Today, We Remember Karthik

Karthikeyan Sennimalai was killed in a hit-and-run accident on July 2, 2005, shortly after celebrating the completion of his MBA at the Walton College. After his death, friends and family members contributed to a memorial fund in his honor.

Last year, Karthik’s family decided to create an endowed scholarship funded partially from gifts given in his honor after his untimely death and partially from his family. The purpose of the Karthikeyan Sennimalai Scholarship for International Students is to provide financial assistance for international students who are pursuing a graduate degree in the Walton College. It will be awarded for the first time in the coming year.

Sennimalai’s father, Sennimalai Arunachalam, said, “He was a unique individual whose infectious smile and willingness to help enlivened the lives of those who knew him. This fund is set up by his family to commemorate his life and perpetuate his memory.”

Marion Dunagan, assistant dean for Graduate Programs, said, “Karthik’s family and friends have provided a lasting gift for countless international students. We are grateful that they have chosen to remember an exceptional Walton MBA student in such a meaningful and giving manner.”

A plaque commemorating the establishment of this scholarship will be displayed in the Graduate School of Business suite in Willard J. Walker Hall once the scholarship has been awarded for the first time. Below, Marion Dunagan and Alan Ellstrand, MBA program director, show another plaque that will be displayed in the Walton College on the third floor of the business administration building, along with other endowed scholarships that have been created for our students.


Today,September 30th, happens to be Karthik’s birthday remembrance day; therefore, we are writing this post in his honor and hope that everyone who reads it will reflect on his life and the impact he had on others.

Master of Accountancy Admissions Update

I am sure you are thinking that the Master of Accountancy (MAcc) just started. Why on earth am I talking about admissions for this program again already? Well, last year the program implemented an early decision deadline of September 15. Recruiting in the field of accounting occurs in the fall. Our application deadline for the MAcc is March 1. If seniors apply at that time and are denied admission, they have missed the recruiting season and would have difficulty finding a job in late spring.

Last year, we admitted 2 students after this early deadline. This year, we have 20 completed applications. This looks like a very promising group. It's too soon to report the results. The committee has yet to make their decisions. As soon as I hear back from them, I'll be sure to provide the information.

Final application deadline for the Master of Accountancy is March 1. To find our admissions requirements, please visit http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp.

MBA Admissions Update

The committee met for the last time yesterday. We currently stand at 39 possible admits. Average GMAT is 642, average GPA is 3.3, average age is 27, and they average over 4.5 years of work experience.

13 more students were admitted yesterday. Until we hear back from these 13, we won't have final numbers. We will accept late apps through November until we reach a class size of 45 (at most).

If you have questions, please email gsb@walton.uark.edu.

I can hear the faint rumble of motorcycles

Bikes, Blues, & Bar B Que kicked off yesterday here in Fayetteville. The main attractions are on Dickson street which is very near my building (located on Harmon, just off Dickson). This is a huge event that is held annually; this is the 10th year. Visit their official website for more details: http://www.bikesbluesandbbq.org/. The event director is Walton's very own, Nelson Driver. Nelson teaches in our Finance Department. Last year over 400,000 people attended this event which raised money for several local charities.

I'll be working at the rally tonight to raise money for my kids' school. It is definitely something to see. I am a people watcher and there are lots of them to watch.

Walton College Career Fair

The Walton College held its Business Career Fair last Tuesday. Prior to the Fair, on Monday night, a networking social was held that employers (who were attending the Fair the next day) and students attended. This was a great opportunity for Walton students to interact with possible future employers. I have attached a few pictures of both events.

Wal-Mart Sustainability Supplier Assessment course

A new course is being offered in environmental sustainability, the Wal-Mart Sustainability Supplier Assessment. This course if being offered in partnership with the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center. In this 90-minute session, you will:

Review the Wal-Mart Sustainability Assessment Questions in detail, including key learning that could come from each question, resources within your organization that could help answer each question, and a review of external resources that may help you answer the question and proactively explore ways to innovate in those areas of your business.

Review the weighting and calculations that will take your answers to the 15 questions and create scores in the areas of Climate and Energy, Material Efficiency, Nature and Resources and People and Community.

Discuss future sustainability reporting plans, including the much anticipated product sustainability assessment, or “Sustainability Index," and the Sustainability Consortium’s role in building the foundation for that program.

For your convenience, this session will be offered both online and in-person. For more information or to register, visit our website.

Event: Wal-Mart Sustainability Supplier Assessment
Fee: $145 per participant or per web link
Location: Donald W. Reynolds Center, Fayetteville, Arkansas or OnlineDate/Time: Wednesday, September 20, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM

In today, out tomorrow

I am back in the office today but I will back on the road again tomorrow. I will be attending a Career Fair at Rogers State University in Claremore, Oklahoma. I have not attended this fair before. I try to add a new fair or two each fall. I also will stop going to a fair that doesn't result in applications. My travel locations each fall will vary depending on how it went the previous fall.

On Wednesday, the admissions committee for the MBA meets for the last time. We are currently at 28 students and I am expecting to admit at least 10 more at this meeting. Late applications will be accepted as space allows. We do not want to have more than 45 in this next class. Also, all late applicants will be self-funded.

On Thursday I will be at the Bentonville Plaza talking about our part-time MBA (MMBA). I am taking Friday off to recharge my batteries.

How to choose a business school

The AACSB provides this convenient checklist:

1. Research your prospective school
choices, talk with the admissions staff and
ask every possible question that you may
have. There are so many programs
available today, especially in the area of
business, that program diversity can be
overwhelming. Each business school has
its own programs, culture, personality
and blend of faculty. The good news is that
you can find the right program that fits
your areas of interest and personality.

When meeting with or talking to
admissions staff don’t be shy, this is their
area of expertise and make sure you ask
specific and direct questions relating to
your goals and aspirations.

2. Do your own personal needs
assessment. What kind of environment
do you want to live in during your years of
study? On or off campus? Large campus
or small? Do you want to be close or far
away from home? What are your career
goals? Where do you envision yourself
when your education is complete?
Remember, making your final choice
should be a very personal one — don’t
rely solely on the opinions or influence
of relatives and friends. What is right for
someone else might not be the best choice
for you.

3. Talk to everyone and compare
responses. If you can, have conversations
with current students or even past
graduates. Are current students or
graduates happy with their decision —
what would they do similarly or differently
if they could do it all over again? Try to
find out the overall philosophy, outlook,
and ‘feel’ of each particular school and
its various degree programs. What
are the academic strengths? What are
the weaknesses? Are there special
programs, research opportunities,
internships available for your area
of interest?

4. Assess faculty quality. Look at available
web pages and other information to
assess the experience level of the school’s
faculty. Do they have extensive real-
world experience that they bring to the
classroom? Are they engaged in research
that helps to advance knowledge in their
field of expertise? Does the school have a
strong link to the business sector through
internships or volunteer programs?

5. Don’t overemphasise the importance
of rankings. Remember, rankings are only
a single data point to help you with your
overall research. While you can make
some comparisons with rankings, be
careful in how much weight you attach to
them — the key to using media rankings
effectively is knowing if what they measure
is what is important to you. What
is most important is to select programs
that fit best with your goals regardless of
the rank attributed to a program by
any publication.

6. Choose a school with global business
accreditation. Be knowledgeable
about the importance of specialized
business accreditation. Specialized
accreditation, such as that awarded by
AACSB International, demonstrates that
a school has gone through an extensive
multi-year evaluation process and has
made a commitment to academic quality
and continuous improvement. AACSB-
accredited institutions, which make up
less than 5% of the world's business
schools, are subject to rigorous review
and evaluation processes — each of
which raise the school’s level of academic
excellence over those that are not
accredited.

Provided by AACSB International
(The Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business)

www.aacsb.edu

Podcast Available of MBA Internship Presentations

The podcast of the final round of MBA presentations is now available.

http://ice.waltoncollege.uark.edu/mediasite/FileServer/Podcast/61a66e3f-b4a7-4a1b-a193-d20e05ce3d7d/graduate_school_of_business_podcasts.xml

To recap, all students who completed an internship over the summer were required to do a presentation. These presentations were performed in front of corporate judges and the top 6 MBA students then moved on to a final round. The finals occurred last Friday and the winner, Brant Simpkins, was announced on Monday evening. Check out the podcast to see these fabulous presentations. I do know that one or two of the speakers did not turn their microphones on and I apologize for this technical goof.

I was at Tulsa University today and was able to meet several great prospects for our master's degree programs. I will be in the office tomorrow and I am looking forward to doing a little catch up since I have been out for two days. I know we received several applications yesterday (deadline) for MAcc and MBA. We need to get all of these apps ready for their admissions committees. I am anxious to see what we have. On Friday I'll be at Harding University. Come see me if you are there.

For those of you who read my blog regularly, I am sure you are not surprised if I say that I am watching So You Think You Can Dance right now. Woohoo! I am ready for season 6. Okay, this is why I watch this show. A girl who is deaf just danced beautifully. So inspiring.

Congrats Brant

Walton MBA student, Brant Simpkins, is our 3rd Annual Internship Showcase winner. Brant is actually pictured below. I'll share pictures from the Networking event that was held on Monday night when I get back into the office.

Today I attended a Career Fair at Missouri State. This Career Fair has been profitable for me. I have met very high quality master's and PhD students at Missouri State. Tomorrow I am off to Tulsa University. I actually began my undergraduate career at TU where I was a Kappa Delta (and finished my degree at NSU). I look forward to this trip each year.

I will be back in the office on Thursday. By then I am sure I will have a lot to report.

Walton MBA Internship Showcase is Over

Our 6 finalists in the MBA Internship Showcase competed on Friday. They did such a great job and I am very proud of them. The winner will be announced tonight at the Networking Event. I know who won but I can't tell yet. Here are pictures of Friday's competition. We also had 8 students from the new MBA class that will start in January present. They came to learn more about the internship process and to get a heads up for the competition next year.

















Tonight's event is very important for our MBAs. Tomorrow is the Walton College's Business Career Fair. All employers who will be attending tomorrow's fair have been invited to the Networking event tonight. Our MBA students will be present with their poster. This gives the employers an opportunity to browse through and speak to them about their summer internship experience. Connections could be made that may result in future employment opportunities.

The following companies will be present at the Business Career Fair tomorrow. This fair is held in Willard J. Walker Hall, 11-3.

1. ABF Freight System, Inc.
2. Acxiom Corporation
3. American Airlines
4. AR State Bank Department
5. Ark. Dept. of Information Systems
6. Arvest Bank
7. AT&T
8. Bank of Arkansas
9. Becker Professional Review
10. BNSF Logistics
11. Cherokee Nation Enterprises
12. Cintas Corporation
13. Colgate Palmolive
14. ConAgra Foods
15. ConocoPhillips
16. CROSSMARK
17. Defense Contract Audit Agency
18. Deltic Timber Corporation
19. Dillard's Information Systems
20. EJ Gallo Winery
21. Eli Lilly & Co.
22. Energizer
23. Fastenal
24. FedEx Freight
25. Firestone Complete Autocare
26. GDH Consulting
27. General Mills, Inc.
28. Hallmark Cards
29. Hilti
30. HP
31. Internal Revenue Service
32. J.B. Hunt Transport, Inc.
33. Johnson & Johnson
34. LinkAmerica
35. Lowe's
36. Nebraska Book Company
37. Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
38. Pepsi Bottling Group
39. Reckitt Benckiser
40. Sam's Club
41. SC Johnson
42. Sears Holdings Corporation
43. Sherwin-Williams PSG
44. Southwestern Energy Company
45. Target
46. Transplace
47. Tyson Foods, Inc
48. U of A Graduate School of Business
49. UA Operations Management Program
50. Unilever
51. United States Marine Corps
52. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
53. Wells Fargo

Tomorrow I will be at Missouri State University's Business Career Fair and on Tuesday I will be at Tulsa University's Business Career Fair. I will be back in the office on Thursday.

Crazy morning-crazy semester!

What an insane morning. I visited two Accounting classes to talk about the Walton Master of Accountancy (MAcc) program, had a meeting about scanning (we are going paper less in the GSB so all of our incoming documents are being scanned), and had two student appointments - one was a visiting PhD applicant from Kansas so a tour was involved. This is the first chance I have had to sit down and write something. I haven't even tweeted yet today. That'll be next on my agenda. Once the semester gets started, this is just pretty much the way it is for me. I'll keep up a pretty fast pace until mid-November. Here is my recruiting schedule:

September 15th – Business Career Fair – Missouri State University
September 16th – Business Career Fair – Tulsa University
September 18th – Grad School Fair – Harding
September 22nd – Career Fair – Rogers State University
September 24th – Corporate Visit – Bentonville Plaza, 3:00
October 6th – Corporate Visit – Walmart ISD, 11-1
October 7th – Career Fair – Missouri Southern State University
October 13th – Corporate Visit – Tyson Headquarters, 127, 2:00
October 15th – Information Session – Arkansas World Trade Center, 5:30
October 15th – Career Fair – University of Arkansas – Fort Smith
October 20th – Career Fair – University of Central Oklahoma
October 23rd – Open House and Social
October 28th – Career Fair – ATU
November 3rd – Career Fair – Philander Smith
November 4th – Career Fair – UCA
November 5th – Career Fair – University of the Ozarks

If I am coming to your neighborhood, I would love to meet you. Stop by and say, "hi."

Keep Up With Our MBA Students

School is back in session and even though this is only the 3rd week of class, there is a lot going on. Check the links on the right. The MBA students have a lot to say right now. This is a great way to learn about them, their lives, and what it is like to be a Walton MBA student.

Dr. Raja Kali Joins the World of Bloggers

Hugely popular economic instructor, Dr. Raja Kali, is now blogging. Be sure to keep up with him and his insights into the world of economics at http://scale-free-economics.blogspot.com/. Dr. Kali teaches an economics class during the first semester of the Walton MBA. This class is consistently listed as a favorite in exit interviews held with graduating students. Students have loved his class so much that they have asked for further opportunities to take his courses. Because of his popularity and the current obsession that many are experiencing in regard to our economic situation, a professional development course taught by Dr. Kali was developed. This semester, he is now leading a discussion titled, "Realtime Economics" for one hour every other week. Walton MBA students can take this 8 hour series and earn one hour of professional development.

Over the course of the three-semester curriculum, MBA students earn 5 hours of professional development credit. This is earned in many different ways. One way it to take a "short course" such as the one Dr. Kali is teaching. By offering different topics throughout the three semesters, students are able to select what is most important to them - to "tailor" their degree program. Other ways of earning professional development credit include: image consulting, attending guest speakers, etc. There are many different ways to earn the credit and also many different opportunities are provided.

It is important that an MBA program stay current and up to date. By requiring professional development credits, the Walton College is able to implement new, "hot" topics quickly. Each year, the options offered differ. What is important and vital now may not be next year. We are able to respond to current demands and needs. I believe this sets us apart.

And the Winner Is...

It is too soon to tell but we do know it'll be one of these six MBA superstars: Stacy Carty, Brant Simpkins, Liz Slape, Adam Hale, Sarah Clark, and Matt Taylor. These students will present on Friday and the winner will be announced at the Networking Social on Monday. I always look forward to the Internship Showcase Finals. This is my chance to learn what our students are doing over the summer. This helps me in recruiting future students and gives me valuable insight to share with prospective Walton MBA students.

MBA application deadline is next week, Tuesday, September 15th. The admissions committee will meet on the 23rd. We currently have 28 students in the next class. I am expecting to have at least 38 after this meeting. Late applications will be accepted. I don't think we'll admit more than 45 into this class.

It's Finally Friday!

And not only is it Friday, it is a three day weekend.

Today our MBA students are competing in round one of the Internship Showcase. All Walton MBA students do internships during the summer between their first and second semesters. Three hours of credit are earned. As part of their requirements, students design a poster and a presentation. This presentation is then performed in front of corporate judges. The top 6 then move on to the final round of competition. This will be held on Friday, September 11, 1:00-3:00 in the Willard J. Walker Auditorium.

On Monday, September 14 all students will attend a Networking event. This event is for all vendors who will be attending the Walton Business Career Fair on Tuesday, September 15th. During this Networking event, Walton MBA student posters will be showcased and potential employers will have the opportunity to discuss their internships with them.

Between the presentations and the Networking event, this is an opportunity for our students to catch the eye of a potential employer. Both the final round of competition and the Networking event are open to our newly admitted MBA students who will begin in January as well as any prospective MBA students who would like to observe these opportunities in order to get a feel for the Walton MBA. Please email me at gsb@walton.uark.edu if you plan to attend either event.

Enjoy your 3 day weekend. I know I will.

Okay, I know I am Borderline Obsessed

Let me tell you how excited I was that there was a special on last night - the best dances from the five seasons of So You Think You Can Dance (SYTYCD). I am convinced that the network that broacasts SYTYCD and my satellite company (both will remain nameless but they know who they are) are conspiring against me. I curled up on my couch greatly anticipating getting to watch my favorite dancers again from all five seasons and guess, just guess, what happened. The sound and the video were slightly off and the video was very jerky. Then, with ten minutes left in the show, the station goes out completely. Now, if this had been the only time something like this had happened to me while I was watching this show, I would not think anything about it. But, and I am not exaggerating, although my husband does say that I do occasionally, I know of at least three other times that I experienced video difficulty during SYTYCD. On my frustration monitor this ranks right up there with when American Idol ran over announcing its season winner (between the two Davids) and the DVR recording ended before David Cook's last name was announced. Okay, even I have to admit that was pretty funny. Everyone who DVRed the season finale heard that the winner was......David, and that was it. End of recording.

Back to SYTYCD. The next season starts next week. Woohoo. I have watched this show since season two and I have noticed that the talent gets better each year. I am very excited about season 6. But you didn't know that, did you? I also DVRed Glee last night and am looking forward to watching it. I hope it is as hysterical as the advertisements have led me to believe it will be.

Not only is tomorrow Friday, but it is the Friday of a three day weekend. Labor Day is Monday, September 7th. The University of Arkansas will be closed that day. I am looking forward to doing as little as possible while still keeping my kids entertained. Busy kids make for a happy mom. Bored kids make for a grumpy, fussy mom. Also, tomorrow is a big football night for me and the kids. As long as the weather holds, we'll go watch the Greenland Pirates whup up on the West Fork Tigers in their season opener. Gotta love high school football. Then on Saturday, the Hogs play. Big weekend for football.

Okay, I suppose I'll get back to business now. There is less than two weeks to go for the early decision deadline for the Master of Accountancy and the final application deadline for the MBA. Be sure all admissions documents are submitted by September 15th. Students will receive decisions by October 15th.

Time Flies When You're Having Fun

The last time I wrote, it was still August. Now here it is already September 2. Where does the time go? I can't believe I am using phrases that I used to hear my grandmother say when I was a kid. I do try to post every day but yesterday just got away from me. I spent the entire day finalizing my numbers for fall 2009. What does that mean? It is big fun, let me tell you. Yesterday was my day for scrutinizing excel spreadsheets, running numbers, and updating reports. For each of our master's degree programs (Master of Accountancy-MAcc, Master of Arts in Economics-MAEcon, Master of Business Administration-MBA-full and part-time-MMBA, Master of Information Systems-MIS-full and part-time) I tally all applications received, of those how many were complete, how many were offered admission, how many accepted our offer, and then how many actually enrolled.

These numbers are then compared with last year's results. In a good year, I see increases in all areas. Since it seldom happens this way, I hope for an overall upward trend. Happily, this is exactly what I found. The Walton GSB saw an increase of 15% in inquiries, an increase of 36% in total applications, an increase of 15% in completed applications, an increase of 17% in admitted students, and an increase of 11% in enrolled students. The biggest increase was in PhD applications. Compared to last year, this year we received 46% more. I did find declines in a couple of areas but overall, we saw an increase across the board.

I can now put fall 2009 behind me and concentrate all of my efforts in finishing the MBA class that will begin in January. It is also time to get to work on next fall. No rest for the wicked.