Days 2, 3, and 4

I am behind. Let me catch up. Tuesday, Day 2 of Orientation, was Team Day. The class had completed StrengthsQuest, on online assessment that determined their top 5 strengths out of a possible 34. The day looked like this:

8:00 StrengthsQuest summary
10:00 Break
10:15 Team building activity
12:30 Lunch
1:30 How to present a case
2:00 Presentation pointers
2:30 Dismissed

This was a very fun day. It began with relevant information regarding personal strengths. This helped students better understand themselves and also provided important information to allow them to work better in teams. The day flowed smoothly into a team activity.

Day 3 was spent working in teams on a case presentation.

Day 4, today, was the Case Competition. The class was divided into 12 teams. Three teams advanced to the finals. The winner of the 2012 MBA Orientation Case Competition was Team K - Thibault Vittet, Amberle Morgan, Mark Eastham. The case used was a Google case so here they are with their Google Championship Belts (complete with spinning "G"). I will post more photos next week.


Tomorrow is Retail Immersion day. We will start bright and early in the morning at 7:30. We'll load onto a bus and head to a Walmart distribution center. Lunch will follow and then the day will be capped by a visit to a local, major Walmart vendor. More to follow next week.

The University will be closed on Monday, January 16th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

MBA Orientation - Day 1

We kicked off our MBA Orientation today. The final class looks like this:

# = 46
GMAT = 631
GPA = 3.2
age = 25
35% female
32% international-representing China, India, Hong Kong, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and France.

Today's agenda looked like this:

8:00 - check-in and breakfast
8:15 - welcome
8:30 - ice breaker
9:45 - break
10:00 - program overview
10:30 - building your brand
11:30 - mentor activity
12:00 - lunch
1:30 - technology set up
2:20 - break
2:30 - graduate assistantships
3:00 - academic integrity
4:00 - career services
5:30 - current student/alumni panel off-campus

Tonight is also the national championship between LSU and Alabama, the only two teams the Razorbacks lost to this year.

Tomorrow we will start again at 7:45. I will update and post pictures as the week progresses.

Welcome Class of 2013!

Happy New Year

The University was closed Friday, December 23 through Monday, January 2. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday catching up on email. This is a very exciting and busy time for us at the Graduate School of Business.

On the Student Services side, we have MBA Orientation next week. Orientation is Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13. This is one of my favorite times of year. We are expecting 44 students. Many of them I have met, but there are also several others I have not yet had the privilege of meeting. I greatly enjoy meeting the students I have been emailing and corresponding with for so long. This is a busy, fun-filled week. I'll post more details and pictures as the week progresses.

On the Admissions side, our first of many application deadline is approaching. The PhD deadline is January 15th. Walton has PhD's in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, and Supply Chain. The first round of admissions decisions will go out mid-February.

The Master of Information Systems deadline is February 1. You can find the complete list of our application requirements at http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. Those who apply by the program deadlines are eligible for funding. Information about the funding available can be found at http://gsb.uark.edu/finaid.asp.

Tomorrow night is a big night for the Razorbacks. We play Kansas State in the Cotton Bowl. GO HOGS!

I Can't Believe Another Year is Nearly Over

I can remember when I was a little girl, hearing my grandmother lament about the passage of time. I often heard, "Where has the time gone?" Or, "I can't believe it's time to put up the Christmas lights again." I never really understood what she meant. As a child, time marches along fairly slowly - summer vacation is forever away and the days before Christmas seem to last 48 rather than 24 hours. As we age, we start to use the phrases of our parents and grandparents. I now find myself saying, with alarming regularity, "I can't believe another semester is almost over."

The University is closed for the Winter Holiday beginning on Friday, December 23. We return to the office on Tuesday, January 3, 2012. YES, 2012! Wasn't it just yesterday that we were storing water and batteries in preparation for world chaos to reign on January 1, 2000?

MBA Orientation is Monday, January 9 through Friday, January 13 and then the spring semester begins on Tuesday, January 17. On Monday, January 16, the University will be closed in recognition of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

PhD application deadline is January 15; however, I do recommend submitting all materials as soon as possible. Many departments will begin reviewing files before this published deadline. First round offers will go out mid-February. We do keep a small waiting list while we wait to hear back from this first group. Second round offers are then made if necessary.

MIS application deadline is February 1. You can find a complete list of all application requirements at http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp.

At this time of year, students are anxious to learn the status of their files. We, in admissions, answer these queries as quickly as possible. As the spring semester begins, we have back to back application deadlines. We will process PhD and MAECON, then move on to MIS, then to MAcc, Professional MIS, and finally to MBA and MMBA. I review all files prior to each deadline and inform students of any missing documents. Please be patient with us as we do have a small admissions staff and we are receiving more and more applications each year. This is an excellent problem to have.

Happy Holidays!

Catching Up

I have been trying to write on the blog all week. I am not sure what happened but I haven't been able to get it to save and publish. I split up what I wrote and am posting it in two separate posts and for some reason, it's working. Ah, technical difficulties.

I have been off the radar. Where have I been? I have had Disney on the brain. My family went to Disney World over Thanksgiving break. We surprised the kids and did not tell them until the day we left. It was a fabulous trip. If you have not been, I highly recommend it.

The kids and I visited the Lights of the Ozarks on the Fayetteville Square earlier this week. This is an annual Holiday tradition for many.

We are in our final stages of admissions for the MBA program to begin in January. We currently have 40 students who will start next month. I have four more complete files for committee review and I am expecting two more to be finished by the end of the month. Average GMAT is 632, average GPA is 3.25, and average age is currently 25. These numbers will change as we finalize this class.

For those who are planning on starting the Walton MBA in January of 2013, now is the perfect time to get started. To be eligible for funding, all material must be submitted by April 1. See our complete list at http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. Book your first GMAT for February. This way, if you need to retest, you can do so in March. Book it now! February fills up. Start studying! You need these two months to prepare adequately for the test.

Those most competitive for admission will have a 620+ on the GMAT, two years of work experience, and a 3.3 on their last 60 hours. These are NOT minimums. It does not mean that someone with a 660 and one year are not admissible and it does not meant that someone with a 580 and seven years of work experience are not admissible. The committee selects the best 40-45 of the pool. The pool varies from year to year.

Be sure to email gsb@walton.uark.edu with any questions about the Walton Master's or PhD degree programs.

MBA Update and Misc.

Of that list of 10 applicants that were sent to committee for the MBA program, six were offered admission. That brings our total possible to 41. We are unable to accept any more international applications due to the time left before the start of the program. It would be hard for me to turn down a highly qualified domestic applicant right now. This offer is open through the end of November. To find the complete list of our application requirements, visit, http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. The ideal candidate, at this last stage, would have a 620+ on the GMAT, two years of work experience, and a 3.0+ on his/her last 60 hours of degree credit. If you meet these criteria, you can apply at http://gsb.uark.edu.

For those looking to start the Walton MBA in January 2013, be sure to submit all materials by April 1, 2012 to be considered for funding opportunities.

PhD application deadline is January 15. First round of decisions will go out early to mid-February. I do not know yet how many seats each Department is looking to fill. It is usually 2-4. No specifics yet. More to come later.

This Saturday the Lights of the Ozarks will be turned on. I am not a huge fan of the cold but I do love this time of year. The Lights of the Ozarks are located on Fayetteville's historic square. From November 19 through the New Year, the lights will come on each night. This is a very popular destination for families and visitors. It is complete with pony rides, carolers, and even a camel or two.



I will be out of the office next week. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.