College of Business. "In the end, the corporation's officials will return to campus to evaluate the campaign, providing our students with an insight into the corporate world. That feedback should give them a clearer picture of how the corporate world works."   

Ball State was selected by Citi for the project through EdVentures Partners, a marketing and consulting company based in Berkeley, Calif., that sets up reciprocal relationships between industry and education. Ball State is one of three public universities in the state to work with EdVentures.

About Citi

Citi, or Citi Cards, is a member of Citigroup (NYSE: C). Citigroup, the preeminent global financial services company, has some 200 million customer accounts and does business in more than 100 countries. The company provides consumers, corporations, governments and institutions a broad range of financial products and services, including consumer banking and credit, corporate and investment banking, insurance, securities brokerage and asset management. Major brand names under Citigroup's trademark red umbrella include Citibank, CitiFinancial, Primerica, Smith Barney, Banamex, and Travelers Life and Annuity.