Finals are around the corner

I survived the holiday break. Monday back in the office after a few days off can be a little hectic, too. It's almost 5:00 so I can mark this day off the calendar. My kids were out of school last week and I did take some time off to spend with them. This really means that I ran them around from place to place and broke up arguments between the two. Good times.

Thanksgiving was at my house this year. My sister and her family came over as did my mom. We even did some shopping on Black Friday. That afternoon, my mom, the kids, and I went and saw Tangled. It was very cute.

Finals begin next Thursday, December 9. The students came back today full of turkey and ecstatic over the Razorback win on Saturday. They have to focus for a few more days. The Hogs are currently ranked #7 and we are expecting an invitation to the Sugar Bowl on January 4 to play The Ohio State. We'll see how it all turns out.

Walton Alumni Quoted in Forbes

Research conducted by Heather Dixon-Fowler and Daniel Slater, alumni from the PhD in Management, is cited in this Forbes article: http://blogs.forbes.com/freekvermeulen/2010/11/22/does-an-mba-make-you-unethical-finally-some-evidence/.

This is quite an honor. Heather is featured in our PhD brochure at http://gsb.uark.edu/brochures.asp. Application deadline for PhD is January 15. You too can join their ranks as graduates from a Walton PhD program.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

Holidays are approaching

I have to say that I approach this time of year with mixed emotions. I truly enjoy the holiday season. Fayetteville is beautiful right now. The leaves are still very colorful. Within the next few days the Lights of the Ozarks will begin. Festivities are kicked off with a Parade. Visit http://www.fayettevilleflyer.com/2010/11/15/lights-of-the-ozarks-parade-and-lighting-ceremony-set-for-saturday/ for full details. While I do love this time of year, things can get hectic.

My travel is finished for the semester. I am attending the RLUG meeting this afternoon in Rogers. RLUG stands for RetailLink Users Group. I am looking forward to talking to this group about the Walton Managerial MBA.

I will be taking some time off Thanksgiving week. My mother and my sister and her family will be coming to my house for Thanksgiving dinner. I need to get my house clean and get everything ready for company. I also need to make the final run to the store. Here is where the hectic part comes in. My daughter's (Zoey) basketball season has begun. She is playing in a tournament this week. We played in the first game last Saturday and they won. They play their second game tonight. If they win again, she'll play on Saturday. Did I mention that this tournament was in Berryville, about an hour away? Good times. I do love basketball season but it can be exhausting. Typically there are a couple of games each week, at least.

Before we know it, the Christmas holidays will be upon us. The students are gearing up for their finals and are counting down the days to the end of the semester. Dead day (no classes) is on December 8 and finals begin on December 9. After this semester is behind them, they will only have one semester left. They can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel.

The next MBA class will begin in January, only two months away. I do have a couple of late applicants who are trying to get everything submitted to begin with this next class. It looks like we may be reviewing a few more files.

So, there is quite a bit going on right now. My kids are out of school next week - yippee. My time off will be spent entertaining kids. I am looking forward to spending some time with them. I am sure we'll take in a movie or two.

I'll try to check in over the holiday break. The University is closed November 25 and 26. I'll be in and out between now and then.

Lean Six Sigma

I am participating in Lean Six Sigma White Belt training today. This course is being offered as part of Professional Development (PD) to our MBA students. Our PD series in the Walton MBA is truly unique. Students earn a total of 5 hours of PD credit. One hour is earned through attending 10 guest speakers over 3 semesters. Another credit is earned through your interactions with the Career Development Center. PD credit is also earned through attending workshops that cover various topics that are not already covered in the MBA curriculum. We have offered workshops on Advanced Excel, Negotiation, etc. Not everything can be covered in a typical class and it does take some time to implement a new course into the curriculum. By offering and requiring PD, we are able to add significant value to the Walton MBA. This also allows us to remain current and cutting edge.

Today's workshop is on Six Sigma. Lean Six Sigma improves processes and eliminates waste and excess cost. It is also based on data and facts. Lean is a methodology that focuses on reducing cycle time and eliminating waste in a process.

I am very excited about learning more about Six Sigma. It is not uncommon for me to run into a "black belt" when recruiting for the MMBA, our part-time MBA program. Now I will understand this process and be able to relate to these individuals more effectively. Today's class is being led by Greg Hayes, a black belt with Walmart.

GWIB

You may be asking, what is GWIB? GWIB is a new organization, Graduate Women in Business. If you are a woman in business, please join us for our first get together this Thursday at PF Chang's in Rogers.

MBA Campus Visit Day was yesterday

Whereas the Walton College hosts an Open House here on campus each semester, this was our first attempt at an event specifically intended to attract MBA prospective students into visiting our campus. The Open House events are held in the evening and are for our local students. The Visit Day is for those students who may not be from this area, making an evening event difficult to attend. We decided to host this day on a Monday so that students could travel to Fayetteville over the weekend. Last weekend was Homecoming and students were given information regarding how to purchase football tickets.

The event yesterday was 8:30-1:00. Ten prospective Walton MBA students attended. I was very pleased with this inaugural result. The day began with the necessities - application requirements and MBA program specifics. This was followed by a campus tour. The weather cooperated beautifully. The leaves are turning and it is a very nice time to visit Fayetteville. Next was lunch with current MBA students and alumni. This gave our visitors a chance to talk to the current class as well as to ask how our alumni are doing. At this time, Dr. Jeff Murray, MBA instructor, provided a lecture on Semiotics. Following the lunch and learn, our visitors were able to talk more specifically with our alumni.

Walton's first MBA Campus Visit Day was a success. We'll host another event in the spring.

On Friday, November 12, Walton College is hosting an SAS day. Visit: https://sharepoint.uark.edu/sites/UITS/sas/default.aspx for more details.