Let's Talk MBA

Today is the last day of August. Despite the fact that it is currently 58 degrees in Fayetteville, it really is still August. But not for much longer. Tomorrow is the first day of September. To me, September means that summer is coming to an end and that fall is on it's way. The last holiday of the summer, Labor Day is in early September. Football season also gets kicked off this month. I LOVE football! I am sure I have mentioned that before. I grew up in small town Oklahoma. Football is huge! The first game of the season for the Razorbacks is this Saturday against Missouri State. GO HOGS! Friday night is high school football and I'll be taking my kids to watch their Greenland Pirates play their rival, West Fork. I really enjoy small town high school football. It doesn't get any better than that. I just noticed all the exclamation points in this paragraph. Guess what? I get really excited about football.

Okay, back to business. September, for me, also means MBA application deadline. Final application deadline for the Walton MBA is September 15th. We will accept late applications as space is available. We currently have 28 students in the class that will begin in January. Our goal is 42-45. All tier one graduate assistantships (GA) have been awarded. These waive tuition. We do have a small number (5-7) of tier two GAs remaining. Students who are awarded this level of funding pay in-state tuition and receive $10,000 from us over the 3 semester program. All students on GA work 15 hours each week. Previous GA sites have included: Dial, Dannon, Hershey, Walmart, Tyson, P&G, Kellogg, Sunbeam, Land O'Lakes, Mars, and many more. This is a unique and valuable opportunity that Walton MBA students have to gain valuable work experience.

It is a very competitive year for MBA applicants. Our 28 students have an average GMAT of 640, they have an average GPA of 3.4, they average over 4 years of work experience, and their average age is 27. They are a very impressive group. If you wish to join this class, be sure that you submit all application materials by September 15th. The admissions committee will meet on the 23rd. If you have applied and would like to know the committee's decision, you can email me at gsb@walton.uark.edu the afternoon of the 23rd and I will be happy to give you the result of the meeting.

We are now on YouTube!

Yes, we finally have video on YouTube. Thanks to our Technology Center and Jim Goodlander for taping our last Open House and editing the content to make it appropriate. Our videos are:

Why Choose the Walton MBA? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5aK3qn1mVE
MBA Application Process - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9DZiCpcy9g
Walton MBA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7HX2sZacgg
Walton MMBA - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HlylM4gHh0I
Walton MBA FAQs - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYiJSwCXRfU

These can all be found by searching for Walton MBA on YouTube.

Don't forget to follow me on Twitter - @WaltonMBA.

Annual Walton College Block Party

Every year on Wednesday of the first week of class, the Walton College hosts a Block Party to welcome students back to campus. This is a very well attended event. The College provides grilled hot dogs, cookies, drinks and there are several organizations set up to give away goodies.


The Block Party is held on the Shollmier Plaza, the courtyard between the Willard J. Walker Hall and the Sam M. Walton College of Business Building.


Two MBA students, Chris Jaber and Brant Simpkins take time between classes to grab a bite to eat.


Javier Reyes and Cary Deck (Director of the PhD and MAEcon), Economics faculty, grill hot dogs for the hungry hoard.


MBA students Alisha Staggs and Stacy Carty (MBA blogger) just got out of their Ethics class and are on their way to enjoy the festivities.



A great time was had by all. We'll do it again next year.

New Blogger - Jessica Maland

We have a new student blogger. Jessica Maland will be sharing her MBA experiences. Be sure to keep up with her at http://jessicasmbaexperience.blogspot.com/. Jessica studied abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil this summer and she will be writing about that very soon.

Other Walton MBA bloggers are Trip Jones - http://razorbackmba.blogspot.com/, Stacy Carty - http://stacycarty.blogspot.com/, and Wenqi Clark - http://mybusiness-wenqi.blogspot.com/. These students were selected to be MBA Ambassadors for several reasons: they have a love for this program and they expressed a desire to assist in the recruitment process. These students also represent many different backgrounds and experiences.

Here is a little about each one. Stacy completed her bachelor's degree in History from the University of Virginia and she is a married student. Trip completed his degree from the UofA in psychology and is also married. Jessica's background is in business and she was a student athlete. Wenqi is from China and is married. Brant Simpkins is our fifth Ambassador and he is responsible for our Facebook page and our twitter account. Brant is from Missouri and he has a physics degree from Ouachita Baptist. These students represent our MBA class very well. Some are married and some are not, some have degrees in business and some do not, some have many years of work experience while others are recent graduates.

With each new class, five new MBA Ambassadors are selected. Along with their online responsibilities, they also help with visiting students and Open House events. Having students involved in this process is extremely important. Each of these students will answer questions honestly and assist prospective students to the best of their abilities. It is very helpful for interested students to be able to be in contact with current students. There are questions that only current Walton MBA students are able to answer. These Ambassadors provide a valuable service and they make my job much easier.

First Day of Class

It is now 3:45. I have been trying to write something all day. I do love the first day of class. It's a little chaotic and there's never anywhere to park but the energy is contagious. Traffic in town is also a little more congested.

I enjoyed this last weekend of peace. My son starts soccer practice next Saturday so the freedom and flexibility of the summer has come to an end. I do believe my husband and I have lost our minds because we have also signed Jack up for flag football and basketball. He has basketball tryouts (so they can evaluate skill level and divide into teams) in a couple of weeks. I haven't heard from the football coach yet but I am sure that will start soon too. Our daughter, Zoey, will have basketball games on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons beginning in November. By then, Jack's sporting events should be finished. So, we'll go from shuttling him from practice to games to doing the same for her. Life sure can be complicated.

Today in the GSB, at least in the recruiting world, the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) seemed to be the program of the day. I met with several students regarding this degree program. I figured this would be a good time to stress a few key points regarding the MAcc. Early decision deadline is September 15 and the final application deadline is March 1. In the world of accounting, recruiting occurs in the fall. So that students can determine if they are going to graduate school or if they need to be finding a job, the early decision deadline has been implemented. If you apply by September 15, you will know by October 15 if you will be starting the MAcc next August. To learn more about this program, visit gsb.uark.edu/macc.asp and to learn more about our admissions requirements, visit gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp.

September 15th is the next deadline for us and it is the early decision deadline for the Master of Accountancy and the final application deadline for the MBA. If you are considering either program, be sure all materials reach us by that date. Our mailing address is: 310 Willard J. Walker Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR 72701.

What day is it and where am I?

It's Friday! Yea! We are finished with all new student Orientations for this year. Our next Orientation will be January 4-8 for the full-time Walton MBA program. Yesterday I had the very great pleasure of driving to Hot Springs in the rain. Rain is such a pleasant, passive word that comes nowhere close to describing what I was driving through. My wipers were going as fast as they could go, it was dark, and I happened to be driving through Fort Smith about 8:00 during the worst of it - traffic wasn't pleasant. When I reached Hot Springs it was hardly raining there so at least I was able to unload and get inside without having to deal with it anymore. Thankfully it had passed by the time I left at 3:00. The sun was out and I had a pleasant drive back to Fayetteville - except for those 18-wheelers on 270. I somehow managed to get stuck behind a line of trucks on a winding, 2-lane road going 40 miles an hour. I am not a patient person under the best of circumstances. This is a driving situation that highly frustrates me - no way to get around them and nowhere else to go. I just had to sit back and wait - something I don't do very well.

I did make it home safe and sound so all went well. I was also able to pass out program information to Human Resource managers in western and central Arkansas. Today is a beautiful, sunny day. We are experiencing very unusual weather for August in Arkansas. This is typically our hottest month but it is currently 69 degrees with an expected high to be in the 80s. Usually we are in the triple digits right now.

I haven't written since my kids started school. All is well on the home front. This is my daughter's first year playing school ball. She played peewee basketball for 4 years and now she gets to practice during school and ride the bus to games. No more mom and dad getting her to practice 2 nights a week and to games on Saturday. We'll still go to her games but it's nice to not have to worry about getting her to practice. She is also in pre-algebra this year. I am really hoping this goes well. She does very well in Math; it is not my favorite subject, in fact there wasn't much I liked less in school, and I am trying to keep my biases to myself. Her dad and I have encouraged her natural Math ability. Now it the real test - algebra. Fingers crossed.

Kindergarten is going well. Jack told me last night that zone 3 was outside voice, zone 2 was inside voice, and zone 1 was whisper. I am liking this a lot. While he was speaking very loudly to me, I said, "Jack, zone 2" and he immediately started using his inside voice. Woohoo. He also raised his hand when he wanted to talk to me. How cute is that?

Classes begin here at the University of Arkansas on Monday. Once I recup from these last 2 crazy weeks, I will get back to work on MBA applications. The final deadline is September 15th. The admissions committee is meeting on the 23rd. We will accept late applications as space allows. Our goal for this next class is 42-45 and we are currently at 28. If you are planning on joining the Walton MBA class of 2011, be sure that all application materials are submitted to the GSB by September 15th. Email gsb@walton.uark.edu with any questions.

Master of Accountancy (MAcc) Orientation

Today is the second and final day of MAcc Orientation. Here is the schedule for this day and a half event.

Yesterday
1:00-Welcome from Senior Associate Dean, Bill Curington, and Assistant Dean, Marion Dunagan
1:15-Program overview and course options-Dr. Gary Peters, program coordinator
1:45-Career Development Center presentation-Dr. Heather Sprandel and Renee Clay
2:30-Technology training
3:00-Teambuilding-Anna Lyst (our GA) and I sent them on a Scavenger Hunt
5:00-Wrap up and dismissal
5:30-Informal social at Jose's

Today
8:15-Those on graduate assistantship (GA) were debriefed
8:30-Breakfast
8:45-Overview of the day
9:00-Discussion panel-communication skills
10:30-Discussion panel-managing time and assignments
11:45-Lunch
1:00-Discussion panel-teams in the workplace
2:30-Discussion panel-career tracks and competencies
3:45-Planning for spring
4:30-Wrap up and dismissal
5:00-Reception at Powerhouse

All discussion panelists are from companies with strong ties to the Walton MAcc. This is a great opportunity for our new MAcc students to network and make that important first impression on potential future employers.











These photos was taken yesterday. This Orientation is held where their classes will be held, in Willard J. Walker Hall. This is a wonderful, state of the art building. For more details, visit http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/walkerhall/.

This last picture is of the winning team from the scavenger hunt. They are: Emily Hornok, Kayla Moschner, Tom Hauskey, Will Matthew, and Joe Holcomb.

On a separate note, today was the first day of school for my kids. My son, Jack, began kindergarten today. I have to say, that with Zoey, I was so excited about every milestone and welcomed them gladly as a sign of her growing up. It is completely different when it is the baby. I am in no hurry at all for him to grow up. I am not holding him back either, although it is tough sometimes. For instance, he did not want me to walk him in this morning. I really had to fight my instincts but I let him be independent and walk in by himself. After all, it is about him today, not me.

Tomorrow I am going to Hot Springs to attend a Human Resource conference. I will be sharing information about our 2 part-time programs with HR managers from Western Arkansas. It is definitely getting busier in the world of recruiting. I need to lace up my running shoes and get ready to go.

MMBA Orientation over - on to MAcc Orientation

MMBA (Walton's part-time MBA) was successfully wrapped up on Sunday. I will take this opportunity to share photos of the last 2 days of this 4 day event. Day 3 is spent working in teams on a project and then on day 4, a competition is held. All teams present their findings and a winner is selected. These first photos show the groups working together in our small group rooms. We have 12 of these rooms on the 4th floor of Walker Hall (http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/walkerhall). All have 42" plasmas and copy cams on the white boards.


On the final day of Orientation, all teams present their findings (what they spent day 3 doing) to judges. The top 3 teams then move to the finals. The day ends with the announcement of the winning team. The final picture is the class photo. What a great looking group. The first class of the semester will be held on Saturday, August 29. To see the full class schedule, visit http://gsb.uark.edu/mmba.asp. Application deadline for this program for fall 2010, is April 1, 2010. It is not too early to begin preparing your application packet for next fall. Visit http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp for a complete list of admissions requirements. Today we will begin our Master of Accountancy (MAcc) Orientation. This event will begin this afternoon and end tomorrow evening. More details to follow tomorrow.

MMBA Orientation-day 3

Welcome to day 3 of MMBA Orientation. Today looks like this:

7:30 - breakfast

8:00 - class lecture

10:00 - project rules and team assignment

10:30 - work on group project

12:00 - lunch

1:00 - continue to work on group project

5:00 - submit group project and dismissed for the day

As you can tell by the schedule, today is a work day for our new MMBA students. They will be working on a project in teams. Tomorrow these teams will present their work to judges from the Walton College and representatives from some of our corporate partners. This is a great networking opportunity for our students. It gives them a chance to show their stuff and meet new executives from other companies.



I also want to share some photos of the first 2 days of this 4 day Orientation extravaganza. These first 2 were taken first thing in the morning. They are preparing for the icebreaker. I get to do this and it is always fun. I enjoy getting to know our new students better and listening to them as they get to know each other.












These next 2 were shot in the classroom on day 1 and day 2. Not only are they learning about the GSB and their program, they are also in class during this Orientation.












We'll wrap up this photo montage with pics of last night's Social. This is a chance for our new students to relax and mingle outside of the classroom. Those in the MMBA program are only in class one Saturday each month. However, they are together for 2 years so they become quite close. This Orientation sets the tone for the next 2 years and these relationships are beginning to form. We feel it is important for them to have a chance to get to know each other in a social setting before they attend their first class on August 29.

Downhill slide of day 2 - MMBA Orientation

Day 2 of Walton MMBA Orientation is nearly over. Once today is over, the halfway point is reached of this 4 day extravaganza - 2 days down, 2 to go. Deb (my colleague who handles student services - I do admissions and then she takes care of our students once admitted) works really hard on our Orientations. If I do say so myself, we do a mighty fine job - our evaluations back me up. Several students made a point of letting me know today how impressed they have been by this experience thus far and how excited they are about the program. As was mentioned yesterday, these are highly successful professionals, many of whom are working for Fortune 500 companies.

Here is how their day looked:
7:30 - breakfast
8:00 - class lecture (remember, they are earning 2 credit hours during these 4 days)
10:00 - break
10:15 - Career Development Center
10:45 - introduction of 1st semester classes and instructors
11:30 - walk to Union for lunch and photo ID's
1:00 - class lecture
3:00 - break
3:15 - teambuilding and project overview
5:00 - 7:00 - Class Social - a networking event for students, faculty, and staff (chance to mingle and socialize outside of the classroom - lots of good food and company)

A word about our Career Development Center (CDC) - this fantastic resource is located in our building. Their services are provided automatically to all of our full-time students. The Walton CDC works very hard to assist our full-time students in finding internships and job placement after graduation. Their services are not incorporated into the part-time MBA program because all of these students are currently employed. We do not want to risk the positive relationships we have with our local corporate partners and many employers are offering tuition assistance to their employees who are participating in this program. It would not speak well of us if we recruited their employees into our program and then helped them to get another job.

However, that being said, our part-time students can seek their services on their own. Many are not receiving assistance from their employer and several may be seeking other options. I cannot say enough about our CDC. They work very hard and take great personal satisfaction and pleasure in assisting our students in securing placement, finding that "great job." We are a small College so whether it's the GSB or the CDC, personal relationships are formed and our students are important to us.

I will be here tomorrow so tune back in for another summary of MMBA Orientation.

Day 1 of MMBA Orientation

MMBA Orientation began today and will go through Sunday. We have a great group of students but I may be a little biased since I recruited them. 56 new students will begin their MBA this semester. Here is a little more about them. They average 7 years of work experience and their average age is 30. 23 do not have a background in business.

Undergraduate degrees were attained from here (UofA), UT-Arlington, Depauw, Texas-Pan America, Texas A&M, Kansas, Tennessee, BYU, Mizzou, Western Michigan, Northern Illinois, New Mexico, Miami University, Indiana State, Florida, Washington, West Point, and James Madison just to name a few.

They represent the following companies: Walmart, JB Hunt, Tyson, Pfizer, Bayer, Unilever, Scotts Miracle Gro, ConAgra, IBM, Dr. Pepper/Snapple, P&G, Nestle Purina, Lance, and many more.

Here is the schedule for today:

7:45 - breakfast
8:15 - welcome from Senior Associate Dean, Bill Curington, MBA Director, Dr. Alan Ellstrand, and Assistant Dean Marion Dunagan.
8:30 - icebreaker
10:00 - break
10:15 - Program Overview - Dr. Alan Ellstrand
11:00 - Orientation to online learning
11:45 - lunch with MMBA alumni panel
1:30 - technology training and laptop setup
2:30 - ISIS (UofA's student information system) training
2:45 - break
3:00 - Lecture - Introduction to the Value Chain (Dr. Ellstrand teaches a Value Chain course during Orientation that is worth 2 credit hours)
5:00 - dismissal

Tomorrow will begin at 7:30 with breakfast. Come back then for more details about day 2.

If this sounds like the perfect program for you, you can find more information at gsb.uark.edu/mmba.asp and admissions requirements are at gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. Deadline is April 1; however, applications are accepted through July 31.

Fall Recruiting Schedule

My fall travel schedule is looking like this:

September 15 - Missouri State University Business Career Fair
September 16 - Tulsa University Business Career Fair
September 22 - University of Arkansas Engineering Expo (I have to walk across the street for this one)
October 7 - Missouri Southern State University Career Fair
October 15 - University of Arkansas - Fort Smith Career Fair
October 15 - Master's Information Session - World Trade Center, Rogers, AR
October 23 - Master's Open House (Willard J. Walker Hall, 5:30) and Social (Powerhouse 6-9)
October 28 - Arkansas Tech University Career Fair
November 4 - University of Central Arkansas Career Fair
November 5 - University of the Ozarks Career Fair

This schedule is not yet final. As more locations are added, I'll let you know. If I will be in your neighborhood this fall, please stop by and say, "hi."

Summer is winding down-MBA students prepping for internship showcase

Summer is coming to a close. Fall classes begin on Monday, August 24th. As I have mentioned previously, Walton MBA students do an internship over the summer. They are receiving 3 hours of credit. In order to receive their credit, they will be competing in an Internship Showcase. All students who completed an internship will do a presentation and a poster. Walton and corporate judges will choose the top 3 or 4 and these students will compete in a final round. The winner is announced at the Networking Social on September 14th (the evening before the Walton Career Fair).

This is a great opportunity for our MBA students to showcase what they did over the summer and to network with some of our local corporate partners. Newly admitted MBA students (who will begin in January 2010) will be invited to the final round of competition and to the Networking Social. This gives our new students a sneak peak at what they will be doing next summer.

Read Trip's blog for a closer look at what he is doing to prepare: http://razorbackmba.blogspot.com/.

Great weekend

I had to add a second post today so I could share my weekend. Friday the kids and I loaded up and headed to visit family in Oklahoma. On Saturday, I met friends from high school for dinner in Tulsa. We went to Ciao in Brookside. It was very nice. It was great to get away and have a little girl time with some old friends. On Sunday my mom and I took my kids to the aquarium in Jenks, located just outside of Tulsa. I want to share some pictures. They had a great time. It is very hot in Oklahoma right now (at one point the temperature gauge in my car read 102) so inside activities are recommended. Tulsa is less than 2 hours away and it has a zoo, wonderful museums, and fantastic shopping.

Master of Information Systems Orientation

MIS and Professional MIS Orientation was today. We began this morning with breakfast. This is always a great way to get started. Today it was Rick's Bakery, one of my favorites. We had a busy day packed with important information. They will continue to have activities for the next few days. We want all of our new students to have all of the information they will need to be successful while they are pursuing their master's degree. We had 37 students in attendance today.

Our next Orientation will be MMBA and begins on Thursday.

Chaos in the GSB

I suppose I should say, "organized chaos." The next few weeks will be crazy in the Walton Graduate School of Business. Beginning next Monday, we will host an Orientation for our new Master of Information Systems (MIS)and Professional MIS students. The Walton MIS is a 30 hour program that begins each fall and ends the following summer. The Professional MIS is our part-time MIS program. Students take 6 hours a semester for 5 semesters and are only in class one night each week. For details, please visit: http://gsb.uark.edu/mis.asp.

Tuesday and Wednesday we'll catch our breath before MMBA Orientation begins on Thursday. Wednesday morning I'll be taking my daughter to get her braces put on. This will be our second round; the first time, when she was 8, she had front upper braces and a herbst appliance. She wore this for a year. Now it's time for another herbst and a full set of braces. Poor kid.

On Thursday, we begin our MMBA Orientation. This Orientation is four fun-filled days. We are expecting to enroll 57 students into this program. During Orientation, they will have the chance to get to know each other and they will also be earning their first 2 credit hours. Dr. Ellstrand, MBA Director, will teach a course on the Value Chain. The first class for this semester will be August 29th. To see the full schedule for this upcoming academic year, visit: http://gsb.uark.edu/mmba.asp.

Since the next few weeks are going to be so intense, I am taking the afternoon off and will be heading to Oklahoma to visit my family. I will also be meeting friends in Tulsa tomorrow night and then taking the kids to the Aquarium before heading back on Sunday. I am looking forward to it and my son is very excited about the sting rays. August is very busy so we have to grab a day or two when we can or even a few hours to catch our breath.

Have a great weekend!

Walton MBA student, Stacy Carty, is back from her Internship in Ireland

Stacy Carty, who began the Walton MBA in January, has recently returned from her summer internship in Dublin. She talks all about her experience on her blog. Check it out at: http://stacycarty.blogspot.com/. Stacy was the first student chosen to participate in this International Internship experience. Another Walton MBA student will be chosen next year. The application process will occur in the spring semester. I can't wait to see where our student will go next summer, and who will be selected. It may be someone not even admitted yet.

Final application deadline is September 15th and late applications will be accepted as space is available. The admissions committee will meet on September 23rd. All financial assistance will be awarded at this time. There are very few partial graduate assistantships (GA) left. Students who apply late will be self-funded.

I have to share how my evening went last night. As those of you know who follow this blog, I am a little bit of a fan (alright, a huge fan) of So You Think You Can Dance. Tonight is the season finale; the winner will be announced. Last night was the night that the final 4 competed. Well, Fayetteville had a thunderstorm. Not only did it rain, it rained hard and we had hail. I live on a hillside on the edge of town and cable TV is not available here. We have a satellite. Guess what happens to satellite TV during a storm. Yes, you are right, the satellite loses reception. I missed the first 45 minutes of the final competition. I was most displeased. I will count my blessings and be thankful that it came back on for the last hour and 15 minutes but I was just a little bit irritated. Tonight we learn who is crowned America's favorite dancer. I am so excited. Please don't rain tonight. The next season of So You Think You Can Dance actually starts next month. Woohoo.

Devil's Den

As has been previously mentioned, my family spent the weekend at Devil's Den State Park - http://www.arkansasstateparks.com/devilsden/. This park has cabins, tent sites, and camper sites. Since I am old and like a bed and a shower, we rented a cabin. It was very nice and the rates were incredibly reasonable. We arrived Friday evening and immediately unloaded and got settled in. Friends joined us for dinner that night. We grilled burgers. Once it got dark, we settled the kids inside with a movie and the adults sat around outside and enjoyed the peace and quiet. It was very nice.

Saturday morning, after a big breakfast of eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy, we went hiking. One trail begins right at the Visitor's Center. This trail contains 2 caves and is 1.5 miles long. My husband took the kids into the caves. I went to the opening and peered in - that was as close as I got. I considered them more holes in the ground than caves. I have attached a picture of Devil's Ice Box. Yes, people actually crawl down into that hole. The kids loved it and neither had a problem with the hike. At times I was a little concerned about the 5 year old but he did very well.

That afternoon we took the kids to the pool. Devil's Den has a very nice swimming pool with 2 small slides. There is also a play area for small children. That night we roasted hot dogs and made smores. For my international readers, smores are an American camping tradition. You roast a marshmallow over the fire and then place it on a graham cracker that has a piece of Hershey's chocolate on it. It's a sticky, gooey, wonderful mess.

On Sunday we had to pack up and head home. This is not my favorite part of a weekend away. After we checked out, we took the kids fishing before we left the Park. Here is a picture of my adorable family and one of my daughter catching a monster fish. She caught several this size and had a great time. Unfortunately my son had no luck so he was not a very happy camper. Right near where they were fishing, there are canoes and paddle boats available to rent. Devil's Den is a great place to go to just spend an afternoon paddling around, fishing, swimming, hiking, or caving. It's also a very good place to camp (or if you are like me, to get a cabin). We are planning to go back in October after the leaves have begun to change colors. My kids are already looking forward to it. Jack wants to get a paddle boat this time. He is also determined to catch some fish.

MBA Admissions Update

I am back in the office today after a 3 day weekend. My family went to Devil's Den (state park) and I'll provide all of the details tomorrow. I forgot to bring my camera so I could share the pictures today. We had a wonderful time. I had never been and it was beautiful. This state park is only about 30 minutes from my house so it's ridiculous that I have not taken advantage of this local resource. My kids had a blast hiking, caving, swimming, and running around. More details tomorrow.

I just sent the last stack of completed folders to the admissions committee for the Walton MMBA (our part-time program which takes 2 years to complete; students take 6 hours a semester for 6 semesters by only attending class on campus 1 Saturday each month). This program currently has 51 students. Last year we enrolled 58. I am expecting to be at or close to last year's enrollment number. This admission cycle has been challenging because applications are down. Many local employers have discontinued their tuition assistance plans and unemployment is up in the area. This has definitely affected the population that would be applying to this program. I am pleased with where we are right now and I am confident that by the time Orientation begins (August 13), we'll have 57-59 students. I just may have to do a happy dance if we hit 60.

I only had 2 more completed applications for MBA to send to committee today. Final deadline is September 15th and we will accept applications through November. This program currently has 26 students. Today's review will be the last one until after the deadline. The next committee review will occur the week of September 21st. This time last year we had 12. When the committee met after the deadline last year, 16 more were added to the class, bringing our total to 28. Between the deadline and the beginning of the program, 9 more were admitted. 37 began January 2009. If the 2 students I sent to committee are admitted today, we will be at 28 which was where we were last year AFTER the deadline of September 15. This program has seen a significant change in applications also. I hope to have a class of 42-45 begin January 2010.