Our Beautiful Campus

It is so unbelievably beautiful in Fayetteville right now that I decided to go snap some pictures to share.

This is right outside of Willard J. Walker Hall, Walton GSB's home.

Fayetteville Public Library as seen from the 4th floor of our building.

View from the 4th floor.

This is funny. It's summer so there are plenty of scooters on campus.

View from our building.

Beautiful mountain view from our building.

Very picturesque.

World-famous Dickson street.

The front of Willard J. Walker Hall.

Shollmier Plaza-in between our building and the other business building.

The financial trading center.

A study area on the 4th floor and a great view from the balcony.

 

A Safari Right Here in Arkansas

On Monday I spent the day with my 8-year old son, Jack, and his 2nd grade class at the Gentry Wildlife Safari. I had never been before and was pleasantly surprised. Gentry is about 45 minutes northwest of Fayetteville. Here are some of their animals.

This is Jack in the petting zoo.

 

Jack is feeding the little goats. They were so cute.

This momma is carrying her baby, who is taking advantage of the position and eating, too. 

Northwest Arkansas has many hidden gems. I recommend visiting the Gentry Wildlife Safari.

Another Semester Wraps Up

Finals week is drawing to a close and happy delirium has set in. Students no longer know their names, and at the same time they are ecstatic that they have taken their last test (for a few months for some and forever for others).

The Walton GSB graduation party is tomorrow night at Mermaids. This is an annual event always held the Friday before Commencement. Walton GSB students who are graduating are encouraged to attend and to bring their families. I enjoy this event. Students are happy and families are proud. I love meeting the moms, dads, sisters, brothers, husbands, wives, children, and all others who have been a part of this journey.

Commencement is Saturday, May 12th at 12:30 in Barnhill Arena.

Congratulations to all of our graduates!

Also, happy Mother's Day to all the moms.

MBA Numbers - First Round

The MBA admissions committee met on Friday, April 20. I haven't posted numbers since then due to the fact that I took a little trip to Austin for the NAGAP annual conference. My daughter, Zoey's, 15th birthday was also last weekend and that had me really busy. So, here I am, a few days late with the results.

The committee reviewed 51 completed MBA files. Thirty offers of admission have gone out. Keep in mind that this is the first meeting after the early decision deadline. The Walton College offers 15 fully funded GA's - tuition is waived and a stipend of $3,000 is provided for each semester. The funding is awarded to those who apply by this deadline. Half of those offered admission received this level of funding. The final deadline is September 15. All funding has been awarded. In-state tuition and fees are approximately $25,000 while out-of-state and international students should expect to pay about $55,000.

I encourage you to research the cost of top-ranked MBA programs. The Walton College's MBA programs (both full and part-time) are ranked #25 among public MBA programs by U.S. News & World Report. The full-time program is ranked #2 among all MBA programs in employment at graduation. This program is priced very competitively considering it is well ranked, well respected, and its students are getting amazing jobs. Visit http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/career/ for more detailed information about the companies that recruit at Walton and hire our students.

Early numbers for the 30 students who were offered admission are:

average GMAT = 664
average age = 26
14 are female
17 are international

If you would like to join the class that will begin in January, be sure all materials are submitted by September 15. You can find a convenient list of our application requirements at http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp. Email questions to gsb@walton.uark.edu. We received 122 completed applications for the class that began this year and enrolled 46 students. To learn more about the Walton MBA, go to http://gsb.uark.edu/mba.asp.

The committee reviewed 38 completed applications for the part-time MBA (MMBA) program. Offers were made to 24 students. Average GMAT = 591. Final deadline is July 1. This program received 93 completed applications last year and 67 students enrolled last fall. This program receives most of its applications over the summer. Thus far, companies represented by these 24 students include:

Walmart
Nabholz Construction
Nielsen
Washington Regional Medical Center
Sam's Club
JB Hunt
Kimberly Clark
Tyson Foods, Inc.
as well as a couple of local banks, an electric coop, and many others.

The cost of the MMBA is all-inclusive, including tuition, fees, books, food on class day, etc., and is the same for in-state, out-of-state, as well as international students. Those starting this fall will pay $31,750 for the two-year, 38-hour program. Several students do drive in for this program, which meets for class just one Saturday each month, and a few also fly in. Again, this is a very well-priced part-time option. Visit http://gsb.uark.edu/mmba.asp to learn more. In order to start this fall, we do need all application materials by July 1. Orientation is August 2-5 and is mandatory. This is the only time that you are required to be away from work. All other class meetings are held on Saturday.

Business Graduate Students Tackle Issue of Online Education

Business Graduate Students Tackle Issue of Online Education-read about it at http://newswire.uark.edu/article.aspx?id=18282.

Walton Small Business Teams

This video summarizes Walton's amazing entrepreneurship program and the small business plan teams that have formed from the program. These teams have achieved great success and many businesses have gone on to fruition. Check it out:

http://ice.waltoncollege.uark.edu/mediasite/Viewer/?peid=d43a0364ec99454cb3d7eaceb177dad81d

You Must Read the Student Blogs

If you haven't been keeping up the the Walton MBA student blogs, now is the perfect time to catch up. They have exciting news to share. All three have been very busy and the two who are graduating write about their jobs! YES, THEY HAVE JOBS. Graduation is in 5 weeks. I have added a new student blogger, Tammy Lippert. Tammy is a first year student who joins us after finishing her law degree. These blogs provide unique insight into the program. Students talk about their classes, graduate assistantships, internships, guest speakers, corporate visits, trips, etc. They tell it like it is. If you want the insider's perspective, check them out. The links are found on the right hand side of my blog.

In 2010, Walton full-time MBA students were 83% employed AT GRADUATION. This was #1 in the nation. In 2012, our fantastic and amazing students were 86% employed at graduation. We fell slightly to #2. We are still very proud. Three months after graduation, the class was 91% employed! These findings are in the new US News & World Report Best Business Graduate Schools rankings. None of this would be possible without the tireless efforts of the Walton Career Center. Visit them at: http://waltoncollege.uark.edu/career/.

The early decision deadline for the full and part-time MBA was Monday, April 2. However, the committee is not scheduled to meet until the 20th. Therefore, all files completed by the 16th will be reviewed. This gives you a few more days to submit materials. You can find a convenient list of our application requirements at http://gsb.uark.edu/admissions.asp.

Now let's talk about the weather. I absolutely, without a doubt, love this time of year in Fayetteville. The trees are green, flowers are blooming, and it's perfect "sittin' on the deck" weather. In fact, I am meeting a friend after work today to do just that. It's been in the 70's and lower 80's. For me, it doesn't get much better. I even took my kids to the river on Sunday. The water was a little cool but it was sunny and warm, perfect for me to sit in my chair with my feet in the water and a good book. And it is grilling time. Nothing smells better than steaks cooking outside on the grill.

Prom is next weekend. My 14 year old freshman daughter has been invited and is going. That's another story for another post. I hope everyone has a wonderful weekend and be sure to enjoy this beautiful weather.