Taking Flight – October 2015 Edition
Message from the Dean
Periodically, I like to highlight some of our outstanding programs here in the College of Business. Today, I’m going to give a shout out to our School of Accountancy.
I often tell students that accounting is the language of business; assets, liabilities, depreciation, revenue costs, etc. I’ve seen plenty of very good business ideas fail to deliver very good business results simply because the proprietors failed to understand the implications of such things. So, a good, working knowledge of accounting is important to every manager and every business major. But our accounting program offers much more than just a working knowledge.
Perhaps best known is our BBA in accounting; that’s the undergraduate degree awarded to students who complete the accounting major. It’s a rigorous and well-respected degree; however, it’s often just the first step for students seeking careers in the field. Many also go on to earn the Master of Accounting or MAcc Degree, which prepares them well for the CPA exam. As an aside, roughly 60 percent of our students who take the CPA exam pass it on the first attempt, which is significantly above the national average. Our MAcc program can be completed in class or online, and our online MAcc degree has been consistently ranked in the top 20 nationally by a wide range of professional publications. And I would be remiss if I failed to mention our fraud and forensics area. This unique program prepares students to do investigative work for a range of clients. Government agencies, regulators and law firms are just some of those that need trained specialists in forensic accounting.
Put the pieces all together, and you have one of the top accounting programs in the Southeast. To see for yourself, you need merely to look. Check out the depth and quality of our alumni and of our School of Accountancy Advisory Board. Look at the number and the strength of the firms that participate in our “Meet the Firms” event held each fall here on campus. Better still, if you want to appreciate the quality of this program, plan a visit. We’d be happy to host you and proud to show off the great things this group has accomplished. So, kudos to our School of Accountancy, its faculty, staff, alumni and students! You make us proud.
Alumni Spotlight – Marco Osorio
Marco Osorio (MGNT/POLS, ’14) is a real estate associate at Elegran Real Estate and Development in New York City. While at Elegran, he will obtain a real estate license and work closely with U.S. and international investors looking to invest in Manhattan. Currently, Marco is responsible for directing a classic mailing campaign that reaches exclusive residences in the city. As part of his responsibilities working with investors, Marco has been able to develop financial models that generate important metrics for investors to analyze their decision-making. Additionally, he is directly involved in assisting with the implementation of an industry-pioneering software that generates more than $500M in leads each year. According to Marco, the best part of his job is getting to meet interesting and influential people while learning to make savvy investment decisions in the hottest real estate market in the world. He adds, “New York City is a great place to expand your vision. The city never sleeps, and not one day is the same as the other[s].”
In Summer 2014, Marco attended an applied valuations and securities analysis class at the London School of Economics (LSE). His classmates included investment bankers, equity and derivatives traders, consultants, accountants, lawyers, and fashion merchandisers, as well as general entrepreneurs. The course focused on both fundamental and technical analysis of financial statements and investment opportunities. Marco credits Associate Professor of Finance Joseph Ruhland’s, Ph.D., summer finance course with providing him a solid grasp of financial markets. By the end of the LSE course, Marco was able to follow many markets and understand how they affect present and future earnings of a company. The final part of the course focused on investment strategies and portfolio management. To Marco, it was “financial ecstasy!”
After finishing at LSE, Marco was able to land a one-week internship opportunity with West Point Derivatives, a derivative brokerage firm, with assistance from Kwabena Boakye, Ph.D., assistant professor of logistics, who, Marco says, has always made himself available whenever Marco needed career advice. The firm focuses on single stocks delta one, exotics, volatilities, and equity index exotics among other hybrid financial products. Confused? Marco recommends discussing these types of derivatives with Joe Ruhland.
According to Marco, the College of Business provided him exposure to hard facts of life. His time at Georgia Southern allowed him to understand and define himself so that he learned what he could offer to others. The combination of learning a new culture and being a student athlete—Marco was on the varsity men’s tennis team, which changed his character and perspective toward life—while maintaining a high grade point average made him a stronger person. He credits Joseph Ruhland, Kwabena Boakye, Edie Olliff, instructor of accounting, and Dean Allen Amason for their inspiring mentorship and helping him to learn to “think outside of the box.” Marco says, “[they] are indispensable for the College of Business and the future of the program.” He also adds that his professors at Georgia Southern are his greatest resource as they are always willing to help.
As a recent international graduate, it is a challenge to financially drive himself to success while experiencing cultural and language barriers in such an expensive city. Marco has managed to adapt to New York and learned to enjoy what it has to offer, which, he admits, is a great deal. He especially enjoys the live music. Marco believes that, even though he cannot predict the future, with his motivation and willingness to work hard, the “sky is the limit.”
Practice Makes Perfect: Fraud & Forensic Accounting Students Conduct Mock Interviews
Students taking forensic interviews and interrogation in the fraud examination minor conduct weekly field interviews as part of their investigator training.
During the week of September 21, student investigators contacted potential witnesses to a criminal matter to obtain information and conduct logical investigation. The investigators were prepared to expect the unexpected since sometimes the individuals contacted may lie. The witnesses were actually students from a basic theater class instructed by Nicholas Newell, Ph.D. Newell assisted his students as they prepared their own scripts. Additional investigation is expected since the “witnesses” lied and will have to be interrogated.
During the week of September 28, student expert interviewers headed to Southeast Bulloch High School, where about 100 mock job interviews of students from five senior English classes instructed by Ellen Brinson, Karla Anderson, and Corey Green were conducted. Elaine Scripture and Judy Mincey closed down the school’s media center (library) for a day and half for the interviews. The high school students provided applications, résumés, and cover letters for review by Georgia Southern fraud and forensic students. Following the job interviews, students prepared evaluations and made hiring decisions. This student activity has received positive feedback from all parties involved, which also includes each of the high school teachers meeting one-on-one with all students to discuss their job interview evaluations.
Students now move into the interrogation phase of this training and will begin weekly exercises involving detecting deception, denials, accusations, rationalizations, and obtaining admissions and confessions.
Senior VP for the American Cancer Society Speaks to Intro to Business Classes
On Wednesday, September 23, Mr. Chuck Westbrook, senior vice president for the American Cancer Society (ACS), told his story to two introduction to business classes. A former CNN executive, Mr. Westbrook started out as a cameraperson at CNN, moving through the ranks from reporter, to host of his own talk show, to managing CNN.com prior to the AOL merger. Now as the senior vice president of a non-profit, Mr. Westbrook manages branding and corporate relations for ACS. During his presentation, he spoke about the differences between for profit and not-for-profit companies and the advantages and disadvantages of both. He fielded questions from the students and emphasized how important it is to recruit and maintain the best employees through training.
MBA Association Packs Boxes at the Second Harvest Food Bank in Savannah
The campus MBA Association (MBAA) joined up with students in the Savannah MBAA on Saturday, September 26 to help pack boxes for the mobile unit of Second Harvest Food Bank of Coastal Georgia in Savannah. Second Harvest “serves as the food safety net for tens of thousands of children, senior citizens, low-income families and people with disabilities who are at-risk for hunger throughout southeastern Georgia”. Twelve MBA students met with Emily Good, volunteer coordinator, at Second Harvest in Savannah and packed 500 boxes in two hours to be distributed to at-risk families in several Savannah-area counties.
Savannah MBA Association: Business Talk with Lori Collins, Owner of Savannah Coffee Roasters
The Savannah MBA Association (MBAA) held a business talk on the thrills and challenges of business ownership with Lori Collins, owner of Savannah Coffee Roasters on Monday, October 12 at the Savannah Coffee Roasters Morrison Room. The group enjoyed the beautiful cozy atmosphere, freshly roasted coffee and exquisite pastries while being entertained by Ms. Collins’s open and honest discussion of best practices in running your own business. She gave specifics on how to empower and support your employees, determine and own your core activities, create models that can be followed without your direction, market your business around its unique quality, and find your “why.” Savannah MBA students asked this established executive and business owner with 27 years previous experience in the corporate world and a computer science background their questions.
Matt Eddens had the idea for a business talk, and Elizabeth Nunes scheduled and coordinated with Lori Collins who graciously agreed to host our group. As guests, we also had Heather Fields (ACCT, ’13; MBA, ’14), and Vanessa Heidersberger, an interior designer interested in joining the Savannah MBA program!
Kim Hartsock Speaks to Intermediate Accounting Class
On Monday, September 28, Kim Hartsock (ACCT, ’00; MAcc, ’01), partner at Warren Averett, visited two Intermediate I accounting classes, and spoke about becoming a CPA and careers in accounting. She was assisted by her colleague, Kristen Birchett (ACCT, ’11; MAcc, ’12).
Kim recapped her journey from a student with no intention of becoming an accountant to her current position as a partner in a regional public accounting firm. She credits Lowell Mooney, Ph.D., with getting her interested in a career in accounting. She intended to become an attorney but met Mooney when taking an accounting for non-accountants course. After one exam, Mooney invited her to his office. At first, she was petrified at the request but soon learned that Mooney was impressed by her performance, and the purpose of the meeting was to encourage her to pursue accounting. He also suggested that Kim still become an attorney after attaining her CPA credentials. As it turns out, the legal profession’s loss was the accounting profession’s gain.
She described her progress at Warren Averett, which she has found to be most fulfilling. At first, Kim had little time for anything other than work, but, as she progressed, she had more time for her family life and community responsibilities. She also mentioned the flexibility in working times and locations (office, home, on the road) that comes with progression in the firm. She described the important and invaluable initial exposure and mentoring that she experienced in the firm and was supported by Kristen who is at that early stage and shared a common experience.
Kim encouraged the students to pursue their CPA credentials as early as possible, preferably before starting to work full time, and, while she had a distinct preference for the type of firm that she has been associated with for more than 15 years, she mentioned other categories of public accounting firms and the opportunities that each offers. She described the wide-ranging services and clientele of her firm and also informed the students about the wide range of accounting positions outside of a public accounting firm as well as non-accounting positions that are often occupied by CPAs.
Kim also spent some time describing what employers were looking for in job applicants. Beyond the basic academic excellence, she mentioned that demonstrated ability to handle many tasks and handle pressure were important attributes. Thus, managing family responsibilities, a job, involvement in school organizations and community work are all important attributes that can be substituted and complementary in demonstrating ability to cope with the demands of a CPA.
She closed by fielding additional questions from the students. At the end, many students engaged Kim and Kristen in conversation and obtained contact information.
Eagle Sales Showcase Training Workshop
The Georgia Southern Center for Sales Excellence hosted the Eagle Sales Showcase in conjunction with the University’s Fall Eagle Expo Career Fair. The Eagle Sales Showcase empowers ProSales students to develop the skills and knowledge necessary to be successful sales professionals through workshops given by corporate partners.
During the three-day program, ProSales students engaged with more than 25 corporate executives representing our Corporate Partners and Advisory Board from Tom James, Co., Enterprise, Aerotek, C.H. Robinson, Mutual of Omaha, SBDC, PLS Logistics Services, Nolan Transportation (NTG), OTR Capital, and Marquee Insurance Group, LLC. Workshops and coaching session topics included creating a compelling résumé, managing the interview process, leading a business conversation and building and managing a personal brand via social media.
While the experience offered students the opportunity for professional development, it also allowed both students and executive coaches the opportunity to network and build relationships.
“The students in the sales program are all top-level, professional, passionate, and focused on the art of sales. I applaud the Georgia Southern Professional Selling Program for preparing the Expo. All presenters and materials were valuable,” shared one executive coach.
Another shared, “I am extremely impressed with how organized this program is, how prepared the students are and how well-rounded they are at the end of the program. I had a great experience.”
During the three-day workshops, ProSales students participated in a variety of student-focused workshops on sales improvisation, professional dress, mentoring and proper business dining etiquette. Students shared that the overall experience was helpful in preparing for the job market, as well as enjoyable.
“This is an amazing experience. I am surrounded by successful, influential executives who are eager to engage with me. You don’t get this experience everywhere, and it’s an amazing opportunity to grow and invest in our future,” shared a ProSales student. “I learned so much and was reminded why I love sales so much and why I am excited about an internship and a career in sales.”
Dedicated to excellence in sales education and based in the university’s College of Business, the Center for Professional Selling is recognized as one of the premier sales education centers for the profession. The workshop emphasizes further development of ProSales students, allowing a better understanding of a career in sales.
Workshops were designed to discuss the fundamentals of selling with new ways of thinking, new approaches, and expanding those fundamentals to include essential new elements in sales. Some lessons were
- leadership skills at all levels are vital to an organization’s success and ways to improve those leadership skills,
- preparing properly for a sales call and knowing the right questions to ask,
- preparing for objections, and
- becoming more customer-centric.
Another Successful Eagle Expo Career Fair
The Office of Career Services held its semi-annual Eagle Expo on Wednesday, September 30, from noon–4 p.m. at the Recreation Activity Center (RAC) on campus. The largest fair of the semester, Eagle Expo attracted 108 employers from various industries, recruiting students and alumni from all colleges at Georgia Southern; 791 students and alumni turned out to take advantage of full-time, internship, and co-op opportunities, many of them receiving on-campus interviews the following day.
“Multiple employers approached me after the fair to let me know how impressed they are with our students,” Amy Taulbee, associate director of Employer Relations and Experiential Learning, states. “Georgia Southern students’ skills and preparation stand out among the crowd, and we increasingly find ourselves on companies’ lists of favorite places to recruit.”
Students of all graduate and undergraduate levels, as well as alumni, are encouraged to attend the fair, even if they’re not currently searching for an open position. Career fairs, like Eagle Expo, not only offer a chance for students to learn about and apply for open positions but also serve as valuable opportunities to network with employers and practice selling their skills.
The Office of Career Services serves all Georgia Southern undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni, providing essential guidance on career-related topics from freshman year beyond graduation. The office is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for appointments, and noon to 4 p.m. for walk-ins.
From the Classroom to the Community
On Thursday, October 1, Stephanie Sipe, J.D., associate professor of legal studies, and Stan Suboleski, Ph.D., assistant professor of management, welcomed Edgar Alamo, outreach coordinator for Goodwill Job Connection of the Coastal Empire, Inc., to a joint meeting of their classes, employment law and legislative compliance and introduction to business (honors). Students from these classes are involved in a service learning activity that takes them out of the classroom and into the community. These students will form teams and go visit local organizations to (1) educate human resource managers about the services that Goodwill Job Connection provides to workers and to employers who are seeking to fill positions, and (2) identify current needs in the market in terms of skills and training for purposes of reporting back to Goodwill Job Connection. The students will then report their findings to the class and prepare a report of those findings, along with job descriptions from each employer the students gathered for Goodwill Job Connection. The purpose of this learning activity is to strengthen the alliance between Goodwill Job Connection and local employers and to give students who are interested in business careers the opportunity to gain experience giving professional presentations and preparing reports.
Welcome to Fabulous Las Southern – Homecoming
This month we celebrated Homecoming week, October 12–17. This year’s Homecoming theme, Welcome to Fabulous Las Southern, played off the iconic Las Vegas sign. Homecoming festivities kicked off with painting the campus blue and Pennies for Eagles, which is supported by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. The purpose of Pennies for Eagles is to raise money to give awards to Georgia Southern students in extreme financial hardship. A popular event this year during Homecoming week was the T-Shirt Swap. At the T-Shirt Swap, students exchanged non-Georgia Southern University collegiate apparel for a brand new, Georgia Southern Homecoming t-shirts. The week wrapped up with the annual Homecoming Parade and Celebration. During the Celebration, the winners of the Paint the Campus Blue competition were announced. Saturday brought the True Blue 5K/10K at 8 a.m. and the crowning of the Homecoming king and queen at halftime during the football game against the New Mexico State Aggies. The College of Business finished up the week’s festivities with another successful Homecoming tailgate. During halftime at the football game, Ms. Kayla Wilkinson, senior marketing student, was crowned Homecoming Queen 2015. Congrats, Kayla!
Eagle Executive Exchange Season is Here!
The College of Business hosted the Eagle Executive Exchange in Statesboro at the Georgia Southern Museum on Thursday, October 1. Thanks to Billy Hickman and everyone at Dabbs, Hickman, Hill & Cannon for sponsoring the event. As Billy mentioned at the event, the Dabbs-Hickman firm has been a huge supporter of Georgia Southern for many years. Not only are a large number of its team members graduates of the College of Business, but the firm has established and continues to support an endowment to assist the School of Accountancy.
The crowd of 40 learned how they can stay involved in the College of Business and allow us to grow our brand, attract more and better students, and help our alumni connect with each other. Here are a few ways you can stay involved:
Become a Member of the Eagle Executive Society
The Eagle Executive Society is a resource to the College of Business and our 20,000+ alumni. The members form a network of professionals who support one another and invest in our programs and students. Members of the Eagle Executive Society serve as guest speakers; they sponsor internships; and they provide guidance to students and young graduates. They invest in the College of Business, its faculty and programs, and so, expand the learning environment.
Keep In Touch
Visit the Georgia Southern Alumni Association’s official online community, Eagle Connect. There you can share your achievements, keep up with the latest alumni events in the area, update contact information, and search for and reconnect with former classmates.
Mentor Our Students
Take the time to give back to our current students by offering your time and talents by joining the Evisor Mentor Program. Register on the Evisor site, create a professional bio and indicate your availability and areas of expertise. From there, students can search for mentors/advisors, and alumni will have the ability to connect with students by phone or in writing. By connecting alumni and students through a mentorship program, the College of Business will better help our students with internships, career counseling, and ultimately land their dream job.
Atlanta Eagle Executive Exchange
Save the date for the Atlanta Eagle Executive Exchange on Thursday, November 12 at the Country Club of Roswell.
Finance Association Helps with Homes for Heroes
The Finance Association joined the Downtown Statesboro Development Authority (DSDA) in their Homes for Heroes project. In the inaugural year of the project, the DSDA, along with the Finance Association, plans to develop affordable homes for firefighters and police officers in the downtown area and simultaneously help develop the low-income neighborhoods around Main Street. The DSDA purchased three corner homes off of East Main Street that were built in the 1940s but have not been maintained. The homes were littered with trash and debris, including furniture, countless empty bottles and food containers. Over the course of two weekends, Finance Association members devoted their Saturdays and Sundays to help entirely clean out the houses and prepare them for construction. The next step will be renovating and updating the houses to make them livable and desirable homes for the heroes of the community and to set them at affordable prices that will allow the DSDA and its sponsors to continue this project in the long term.
For more information on the project or how to help the DSDA, email Finance Association President Hayden Boudreaux at hb02125@georgisouthern.edu.
BIG Pitch Competition’s Inaugural Winner
On Sunday, October 11, eight collegiate teams from around the nation, hand-selected by three review team members with skills in research and development, business development, and marketing, had three minutes to pitch their sustainable innovations that improve economies, health and the environment to a panel of four members with varying backgrounds in transportation, agriculture, mining, and construction, among others, at the inaugural BIG Pitch collegiate competition. The four distinguished panel members asked questions of each of the finalists in front of the delegate audience. Not only were the finalists pitching to the panel members but to about 100 delegates in the audience who voted for the winner of the $10,000 cash award. Following the eight pitches, the delegates had time to mingle with the finalists during a reception and ask individual questions before voting closed early Monday morning.
At around 9:30 a.m. on Monday, October 12, Allen C. Amason, dean of the College of Business, took the stage and announced the winner of the inaugural BIG Pitch competition held in conjunction with Ocean Exchange’s 2015 event. Opus 12, the team from Stanford University pitched its idea and came out on top. According to Millicent Pitts, CEO of Ocean Exchange, the winner and first runner-up were separated by only one vote.
Stanford University team, Opus 12, pitched Renewable Fuel Production from Carbon Dioxide. Through technology developed at Stanford University, Opus 12 can take carbon dioxide and convert it into usable fuel, ethanol, which can then be used by oil refineries and corn ethanol plants. “Opus 12 is extraordinary, and truly delivers on the vision of Ocean Exchange,” stated Kelly Carnes, former Assistant Secretary of Commerce over Technology Policy, president and CEO of TechVision21 and Ocean Exchange panel member. “The team has combined a very innovative solution that transforms climate damaging [carbon dioxide] into useful products with a very sound business plan to scale and commercialize the technology. I would also like to congratulate all of the BIG Pitch teams; all of the concepts were innovative, and the presentations were polished and professional.”
“Our first BIG Pitch was a rousing success,” said Dominique Halaby, director of BIG. “The enthusiasm, passion and innovation each of the teams exhibited for making our world a better place was truly inspiring. I am very proud of each of the finalists and excited about what the future holds.”
BIG Pitch facilitates the adoption of undergraduate and graduate innovations that improve economies, health and the environment. BIG Pitch is part of the Business Innovation Group (BIG) at the Georgia Southern College of Business and partners with Ocean Exchange.
For more information on the BIG Pitch Competition, the Ocean Exchange, or Georgia Southern University entrepreneurship programs, please contact Millicent Pitts, CEO of Ocean Exchange at 912-257-0209 or email at millicent.pitts@oceanexchange.org; or Dominique Halaby, DPA, director of the Georgia Southern University Business Innovation Group at 912-478-2733 or email at dhalaby@georgiasouthern.edu.
2nd BIG Café a Success
On Wednesday, October 14 at 9:00 a.m., more than 40 local entrepreneurs, students and faculty gathered at City Campus for the second installment of BIG Café. This monthly networking event is designed to help local entrepreneurs solve business problems using the input from the attendees, while enjoying a complimentary cup of coffee.
Brian Reiss, owner of Party Harbor Inflatables, was the first presenter of the day. His question for the audience was what would be the best way to grow his business – through an investor or a loan. Other business owners in attendance gave Brian great insight on the pros and cons of taking on an investor or a traditional loan to help him grow. Now, Brian will be better equipped to make the correct decision when expanding his company.
Paul Johnson, owner of Kingdom Cuts, was the second presenter. Paul’s question was how to grow his business into a franchise and still implement his core values, beliefs and philosophy into the company. Great advice was presented to Paul which included incentivizing the employees, who manage other locations of the business to implement his philosophy. Another recommendation was that Paul could find others who have the same moral compass as himself.
Thanks to everyone who attended. The next BIG Café will be on Wednesday, November 11 at 8:45 a.m. at City Campus (register here: http://evite.me/sm9NFPFjCd). Be sure to like the BIG Facebook page to view photos and videos from our events: www.facebook.com/GeorgiaSouthernCityCampus.
Golden Anniversary Accounting Lecture Series Features Tax Policy Advisor
On October 14, the College of Business greeted Monica McGuire, the tax policy advisor for U. S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R–GA), to campus. Ms McGuire was the second speaker in the School of Accountancy’s Golden Anniversary Accounting Lecture Series.
Ms. McGuire’s talk was held in the PAC and the event was attended by a group of 200 students, faculty and interested community and business leaders in Southern Georgia. She spoke on the topic of “Friends and Future Friends.” She spoke eloquently and with great humor about the politics and practicality of tax policy. Her overarching point was on the need for building healthy lasting relationships that lead to trust. Relationships permit collaboration and camaraderie to happen and move policy forward.
It’s been said that making laws is a lot like making sausage. It is better not to see them being made.
As Georgia Senator Isakson’s chief tax policy expert, Ms. McGuire described her experience of being right in the middle of the entire “messy” process. She was willing to recount some of her adventures with humor and compassion.
Her prior work includes time as a lobbyist and hosting a roundtable tax policy speaker forum. She developed strong working relationships with members of Congress and congressional tax staff, leadership staff, and budget committees as well as administration officials. These relationships are absolutely necessary to move past ideals and points of view, to proposals, on to bills, on to law and policy.
Employment Law & Legislative Compliance
On Thursday, October 15, Amanda Rickard of the Georgia Southern University Counseling Center spoke to Stephanie Sipe’s, Ph.D., associate professor of legal studies, employment law and legislative compliance class on sexual orientation, gender identity and challenges faced by gender sexual minorities (GSM) in the workplace.
Ms. Rickard discussed appropriate vs. inappropriate vocabulary terms, provided statistics on the negative impact of discrimination and oppression on GSM identified individuals, engaged in a learning activity with the students, and educated them how to respond appropriately to someone who identifies as GSM. “I was very excited about her presentation as it addressed some of the most current issues the human resource professional faces today with respect to an organization’s requirement to comply with federal and state employment laws,” stated Sipe.
Ms. Rickard is very knowledgeable in this field and currently conducts the Safe Space training on campus to support the Georgia Southern policies that prohibit discrimination against employees and students based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Welcome Lunch for New Students
The bi-annual Welcome Lunch for new BBA students was held on Friday, October 16 during Homecoming week. Members of the Dean’s Advisory Board and Young Alumni Board helped serve students lunch, while welcoming our newest Eagle Executive family members. The lunch served to approximately 700 students and faculty was provided by Subway, Barberitos and Little Caesars.
Taking Care of Business – Dean’s Advisory Board & Young Alumni Board
The College of Business hosted the Dean’s Advisory Board and the Young Alumni Board during Homecoming weekend. After meeting to discuss the business of the college, the two groups celebrated Homecoming by attending the Alumni BBQ and the College of Business tailgate. They finished their busy weekend by attending the game together Saturday night. The Eagles football team played hard against the New Mexico State Aggies and won 56-26. The next meeting for the Dean’s Advisory Board will be in the spring, while the Young Alumni Board will meet in early March 2016 in Savannah.
Registration is Now Open for Eagles on Wall Street 2016!
Eagles on Wall Street (EoWS) is an experiential learning course similar to a study abroad-type course. Participating students spend one week in New York City visiting firms and organizations in the financial system. During the visits, students have the opportunity to learn from industry professionals, build networks, gain valuable internship/job insights, and develop relationships with one another. This course yields knowledge that simply cannot be gained in a traditional classroom setting. The class meets on selected dates during the Spring 2016 semester.
The course is open to all majors and the only prerequisite is principles of corporate finance. The travel dates are Monday, May 9 through Saturday, May 14, 2016. These dates are selected specifically to not interfere with the spring or summer academic semesters.
The program cost is $1,320 per person (payable in installments) and covers lodging, some meals, and entry fees to any required visits. Air and ground transportation as well as other meals and activities are at the student’s expense as is any applicable tuition. An initial deposit is required for course registration.
Several College of Business alumni assisted in securing top firm visits for EoWS 2015—their help and involvement contributed greatly to last year’s success. The Department of Finance and Economics and the College of Business are looking to build on that success in 2016! Enrollment is available in the Department of Finance and Economics, College of Business, Room 3310.
Additional information, including highlights, photos, and student comments from EoWS 2015, is available on the Eagles on Wall Street webpage (https://parker.georgiasouthern.edu/dfe/eagles-on-wall-street). Students can also contact EoWS faculty: Allissa Lee, Ph.D., assistant professor of finance (College of Business, Room 3339) at alee@georgiasouthern.edu or Joe Ruhland, Ph.D., associate professor of risk management and insurance (College of Business, Room 3302) at jruhland@georgiasouthern.edu.
A ‘Hotbed’ of Talent
The CIO of Textron, a multi-industry global company with total revenues of $13.9 billion and approximately 34,000 employees, has recently identified Georgia Southern University as a hotbed of talent to be recruited when it comes to SAP business software. The company’s recruiting at the university has been so successful that it hosts a Lunch and Learn session at every TERP 10 bootcamp Georgia Southern holds. TERP 10 is one of the intensive certification programs offered by the Department of Information Systems and SAP America.
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Last updated: 3/11/2022
