The Walton MBA

This newly designed retail-focused MBA first began in January of 2007. Our second class will be graduating on May 9. I have mentioned that this class is experiencing success in the job market despite the current economic situation. The success of our MBA students is very important to us and it is also important that the program meets their needs - that it is relevant and current. I have also referenced the MBA Advisory Council. The purpose of this council is to bring concerns and issues to the awareness of the GSB.

Another way that we are keeping our finger on the pulse of the program and our students, is that we conduct exit interviews. All graduating students from both programs, full-time and part-time are interviewed just prior to graduation. The first round was done yesterday. I wanted to share with you some of the positive things that these graduating students had to say about the Walton MBA. Keep in mind that this is their chance to tell us everything, good and bad, about the program and their experience. We are very responsive - it is important to constantly update and amend so that we are meeting our students' needs and producing a quality product.

This is what they had to say:
They feel that our office is very open to their problems. The things they liked most were the summer internship experience, the graduate assistantship opportunities, our technology and facilities (specifically the project/small group rooms), our faculty, and the Orientation week.

When asked about the benefits of this program, they had this to say:
The length of the program was a huge selling point.
They think the Walton MBA is a great value - a good deal.
The location is phenomenal - one student said he had no idea of the opportunities located in Northwest Arkansas and that he truly felt that we are located in the center of the retail world.
The small class size was listed as a positive of the program.
They like the diversity of the class and the talent of the class - it's a huge benefit and much is learned from fellow classmates. It adds greatly to their experience.

Overall, I was very happy to hear our graduating students say such positive things about the program. Yes, they did offer suggestions on ways to make it even better and these will all be given due consideration and some will be implemented.

Monday was a big day for us

Let me start by saying that I am not from Arkansas. In fact, I was raised a Sooner. Growing up in Oklahoma, I didn't know a lot about Arkansas. I have now lived here since 1995 and I LOVE Fayetteville. It is a beautiful community and a great place to live and raise a family. There is so much to do - all in a great, small (pop. 70,000) college town.

Not only did I not know much about Arkansas, I knew nothing about the University of Arkansas. When you grow up in Oklahoma, there are two other schools that will remain nameless on this blog that get a great deal of attention. For those of you like me who know little or nothing about the UofA, let me take this opportunity to educate you, primarily about the Walton College. The Walton College is the 24th ranked (by US News & World Report) public school of business in the nation. No bordering state, except for Texas, has a higher ranked public school of business than we do. So, for those of you who are in Oklahoma, Missouri, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Mississippi - if you want to study business, we should be your top pick.

Our business school has a total population of about 3500-3600 and the Graduate School of Business has a population of about 300. We are small, but we are good.

So now that I have sold you on the UofA and the Walton College, I want to talk about our Distinguished Lecture Series and why Monday was such a big day for us. On Monday morning, oil man T. Boone Pickens spoke at the University (in the Walton College) about his energy plan and our need to no longer be dependent on foreign oil. This event was well attended and was piped into several other locations around campus.

That same night, George H. W. Bush spoke at Barnhill Arena on the UofA campus. Take my word for it, the University of Arkansas is where it's at.

AND, the Razorback baseball team defeated number 1 ranked Arizona State last night, 7-3. It just doesn't get much better than this.

It's Internship Time for the MBA Students

I just attended an internship workshop that was held for our new MBA students by the GSB and the Walton Career Development Center (CDC). The summer internship is an important component of the Walton MBA. Our MBA students are required to either complete a summer study abroad or an internship.

CDC Director, Heather Sprandel, shared some good news and some bad news with us. Let's get the bad news out of the way first. The current economic climate is definitely affecting MBA hiring. In fact, Heather has never seen such a challenging recruiting season before. This is a nationwide trend.

Now, on to the good news. As of right now, the Walton MBA class of 2009 is achieving success on the employment battle field. Currently we are about 5% away from where we were last year at graduation in regards to the number of students with secured, post-graduate employment opportunities. Our MBA students are getting jobs! This is very good news and Heather believes our summer internship program is playing a significant role in this success.

This is just another reason to get a Walton MBA.

Crazy weather in Fayetteville

I went to sleep in April and woke up in January. It was a blistery 33 degrees when I came into work this morning. Brrrrrrrrr. I had to fight with my 5 year old son to get him to wear the "heavy" coat. He does not like his "heavy" coat and would rather wear hoodies and jackets. My daughter is nearly 12 (her birthday is the 29th) and I pretty much just let her wear what she wants. Everyone knows that parents can't make 12 year olds wear coats. And tonight my son has soccer. Good times.

To see what some Walton faculty members think of the current economic crisis, check this story out: http://researchfrontiers.uark.edu/14589.php.

The first admissions committee meeting for MBA and MMBA will be held next Wednesday, April 15th. If you are able to submit all of your admissions materials by this Friday, the 10th, we will be able to take your file to committee. If you have applied and are anxious to find out the committee's decision, you can email me at rcsmith@walton.uark.edu the afternoon of the 15th and I will let you know their decision.

Don't forget to go to gsb.uark.edu to chat live with me.

It's Friday!

It's a beautiful Friday afternoon in Fayetteville. It is a little cool, temperatures are hovering around 50, but it is a bright and sunny day. The Walton MBA does not have classes on Friday. However, the 4th floor is hopping right now. Friday is used to catch up - on work, projects, etc.

If our grad students are not in class or at work, many choose to use the 4th floor of Walker Hall to study and work together on projects. We have 12 small group rooms, all with 42" plasmas and marker boards.

As a graduate student in business, your student ID card is coded so that you have access to the building and to the rooms on the 4th floor. Walker Hall is a new, state-of-the art building. The GSB moved into this building in 2007. All MBA classes are taught in Walker Hall.

There are 2 classrooms on the 4th floor and all MBA classes are taught in one of them with the exception of finance. Finance is taught on the 3rd floor in the Financial Trading Center.

Students who choose the career track of Finance do spend a lot of time here.



To learn more, visit: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/walkerhall/.

Congratulations New MAcc admits!

The Graduate School of Business and the Accounting Department would like to congratulate the new admits to the Master of Accountancy. The Department offered admission to 41 applicants. Two applicants were asked to retake the GMAT. These applicants have the option of retaking the test, improving their score, and still beginning in the fall semester. One applicant is under further review. The program received 52 completed applications.

The letters have been sent to students detailing the admissions committee's decision. Many graduate assistantships (GA) and scholarship awards were also made. These letters are being sent out separately. If you haven't received your scholarship award yet, don't panic. If you want to know for sure if you were awarded a scholarship or GA, send me an email.

The Accounting Department will accept late applications through the summer for those students who are self-funded. All departmental financial assistance has been awarded. Student loans are available to domestic students. To complete the FAFSA, go to fafsa.ed.gov. If you would still like to begin the MAcc program this fall and are prepared to cover the cost of the program yourself, definitely go ahead with the application process.

Email gsb@walton.uark.edu with questions.

Not an April Fool's Joke - MBA Deadline is Today!

Happy April Fool's Day. I hope your computer is not infected with Conficker. I understand it's a nasty little worm. This day always brings back to me the terror I experienced every year on April 1 during my childhood. I am not a jokester and I've never enjoyed practical jokes. Growing up, I think I stayed in a state of constant anxiety all day every April 1. Now that I have children, I just never know what they are going to come up with.

This is not an April Fool's joke - today is the application deadline for both of our MBA programs. The early decision deadline for our full-time MBA is today. This deadline was designed to serve those applicants who may be exploring other MBA programs with fall start dates. These students need our admissions decision at the same time that they are receiving their other admissions decisions. With this in mind, we implemented an early decision deadline. Now students are able to receive all of their decisions at the same time and make the most informed choice.

Today is also the application deadline for our part-time/Managerial MBA (MMBA). This program starts in August and is designed for full-time working professionals with busy lives. Students attend class one Saturday each month for two years. In between these face-to-face contacts, they are working online.

Our first committee meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 15th. If you have submitted all of your application materials by Friday, April 10th, we will be able to take your file to committee. Official letters will be sent electronically by April 30th. To learn your admissions decision, you can email me on the afternoon of April 15th. I will be happy to alleviate any anxiety by letting you know the committee's decision.

So, to recap. It is not too late to apply for our part-time program. In order to receive an admissions decision by May 1, please submit all application materials by Friday, April 10th. We will continue to accept applications through the summer until the class is full. Last year we enrolled 58 students. We will take applications until we reach a class size of 60-65.

For you full-time applicants, if you would like an admissions decision by May 1, be sure we have all of your application materials by April 10th. Final application deadline is September 15. This program starts in January each year and is 16 months long - 3 semesters. I must warn you that this program is seeing a significant increase in applications. Thus far we have over 50% more applications this year than we had last year at this time. Competition is going to be very intense. If you are seeking a graduate assistantship, I recommend applying as soon as possible. We are expecting our financial assistance to run out this year before we have made our final admissions decisions.

In summary, submit all application materials for MBA or MMBA by April 10th to receive an admissions decision by May 1. For MBA, if you are not ready to apply by this date, apply as soon as possible for full consideration for financial assistance.