What happens during the summer in the Graduate School of Business?

I thought I would take this opportunity to let you know what is going on in the Graduate School of Business (GSB) during the summer.

In admissions - we are still accepting late applications for the Master of Accountancy and for the Master of Information Systems (both full and part time). We are also still accepting applications for the part-time MBA program. If you are interested in any of these master's degree programs, we need all application materials by July 31. Go to: http://gsb.uark.edu/622.asp for a complete list of requirements. You can apply online and your resume and essays can be emailed to me at gsb@walton.uark.edu.

Also, since our application deadline for the MBA is not until September 15, we are also processing MBA apps this summer. As I have mentioned previously, applications for the full-time program are up significantly. All full assistantships (full tuition waivers) have been awarded. We do still have a limited number of partial assistantships available. To be considered for this funding, you need to complete the application process as soon as possible.

During the summer months, for MBA and MMBA, we will be doing a monthly review of completed applications. For the other programs, they are reviewed as they are completed.

What else am I doing? Summer is my chance to work on projects. Last year I worked on new recruiting brochures and getting our office started on going paperless. This involves scanning all of our student records and storing them electronically. The GSB also began working on the new website. I have to say that I did not help much in this area; I proved to be incredibly incompetent when it came to web design.

Well, this summer my big project is a new CRM system and finishing the scanning. Thankfully we have help with the scanning. Some of our current students who are on GA over the summer are spending a few hours helping us get this huge job done.

What is a CRM? It is a Customer Relationship Management system. I store all prospective student info in a database. This is how I keep track of who is interested in what program and how I met them, etc. I send email messages letting them know of upcoming events and deadlines. Well, it's time for an overhaul and that is what I'll be working on for the next couple of months. I am actually excited. This new system will allow me to keep in touch with our prospective students much better.

That tells you what the admissions side of the GSB is doing this summer. I'll fill you in on what the rest of the office is doing next time.

A Day at the Park

As previously mentioned, last weekend was a long one for me. Not only was Monday a holiday, but I also took Thursday and Friday off. Part of Saturday was spent at the park with my 5 year old son, Jack. Fayetteville has many great parks. Wilson Park is just off campus and is where we went on Saturday. Here are a few pictures of us enjoying the nice day.

Here is Jack enjoying the slide and playing some football.


Wilson Park is a very nice park and there are always families enjoying a picnic, maybe even cooking out, and relaxing. Dogs are also a familiar sight here.
This is my favorite picture. There is nothing better than swinging. I don't care how old you are!

Back at work after a long weekend.

This is my first day back in the office since last Wednesday. Well, my first full day since I did meet a student here yesterday. She was in town for the holiday weekend, visiting friends. She wanted to meet to discuss the Master of Accountancy. The visit went well so I hope she will be applying for next year's class - to begin in fall 2010.

Yesterday the Walton College held a Staff Development Day. We met off-site to regenerate, brainstorm, and enjoy time together out of the office. This is important and it always helps me really appreciate what a great place the Walton College is. The Walton College is the 24th ranked (by U.S. News & World Report) public school of business in the nation. This does not happen by itself. It takes a dedicated, hard-working team of staff and faculty.

This last Monday was Memorial Day. For my international readers, this is a holiday in which we (Americans) honor those who have died for our country. The University was closed on Monday and since I also took last Thursday and Friday off, I have had a very nice, long weekend. I did take some pictures at the park on Saturday but I forgot to bring my camera. I'll share them tomorrow.

Now I am back in the office and my main priority today is to catch up on my email. I will prevail.

The Good News and the Bad News

It's time for a little dose of reality. I know, no fair. Over the last two days I have provided info about the great Walton graduate assistantships and internships. That was the good news. Now it's time for the bad news.

There has been an unprecedented increase in MBA applications this year. For example, at the first admissions committee meeting last year, we admitted 12 students and this year, same time, we admitted 22. Of these 22 offers of admission, 19 have accepted.

In January of 2009, we enrolled 37 new MBA students. We have been slowly growing the program each year as our applicant pool has grown. My original goal for January of 2010 was 40-42. We are realistically now looking at a class of 45. We plan for the program to reach a maximum class size of 50.

While the number of enrolled students is growing, it doesn't necessarily mean that the number of assistantships is also. The number of assistantships we have available each year is directly dependent upon the needs of our corporate partners.

So, to summarize all of this wonderful news - due to the current economic situation of this country, it is a very good time to consider graduate school. Hence, MBA applications are on the rise. This means programs are more competitive and therefore, funding in these programs is also more competitive.

Our final application deadline is September 15. However, I do not recommend waiting until that deadline if you are seeking an assistantship. Submit all application materials as soon as possible. Our plan is to review completed folders monthly over the summer. To see a complete list of admissions requirements, go to: http://gsb.uark.edu/622.asp.

To end on a positive note, the funding provided by the Walton College to its graduate students is very generous and not typical of graduate programs. Most MBA programs offer limited, if any, finanial assistance to their students.

I will be out of the office beginning tomorrow, Thursday, May 21st and not returning until Wednesday, May 27th. Return next week for new and exciting posts.

Walton Graduate Assistantships

As promised, today I am going to tell you about our Graduate Assistantships (GA). For the MBA, there are two tiers. The Tier 1 GA waives tuition and provides a stipend of $2500 each semester for a total of $7500. The tier 2 GA waives out-of-state tuition, provides the same stipend of $2500, plus a scholarship of $2500 for a total of $10,000. Students on the tier 2 do pay in-state tuition. In return, these students work 15 hours each week. Many are able to work off campus.

We have several companies in the Northwest Arkansas area who hire our GAs. There are over 300 Fortune 500 companies in Northwest Arkansas so our students have great opportunities. The companies who want to hire our GAs are given current resumes by our Career Development Center; they decide who they want to interview, and they will decide who they want to hire. Students who are not hired by an off-campus company will be placed on campus within the Walton College.

Recent companies who have hired our GAs or interns are:

Dannon
Dial
FedEx
Frito Lay
Hershey
Kellogg
KingKing USA
Land O'Lakes
Mars
Novartis
NPD Group
Procter and Gamble
Saatchi & Saatchi X
Sunbeam
Sam's Club
Tyson
Walmart

This list grows and changes each year depending on the company's needs. Approximately 30-34 students receive GAs each year. Last January, 37 new students were admitted and next January, we are expecting a class of 40-45. Most students are on assistantship.

Question: What do MBA students do over the summer?

Answer: Walton MBA students either study abroad or do an internship. This a very important component of our MBA program. This new program was rolled out in January of 2007. Prior to this, Walton College had a one year accelerated MBA program. It was decided we wanted to accomplish more, add more value to our program. The full-time MBA program was redesigned into a three semester program with a summer internship. Our third class just stared and the GSB is working on getting the fourth class admitted.

This summer internship has ended up being an incredibly valuable and important component of our program. Approximately half of our MBA students do not have a background in business. Also, we do admit a small percentage of students without work experience. Graduating with an MBA with limited work experience can make placement quite challenging. The internship greatly increases our students odds of placement. Our Career Development Center plays a very important role in this process. Our students will typically work 10-12 weeks with occasional exceptions where their placement is shorter in duration. Students who complete the Walton MBA do so with added work experience on their resume.

For those students entering the program with many years of work experience, study abroad is an option. There are several programs that are designed and led by Walton faculty. Students can also find their own study abroad as long as it is given approval by the MBA Director, Dr. Alan Ellstrand.

So, for the Walton MBA program, no summer coursework. Our students usually work. A few will do a study abroad which will have a classroom component. The summer portion of the program is designed to add valuable experience to classroom learning by allowing our students to apply in real-life situations the new knowledge they have gained. It will also add more value to their future courses. Finally, this summer internship adds significantly to their odds of being placed after graduation.

Walton MBA students are getting hired. Even in this economy with MBA hiring down nationwide, we are seeing success. This is due to many factors, one being the summer internship. Another is our graduate assistantship program. I'll tell you more about that tomorrow.

It's picture day

Today is the first class in the MMBA summer session. The summer schedule is: May 16, June 6, June 27, and July 11. I am usually not here during these days but today we are taking the graduating class photo. The MMBA students who are graduating in July are having their group picture taken today at lunch. The schedule on these class days is: breakfast 7:30-8, class 8-12, lunch 12-1, class 1-5. For this group, after today, they only have 3 more days of class. I know they have mixed feelings about this. I have heard them say that whereas they will be relieved to be finished with class, they will also miss seeing their classmates each month. The groups really do bond.

Since close ties are formed during graduate school, we have begun holding a Summer Social. Our 2nd Annual MBA Summer Social will be held Friday, July 10, 6:00-8:00 at Powerhouse in Fayetteville. This event is for current, former, and prospective MBA students. This event is held annually and it gives our students a chance to mingle and hang out together in a social setting.

Prior to the Social, Dr. Alan Ellstrand, MBA Director, and I will host an Open House in Willard J. Walker Hall. The Open House is for prospective MBA students and will be at 5:30. Immediately after this Open House, we will join the Social which will already be in full swing.

Beginning this fall, we will also host a similar social each semester (probably in October and February).

If your are close enough to attend and are interested in either MBA program (full or part-time), put the Summer Social on your calendar. Please email questions to gsb@walton.uark.edu.

Hello Sunshine!

I know I promised to write about Admissions, but since I have been complaining so ferociously about the rain, I have to report that it is beautiful in Fayetteville today. The sun is shining and it's a very pleasant 75 degrees right now. I am going to meet a friend for lunch on Dickson Street in a few minutes and we are going to sit on the patio. If you enjoy sitting on the patio, Fayetteville has quite a few really nice choices.

Okay, on with admissions news. We are planning on having another MBA admissions committee meeting either at the end of this month or in early June. If you are thinking about applying for either our MBA or our MMBA program, I encourage you to complete the application process as soon as possible. For complete application requirements, go to: http://gsb.uark.edu/622.asp.

Final deadline for the Walton MBA is September 15. However, applications are up significantly this year and if you want to be considered for funding, the sooner you can submit your materials, the better.

The application deadline for the part-time or Managerial MBA (MMBA) was April 1. We will accept materials through July 31. We are looking for about 20 more students for this program.

If you have questions about either MBA program, send them to me at gsb@walton.uark.edu.

If you look closely, you may see webbed feet and gills!

I know I have been saying this and saying this, but I am sooooooo tired of the rain. It is mid-May and still very rainy. The temperature varies from cool and damp to hot and muggy. I am not very fond of either. I must have webbed feet and gills by now. My poor son, who is five years old, has had three T-ball games rained out. Everything is wet and muddy. It really stormed during the night last night but apparently I am so accustomed to the sounds by now that I just slept right through it.

My colleague Regena (our offices are side by side and she processes all of the application materials) has a bit of a bug right now. Not swine flu but she is congested and generally not feeling well. She was out of the office yesterday and is out today and tomorrow. Hopefully she'll be good as new when she comes back on Monday. I really don't want whatever it is that she has.

I will be taking a little time off next week - Thursday and Friday. I am planning on resting, relaxing, and maybe taking in a movie or two. There are some really good ones out right now and getting ready to come out. I need to check out the new Star Trek movie and I am a very big Terminator fan. I did read Angels and Demons so I should probably try to see it too. I also have a million hours of primetime TV on my DVR that I need to get caught up on. All of these season finales are piling up.

I have a confession to make. My guilty summer pleasure will be starting on Monday. I probably shouldn't admit to this but I really do love So You Think You Can Dance. People with talent amaze me - whether it is vocal, piano, dance, etc. I find this show to be truly inspiring. These young people work so hard - they really give it their all. They are not afraid of work and I admire that.

Okay, enough about me. Tomorrow I'll try to write something more interesting - upcoming events or something.

Pretty Quiet this Week

It is pretty quiet around the GSB this week. The week after Commencement is usually fairly quiet. There is also lots of parking available on campus. Summer classes start next week so things will pick back up then. This week is our chance to get caught up with everything that we let slide for the last couple of weeks. Believe me, there is plenty to keep us busy and it is nice for it to be a little slow right now.

Admissions update: for MBA (begins in January, 2010), of the 22 offers of admission we have made to date, we have only received one decline. We do have 3 students who haven't responded indicating their intent and I emailed them today to urge them to let us know right away. There are 2 people on the waiting list and we need to know where we stand before we review more applications. Final deadline is September 15. I am expecting the class to be about 45 (up from 37 this year).

Master of Accountancy - 43 offers of admission were made and only 7 have declined. Two students have never responded. More than likely, they have made other plans. This program is still accepting applications and I am in contact with students who are planning on applying. The class this fall will probably be around 35-37 (up from 30 last year).

Master of Information Systems - the class this fall will be around 20. New applications are still coming in so the class may be a little bigger. Last year's class was 17.

Applications are up for all full-time programs. This is a good time to be looking at graduate school. Visit our website at gsb.uark.edu for more information.

Tears for Life Wins 2nd Place at Moot Corp

The 2009 Global Moot Corp® Competition, the Super Bowl of World Business Plan Competitions, was held May 6 - 9 at the University of Texas at Austin. Tears for Life came in second beating 38 other teams. The winning team was a joint team from Boston University and MIT.

Here is a list of the participating Universities:

Australia
University of Adelaide
Entrepreneurship, Commercialisation and Innovation Centre

Canada
Queen's University
School of Business

University of Manitoba
Asper School of Business

University of Waterloo
School of Business and Management

China
The Chinese University of Hong Kong
Faculty of Business Administration

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
School of Business and Management

Colombia
Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Faculty of Economical and Administratives Sciences

Universidad de los Andes
School of Management

Universidad Distrital Francisco José de Caldas
Program of Master in Industrial Engineering, LAMIC

France
E. M. Lyon
The Entrepreneurship Centre

Germany
Wissenschaftliche Hochschule fur Untemehmensfuhrung (WHU)
Otto Beisheim School of Management

Great Britain
London Business School
Foundation for Entrepreneurial Management

University of Oxford
Said Business School

Mexico
Centro de Investigacion en Materiales Avanzados (CIMAV)
Advanced Materials Research Center

Norway
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management

Thailand
Thammasat University
The Graduate School

United States of America
Boise State University
College of Business and Economics

Boston University
School of Management

Brigham Young University
Marriott School of Management

Carnegie Mellon University
Tepper School of Business

Colorado State University
College of Business

Fayetteville State University
School of Business and Economics

Kennesaw State University
Coles College of Business

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Sloan School of Management

Northwestern University
Kellogg School of Management

San Diego State University
College of Business Administration

University of Arkansas
Walton College of Business

University of California Berkeley
Haas School of Business

University of Chicago
Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship

University of Louisville
College of Business

University of Michigan
School of Business Administration

University of Oregon
Lundquist College of Business

University of San Francisco
School of Business and Management

University of Texas at Austin
McCombs School of Business

University of Texas at Dallas
School of Management

University of Utah
Eccles School of Business

Congratulations Walton Graduates!!!!!!!

Wow! What a busy weekend. On Friday the Graduate School of Business hosted the annual graduation party. This event is always very well attended. It is held on Dickson Street in Fayetteville. Students and their families stop by for appetizers and cocktails before moving on to dinner. It's also a favorite of Walton faculty.














Saturday is the big day - GRADUATION. I like closure so I really like this day. I knew many of these students before they ever began their master's degree programs. As the recruiter, I am on the front line. I assist students through the admissions process. Once admitted, they then work with Marion Dunagan and Deb Williams. So for me, graduation is the finish line of the race. I got to watch them start the race and now I get to see them finish. It's also a day of high spirits - everyone is happy.

Here are some of the Master of Accountancy students.













Here are some MBA students.


Graduation is held in Barnhill Arena on the University of Arkansas campus. Prior to the ceremony, all graduates line up in the tunnel. Here is a photo of the lineup.

When the ceremony begins, they file out of the tunnel and are seated on the stadium floor.

It's definitely a very big day for the students, their families, and us.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Spoke to Walton MBA Students

We are very fortunate to have an impressive speaker series here at the University of Arkansas and the Walton College. Professor Muhammad Yunus, Grameen Bank Founder and 2006 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate winner, was in Northwest Arkansas late last month. He is shown in this picture (just left of center) with many of our MBA students.

Other recent speakers have included T. Boone Pickens and George H. W. Bush. Walton MBA students get course credit for attending speakers. This opportunity adds significantly to their classroom experience.

An update on admissions for the MBA program to begin in January, 2010: we have offered admission to 22 applicants (11 international and 6 female) and have received 8 acceptances to date. We are waiting to hear from the others and so far we have received no declines of our offer. Our goal was initially to enroll 40-42 but with the increase in quality applications, the enrollment for the class of 2011 could be 45. Final application deadline is September 15. At this time, we have awarded all tier one assistantships. This assistantship waives tuition and provides a stipend of $2500 each semester. There are still a limited number of tier 2 assistantships available. These students pay in-state tuition but do receive a stipend of $2500 each semester plus a scholarship of $2500 (for a total of $10,000 over three semesters).

If you are considering a Walton MBA, the sooner you are able to submit a completed application, the better. The admissions process is extremely competitive this year.

Business Week Ranks Walton Accounting #19 Among Public Accounting Programs

Business Week has ranked the accounting specialty at the Sam M. Walton College of Business at the University of Arkansas in a tie for 19th place among the top public undergraduate business schools.

The accounting specialty ranked 35th place among both private and public.

As part of Business Week’s undergraduate business school survey, senior business majors were asked to grade their programs on a scale of 1 to 5 in 12 academic areas, including marketing, accounting, calculus, financial management and corporate strategy.

The top six public and private business school accounting specialties were at Boston College, Binghamton University, Georgetown University, Cornell University, University of Southern California and University of Texas.

In the student survey, Walton College was given an ‘A’ in its facilities and service to students. It also received an ‘A’ in job placement, which is a tribute to the hard work of Walton College Career Development Center.

Business Week ranked 101 programs.

The Master of Accountancy has admitted 35 students to begin in the fall. We are still accepting applications to this program. To apply, go to gsb.uark.edu.

Executive MBA

Here are the pictures of this week's EMBA activities that I promised to share. They were in class yesterday. They will be conducting presentations of their capstone projects today and tomorrow. Last night we held a welcome back reception and tonight is a dinner. They get the day off on Friday and then Friday night is the Graduation party for all of our graduating students from all programs (master of accountancy, master of arts in economics, master of information systems-full and part-time, mba-full and part-time, phd accounting, phd economics, phd information systems, phd finance, phd marketing, and phd management).

I can see the sun!

I don't know how long it's going to last so I guess I will enjoy it while it's here. It is supposed to rain all week and then be nice for the weekend. This would be good since Saturday is Commencement.

Today our EMBA students (who take class in Shanghai, China) begin their last leg of their program in Fayetteville. They began the program with class here last February, then there are 9 classes in Shanghai, and the last class is held back at Walton College just before graduation. I will share these pictures tomorrow.

For today, here are the promised pictures from Springfest. I also took this picture of the very cute goose in front of Pack Rat Outdoor Center, a very popular store here in Fayetteville.





These very cute kids belong to me.


These were taken at the garden at the Walton Arts Center.



Everyone loves Springfest - kids, dogs, etc. There are a lot of bike trails in Fayetteville so you will always see bikers (the non-motorized variety) around town, especially on Dickson Street.

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

As I was driving in this morning, the weather man on the radio was saying that it was going to rain all week but not today. I had to laugh at the irony of this statement because as he was saying, "No rain today," my windshield wipers were slapping away and I was thinking, "I am pretty sure this is rain." For several days now, it really does seem like forever, it has been cool and rainy in Northwest Arkansas. I think we are all ready for some sunshine. My front yard is closely resembling a Florida swamp right now. It is muddy, wet, and I wouldn't be a bit surprised if a snapping crocodile came charging through the waste high vegetation. Well, maybe I would be surprised to see that but there is no telling what is living in there right now. Needless to say, it's been too wet and muddy to mow.

The logical, "I understand how this works" side of me knows that we need this rain to make it through the heat of the summer. I want to enjoy the rivers of Northwest Arkansas and go floating so I know I have to put up with the rain now. I am just starting to get a little whiny. I mean, it's May. I am ready to move on to the next season. I think that is fair.

Needless to say, it was wet this weekend. I did take my camera and swing by Spring Fest on Saturday. Spring Fest is held this time every year on Dickson Street. Since I left my camera at home, I'll have to share the photos tomorrow.

The rest of the week will be very busy for our office as we host the EMBA students and get ready for Commencement on Saturday. I'll try to keep you informed regarding what is going on.

In the world of Admissions, we are starting to get student decisions back from the recent MBA and MMBA admission offers. These will continue to come in over the next week or so. New applications are also still being received. I am not sure when the next committee meeting will be held. We will not meet again until we have a sufficient number of completed apps to warrant calling another meeting. I am hoping we can do this toward the end of the month.

Hey, I think it has stopped raining - for now.

TGIF!

I have to confess that staff and faculty really appreciate Fridays right now just as much as our students do. The end of the year frenzy is upon us and I think we are in survival mode. It's an incredibly exciting time of year and there is so much going on.

Yesterday the Walton College held its faculty and staff awards assembly. Our very own Deb Williams was awarded the Diversity Award which honors an individual staff member who demonstrates creativity in the workplace by building and promoting an atmosphere of inclusion and acceptance for all constituents of the Walton College. Deb works very hard and does a great job.

Today is Dead Day and it is pretty quiet around the office. Tomorrow is the last class for our MMBA students this semester. They will have classes through the summer with their last class being held in July.

Next week is pretty jam packed with events and activities. Our EMBA students who have class in China will be here. Next week ends with the Graduation Party. This event is for all of our graduating students. It is always fun to see everyone so excited, relaxed, and thrilled to have finished their degree. I also love to meet their families.

The Walton College is small with approximately 3,600 students. The Graduate School of Business has a population of around 300. We are a pretty close knit group and graduation is very special.