Business Horizons 2012-13 - Northern Michigan University

Dean’s desk
A note of appreciation
NMU College of Business Dean Jamal Rashed
C
ongratulations are due to all
of you, faculty and staff,
alums, students, Dean’s
Advisory members, administrators
and to all friends of the College of
Business. We have recently received
notification that our College of
Business has earned maintenance of
accreditation for our baccalaureate
and MBA programs from the
Association to Advance Collegiate
Schools of Business (AACSB)
International.
This achievement is a reflection
of the high-quality programs the
college offers at both the undergraduate and MBA levels, as well as the
commitment of our faculty and staff
to this fine institution. It is also
because of all of you who take our
future business leaders beyond the
classroom and provide hands-on
experience, help prepare them for a
career beyond college and offer guidance along the way. Thank you for
all of your hard work and efforts to
achieve this very significant mile-
stone for our current and future students, for our alumni, for our community and for our university.
AACSB offers the most
prestigious academic accreditation
available for business schools. Less
than 5 percent of the world’s business programs have earned AACSB
accreditation, which is the hallmark
of excellence in business education.
Founded in 1916, AACSB
International is the longest-serving
global accrediting body for business
schools that offer undergraduate,
master's and doctoral degrees in
business and accounting.
There are only about 650
business schools in 45 countries and
territories maintaining AACSB
accreditation and 178 institutions
maintaining an additional specialized AACSB accreditation for their
accounting programs. Business
programs aiming for AACSB
accreditation must satisfy the
expectations of a wide range of
quality standards relating to strategic management of resources,
interactions of faculty and students
in the educational process and
achievement of learning goals in
degree programs.
During the process, NMU’s
College of Business was visited and
evaluated by business school deans
with detailed knowledge of
management education, applying
standards of top-ranked business
schools that are widely accepted in
the educational community.
The AACSB visiting team
noted in the NMU’s best practices
report that “the Executive
Mentoring Program is particularly
noteworthy. The NMU College of
Business Mentoring Program brings
students, alumni and friends of the
College together for an exchange of
information on education,
professionalism, and aspirations. The
Mentorship Program allows students
in remote geographic locations to
obtain valuable advice and insights
from business professionals and
better prepares students to enter as
business professionals across the U.S.
and around the world. The team is
certain that the mentor relationships
will result in executive level meetings and job opportunities with
major global corporations.”
Finally, I would like to
personally thank our alumni and
friends for their enthusiasm and
love for our college. I hope you
enjoy this magazine.
Sincerely,
Jamal Rashed
Dean and Professor
of the College of Business
Call or e-mail Dean Rashed
at 906-227-2947 or bizdean@nmu.edu
Business Horizons
Business Horizons is published
annually by the College of
Business, Northern Michigan
University, for its alumni,
friends and benefactors.
NMU’s Dean Rashed meeting with Professor Khaled AlHamody, president of Qassim University,
Dr. Obaid AlMotairy, dean of Qassim College of Business and Economics and Dr. Nizar Alshwaiman,
vice dean for development.
Contents | 2012-13 Edition
DEAN’S DESK
Editorial offices
College of Business
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, MI 49855
906-227-2947
906-227-2605 fax
bizdean@nmu.edu
www.nmu.edu/business
Dr. Jamal Rashed, Dean
College of Business
Editorial Staff
Jody Lindberg
assistant dean
2
Successful Maintenance of Accreditation.
COLLEGE NEWS
4
Developments in College of Business programs and
initiatives. Faculty news and student profile.
TODAY’S COB
6
8
9
10
Opening doors to Saudi Arabia.
Expanding international partnerships.
Studying to live an international life.
Into India.
NEWS YOU CAN USE
Michael Nelson
development officer
11
12
13
14
Rebecca Tavernini
university editor
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT
Annette Brown
assistant to the dean
Katelyn Durst, Brandon Frisk,
Lucy Hough, Katie Hubbard,
Mylan Murphy, Brian Price,
Rebekah Tadych, Jackie Taves
student writers
Jenna Thompson, Greg Wilson
student photographers
17
18
19
20
21
How effective are your communications?
Student success with stock market advice.
Preparing for the real world: case studies.
Entrepreneurs in action.
Putting the MBA to work.
MBA student profile: Brianne Horton.
The internship difference.
Taking care of business: student groups.
Helping steer the ship: Dean’s Student Advisory Council.
SUPPORTING STUDENTS
22 An easy way to make an immediate impact.
On the cover: Chad Lewis ‘08 BS, past New Business Venture Competition participant, and current owner of
Lewis Boat Shop and newly acquired Ensign Spars, both based in Marquette. Photo by Jenna Thompson.
Printed on recycled paper with EnviroInk.
2012-13
3
College news
A Dubai Delegation
NMU MBA program named international
'Rising Star'
The Masters of Business Administration program at Northern Michigan
University, which was re-established only two years ago, was ranked 23rd
out of the top 35 international MBA programs named Rising Stars by
findyourmba.com. The 2012 ranking is based on noteworthy
improvements, current data and plans for the future.
“Our MBA program is named among the ‘most promising business
schools’ globally,” says Jamal Rashed, dean of the NMU College of
Business. “The MBA program at NMU has earned a reputation of
excellence in business and management education. Northern attracts
highly qualified students, with an average GMAT score of 620, and our
MBA students rank above the top 30 percent overall in the nation of
MBA students taking the graduate Educational Testing Service (ETS)
Exam.”
Findyourmba.com critiques business schools from a student’s
perspective. Some data used by established rankings is also used for the
Rising Stars, but the site states there are also “many assessment variables
which are unique to our ranking system. These include the forum activity
of students, Internet activity among MBA students, consideration of the
political climate, long-term investments of business schools and their
strategic choices.”
Inviting Asia
NMU's College of Business was included in the
Asia edition of Newsweek magazine in October.
The issue focused on schools accredited by the
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of
Business. Students are invited to learn more
about NMU’s programs at
www.newsweekshowcase.com.
4 BUSINESS HORIZONS
An NMU delegation visited
United Arab Emirates University
in February. NMU President
David Haynes, Vice President for
Advancement Martha Haynes,
Provost Paul Lang and Business
Dean Jamal Rashed met with
H.E. Dr. Ali Rashid Al Noaimi,
Vice Chancellor of United Arab
Emirates University and other
university officials.
The visit included tours of
the university's library and laboratories and discussions about the
history of UAEU, research
conducted there and possible
exchanges between the two
institutions.
"UAEU hosts a substantial
percentage of international
students, and faculty members at
the university aim to recruit
scientifically competent cadres to
elevate the level of education and
training provided for students,"
says Noaimi.
Haynes reports that he was
impressed by the high level of
academics and technology as well
as with the scientific research
being conducted at UAEU.
Haynes also had the honor of
privately meeting with the
United Arab Emirates Minister of
Higher Education and Scientific
Research, H.H. Sheikh Nahayan
Mabarak Al Nahayan.
Our outstanding students
Joseph Short is the outstanding graduating student
for the College of Business for the 2012-13 academic year. His nominating professor wrote, “Joey
is an exemplary accounting student at NMU.
Graduating this year with a 3.77 GPA, his intellectual ability and commitment to academics are
beyond question. Always prepared for class and
willing to try, he was often the ‘go to’ student for
difficult questions, setting an admirable example
for his peers while moving the class along. Joey attained his academic
excellence while working for Northern Initiatives, Student Support
Services, Upward Bound and Big Boy Restaurant. Amazingly, he also
found time to serve as president of Beta Alpha Psi and on the advisory
board for Student Support Services. Joey has been on the dean’s list since
fall semester 2009, while earning Makela, Toutant, Hill & Nardi and
Peter White scholarships.”
Tony Plemmons is the outstanding graduating
graduate student. He received his high school’s
business student of the year award in 2007 and
graduated from NMU with a bachelor’s degree in
finance in 2011. As a graduate student, Tony
served as a College of Business research assistant
where he helped build the College’s mentorship
program, assisted professors in their research and
maintained a stellar 3.97 grade point average. He also helped design, promote and run the college’s business profession program. In addition, Tony
taught a freshmen UN 100 seminar class. This past summer, he completed
a highly competitive internship as a business analyst for SNC, a defense
contractor in Folsom, Calif. His performance during this internship was so
impressive he was offered a full-time position in the company’s Colorado
office upon graduation.
Distinguished Faculty
Business professor Claudia Hart was one of five
2012-13 recipients of a Distinguished Faculty
Award, presented annually by NMU. Hart is a
Marquette native and has taught at NMU for more
than 30 years. Her excellence in teaching is shown
by positive feedback on student and peer evaluations. She encourages her students to always perform at their highest level and is an advocate of
active learning. Students in her MBA communications course conduct communication audits as service learning projects for
nonprofit organizations in the area. The collaborative and real-world nature
of this project benefits both the students and the Marquette community.
Reaching out
Jody Lindberg, assistant dean of
the college, reached out to our
Upper Peninsula neighbors with
MBA informational sessions in
Escanaba and Iron Mountain in
March. Northern is exploring
options to expand its course and
program offerings by partnering
with community colleges.
Also this spring, the college
offered a seven-week GMAT
preparation course to help students
and community members prepare
for this entrance exam.
CoB Student Profile
Number of students
802 / 27 (Undergraduate / Graduate)
Where they come from
Michigan—76% / 89%
Upper Peninsula—46% / 78%
Downstate—30% / 11%
Illinois—7% / 4%
Wisconsin—7% / 7%
Minnesota—2% / 0%
Other states and Int’l—8% / 0%
Genders and races
Males—59% / 63%
Females—41% / 37%
White—86% / 93%
Native American—2% / 0%
Black—2% / 0%
Other/Not Reported—10% / 7%
Most popular majors
Business— NA / 100%
Management—17%
Accounting—15%
Marketing—14%
Age
Overall—22 / 28
Females—23 / 30
Males—22 / 27
Source: NMU Institutional Research,
Fall 2012
2012-13
5
Today’s CoB
Opening Doors to
By Brian Price ‘12 BS
Saudi Arabia
T
he NMU College of Business has been thinking, and acting, internationally in 2012-13.
Through reputation building, sending students abroad, serving or mentoring, the college
has done big things and has big plans to continue to build off of this year’s work.
Dean Jamal Rashed set the tone for international outreach with his voluntary involvement
with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation
board. In December 2012, Rashed traveled to Qassim University in the Al-Qassim Province of
Saudi Arabia to be a mentor in helping QU apply for AACSB accreditation.
Rashed was heavily involved in the process, assisting with strategic planning, participant
standards, mentorship, assurance of learning, action plans and the goals and objectives for
graduate programs.
6 BUSINESS HORIZONS
“The goal of the trip was to
seen. Because they know us, they
guide the school through developing
expect us to know them.”
an alignment plan that will enable
All formal communication is
their school to attain an initial
done in English. Their curriculum is
accreditation,” Rashed says. “I met
a Western curriculum, the same used
with the president, provost, dean,
in American business education.
vice president for enrollment, faculty,
Qassim uses American textbooks in
students and alumni from the
the classroom as well.
business community.”
Qassim has 4,000 students in its
The campus of Qassim University in the Al-Qassim
AACSB is the longest-serving
College of Business and Economics
Province of Saudi Arabia.
global accrediting body for business
and more than 67,000 students at the
schools. Less than 5 percent of business schools worlduniversity. Rashed was happy with the impression NMU
wide have earned this distinguished hallmark of excelleft and what impact the visit could have for Northern.
lence. NMU first earned accreditation in 2002.
“The name Northern Michigan University was in
Accredited schools must apply for reaffiliation every
the local news, and it was published in their brochures
five years.
that an administrator from NMU was coming to menRashed observes that QU students are very eager to
tor students, so there were lots of students who went to
have their school accredited from an international accredour website,” he says. “They learned about our College
iting agency. He also notes some differences between Saudi of Business and NMU, and there were students who
Arabian students and their U.S. counterparts.
said they were planning to apply to Northern Michigan
“They are very motivated students, and the majori- because they looked at our website. This has further put
ty take their studies more seriously. They are more
NMU on the map worldwide.
focused on obtaining their degree because the govern“We are inviting at least 7,000 students who would
ment subsidizes their education. The government is
have ordinarily not heard of us to check us out for
committed to providing free education to its citizens,”
study-abroad opportunities,” he says.
he says.
Once Qassim becomes AACSB accredited, it will
Undergraduates in Saudi Arabia typically do not
be easier for NMU students to transfer credit hours
work, but they do frequently hold
back and forth, in terms of
summer internships. Students do
study-abroad opportunities in
not pay tuition or fees, and are
Saudi Arabia, and for QU
fully funded by the government,
students to transfer or study
which also provides a stipend.
abroad at Northern.
Without work on top of school,
Those opportunities go
Saudi Arabian students often can
beyond academics as well.
focus more on their degrees than
“Name any American
American students.
multinational company and they
This was Rashed’s first visit
have an office in Saudi Arabia.
to the country, but his experiAny big company: General
ence with the culture and local
Electric, Boeing, Philip Morris…
language was helpful in the
They have a huge presence
Northern currently has nine students from Saudi Arabia on campus. there,” Rashed says. “So how is
transition.
“I think given the globalizathat going to help? When these
tion and given that they have
companies are recruiting, it
“We are inviting at least
access to the media, they underbecomes easier for our students
7,000 students who would
stand the Western culture very
to be employed by those
have ordinarily not heard of companies because they would
well and they respect that. And
they’re expecting others who
us to check us out for study- be exposed to the culture, or at
visit their country to understand
least know something about it
abroad opportunities,” says
and respect their culture,”
through contact with Saudi
Rashed says. “That’s what I’ve
students.”
Dean Jamal Rashed.
2012-13
7
Expanding international partnerships
C
arol Steinhaus is also
putting an emphasis
on students traveling
abroad. Her work with the
International Business Studies
Exchange Network (IBSEN)
has created unique opportunities for NMU students on
campus and overseas.
“Employers love students
with international experience
because they are confident,
flexible, open to other
cultures and able to adjust,”
says Steinhaus, an associate
professor in management.
When she came to Northern in
2001, she saw a flaw in what the
university was doing with study
abroad.
“Other countries were sending
us four students a semester and we
were only sending one back,” she
says. “The exchange rate was out of
balance.”
Steinhaus first visited Bielefeld,
Germany, and began talks with the
University of Applied Sciences
there about academic exchanges.
Her work in Germany led to her
involvement in IBSEN, which
today is a network of nine universities in Europe and North America
facilitating the exchange of students among member schools.
Recently, with Steinhaus serving as
IBSEN president, they have
expanded to add Hallym University
in South Korea.
(Unrelated to IBSEN, but
indicative of our expanding partnerships in South Korea, this past
year, NMU signed memoranda of
understanding with Seoul National
University of Science and
8 BUSINESS HORIZONS
Technology and Hankuk University
of Foreign Studies.)
Through IBSEN, students pay
tuition at their home schools and
attend a semester or a year at a
partner school. Recently, some of
the European schools have begun
to offer summer programs to make
it easier and more affordable for
American students.
“We are also encouraging faculty exchanges, joint faculty research,
joint grant applications, and are currently pursuing some creative and
innovative ideas regarding student
internship possibilities,” she says.
While the only internship
abroad opportunity NMU formally
offers is in Dublin, Ireland, students
can also find internship abroad
opportunities through IBSEN and
the European Community Action
Scheme for the Mobility of
University Students.
“Business education abroad is
more involved in teaching international business. Going from
Germany to Switzerland is like
going from Michigan to
Wisconsin,” she says. “They are
forced to think internationally
all the time, where we are
not.”
Steinhaus is also excited
about increasing the number
of international students at
NMU because it helps our
students understand other
cultures and provides international students a chance to
teach American students
about international business.
“We’re going to bring the
world here so students are
aware of what is going on and
of international opportunities
and business—so we can learn from
their experiences.”
International Business
Studies Exchange Network
(IBSEN) member universities
Bern University of Applied
Sciences, Bern, Switzerland
Asper School of Business University of Manitoba, Canada
Saint-Etienne School of
Management, France
Northern Michigan University,
United States
Universidad de Vic , Spain
Fachhochschule Bielefeld,
Germany
Hogeschool Rotterdam, The
Netherlands
Hallym University, South Korea
Mikkeli University of Applied
Sciences, Finland
University of Cagliari, Italy
Greg Wilson
into the program. In return,
75 German students will
come to the United States. It
is not easy to distinguish oneself from so many applicants,
but Croschere may have an
idea as to why he stood out.
“Because I grew up in the
U.P. and am from a rural area, I
think I took a big-picture
approach. They could see my
passion,” he says. “I made it
clear I knew what I wanted and
had the passion to prove it.”
This will not be the Iron
Mountain native’s first trip to
Germany. He was in Bielefeld, Germany, in summer
2011 as part of IBSEN, something he considers to be “a
mind-blowing and eye-opening experience.”
Croschere doesn’t yet fluently speak German, so that
will pose a challenge, but one he is ready to take on.
“Learning a new language is going to be tough. I
only have a few months worth of experience,” he says.
“Business courses are taught in English around the
world, but I want to take a few classes outside of business
to branch out, like international studies and history.”
Another challenge is the unknown. “The program
encourages keeping an open mind to the idea of not
knowing much in advance where you will be placed,”
he says, noting the city, university and business where
he ends up will largely be determined by his grasp of
the language, the connections he makes and the field
of business he chooses to pursue.
Croschere’s involvement on campus has allowed
him to travel abroad and not spend a fortune doing so.
He’s turned his abilities into a scholarship. And his
European experiences will likely make him a hot commodity on the job market afterward.
At NMU, Croschere works in the College of
Business as the dean’s student assistant. He helps with
strategy for web communications, applies student feedback into ideas for building the college and provides a student’s opinion to faculty and staff. It has also given him
the opportunity to become close with many professors.
Croschere, a first-generation college student, sees
an MBA in his future.
“I want to get an MBA, perhaps abroad, perhaps in
America,” he says. “But I’ve always had a desire to live
an international life.”
The selection
process for
Cultural Vistas is
rigorous and interest is high. About
700 candidates
apply annually, with
150 chosen to be
interviewed and 75
selected into the
program. Matt
Croschere is one of
them.
Studying to live an
international life
M
anagement major Matt Croschere has been
accepted into the prestigious Cultural Vistas
program, which seeks to create memorable
and transforming global learning opportunities that
enrich career and leadership development. He will
study and intern in Germany starting this summer.
Croschere will begin with two months of intensive
language training, then four months of university studies in a specific field (naturally, he has chosen to study
business) followed by five months in a German-speaking internship. The program also provides leave time
for seminars and some in-country travel opportunities.
The selection process for Cultural Vistas is rigorous
and interest is high. About 700 candidates apply annually, with 150 chosen to be interviewed and 75 selected
2012-13
9
Into India
Gary Stark is
pictured in
center
O
n the service front, College of Business professor
Gary Stark helped lead 12 students on a service trip
to India for two weeks over winter break.
“The main goal was to do service work, but also do
a little sightseeing,” Stark says.
Stark and the students were busy helping Indian
children learn computer skills, stay active through
sports and games and paint school rooms. The group
also visited with families to provide health information. They experienced both the urban and rural sides
of the country.
Stark saw first-hand just how different games are
in India, and how children with few possessions are
willing to improvise.
“They love cricket over there, and one day we
were playing and we lost the ball, but the kids just kept
playing using a rock instead,” he says. “The whole trip
gives you a greater appreciation of how much we have.
10 BUSINESS HORIZONS
There is so much we have and we don’t even need.”
The group experienced negotiating in the marketplace and haggling for goods.
“From a broad business standpoint, you understand
why things are so cheap,” Stark says. “They unfortunately have limited regulations, limited pollution control and limited restrictions on hiring and firing. There
is an ‘anything goes’ sense there.”
The trip included visits to the Taj Mahal, the
Dalai Lama's main temple, a memorial to Gandhi,
Jaipur City Palace, several museums, rides on an elephant to the Amber Fort and hikes in the Himalayas.
From seeing the dichotomy of the country—its
mix of old and new, modern buildings side by side with
bamboo-and-string scaffolding—to experiencing the
joy of Indian children, the trip brought those involved
a new understanding of life, education and business in
this growing force on the world economy. •
News you can use
How effective are your
communications?
By Mylan Murphy ’12 BS
I
t’s not often you find a student
and professor presenting their
research to an audience of
4,100. Graduating MBA student
Tony Plemmons ’11 BS and
NMU professor Claudia Hart did
just that, sharing their findings on
the importance of communications
audits at a conference of The
Higher Learning Commission in
Chicago in April.
“I was nervous, terrified and
excited all at once,” Plemmons says.
“I felt like there was a lot of a pressure to not only represent myself
well, but also the university.”
A communications audit is a
snapshot of an organization's communication strategies, activities
and programs. “A communications
audit is how well an organization
or the people who make up the
organization communicate; it is
essential for every company or
organization,” he explains.
This is not a quick or easy
task, but one that should be done.
The purpose is to find out
what major segments of employees
and stakeholders think about their
organization's communications and
initiatives. An audit can become
the basis for creating an effective
strategic communications plan,
ensuring that maximum benefits
are gained from this investment in
communication analysis.
“Our particular presentation
was a ‘how-to’ geared toward other
instructors, professors and
educators,” Plemmons says.
While the benefits will vary
depending on the individuals and
the organization being examined,
most will see increased efficiency
and productivity and greater support for the organization’s change
initiative. It also demonstrates a
willingness to listen and respond to
employees and other stakeholders'
views, which is a key step in building positive relationships, creating
credibility and fostering mutual
trust.
An audit will deliver practical
recommendations for improving
communication in the organization. One of the most important
things is that it can save money
and effort, as organizations will be
able to minimize, or eliminate programs or processes that do not
yield benefits—or strengthen or
add those that do. Overall, it
demonstrates the commitment to
improving communication
throughout an organization.
There are a number of ways to
get started. Plemmons and Hart used
Assessing Organizational
Communications: Strategic
Communication Audits by Cal W.
Downs and Allyson D. Adrian as a
reference to guide them through the
process. However, it is feasible to do
this without any books or additional
texts. Plemmons says, “Most importantly, you must be willing and interested in bettering yourself and your
organization. You must want change!
You wouldn’t think it’s a necessity,
but you must have an open mind
during the entire process.”
An effectively designed and
implemented communications
audit can be a driver for organizational change, where everyone is
able to engage in building a new
culture of open communication,
credibility and collaboration.
“This one audit has impacted
my entire MBA career and my
future. It has changed my perspective of organizations. Everything I
look at revolves around communication and it is a really good system to
analyze for a company,” says
Plemmons. He credits the support at
Northern for the opportunity to
have his work published and to present in front of thousands of people.
“The professors in the College of
Business have played quite a role in
challenging me and making me step
outside of my comfort zones.” •
2012-13
11
Student success with stock
market advice By Katie Hubbard ’13 MA
What is the CANSLIM
Method?
 Created by William J. O’Neil
 Based on his analysis of 500
stock market winners from 19531993
 Created for the average
investor, however extremely complex in nature
 Explained in his book: How to
Buy Stocks (2002)
M
att Lutey ’10 BS, president of NMU’s Student Managed
Investment Fund and MBA student, presented at the American
Society of Business and Behavioral Sciences (ASBBS) international conference in Las Vegas this year.
“The paper covered how to make money in the stock market without
relying on your own analytic capability,” he says. “It is a modified version
of the CANSLIM (O'Neil) investing method. I presented it to a group of
Ph.D. researchers and undergrad students.”
It was named the conference’s outstanding paper in the finance track,
out of more than 200 papers. It has also been selected for publication in
the ASBBS e-journal.
Professor David Rayome, who accompanied Lutey to the conference
and helped him put the polishing touches on the paper, says, “The faculty
in the audience couldn’t believe he was only an MBA student. When I
was a graduate student, even a Ph.D. student, I would have loved to get an
article published.” Lutey originally wrote the paper for a statistics class.
Rayome adds that it has been great to watch Lutey find his passion in
finance and to now be thinking of pursuing a doctorate. “I just get such a
kick out of seeing our students get really interested in something,” he says.
“The experience was exciting and positive,” states Lutey, “I basically
got up in front of a small group and told them about my research, how I
conducted it, and the validity of my findings.”
After the conference he gave a similar presentation to a senior-level
class at NMU, providing him with more practice, and the students with
not only valuable information but inspiration as to what their research
and hard work can achieve.
Lutey has recently been invited to publish the article in another
journal.
12 BUSINESS HORIZONS
C - Current earnings per share
should be up to 25%
A - Annual earnings should be up
25% or more in each of the last
three years
N - New product, service or
management
S - Supply and demand
Measured by volume
L - Leader or Laggard? Measured
by Relative Price Strength
Rating (RPSR)
I - Institutional sponsorship
Mutual fund ownership
M - Market indexes. Invest during
market index uptrends
 According to the American
Association of Individual
Investors:
CANSLIM Portfolio: 1521.7%
Compound Growth Rate versus
the S&P 500’s gain of 54.92% from
1998 through December 31, 2007.
From Matt Lutey’s PowerPoint
presentation, “Outperforming the
Broad Market.”
Greg Wilson
Charlie Jauquet with his presentation on Panera
Bread. Professor Bruce Sherony helps ensure the
groups’ ideas are valuable to the actual business’s
operations.
Northern. He looked specifically
at what the organization is currently doing, how it can improve
and possible opportunities for
growth.
“We used everything that
By Lucy Hough ’12 BS
we’ve learned in the MBA
program and applied it to these
studies,” Plemmons says.
He thinks that this class will
help students “see through the
eyes of a manager” and how all
he best test of what a person learned in college is
aspects of a business are related and have a role in its
how he or she uses those skills in a career and life. operation.
Students nearing graduation in the MBA program
Brittany Buckingham ’11 BS did her strategic
take a new capstone class, BUS 590: Strategic
analysis on the Michigan College of Optometry at
Management, which builds on the required classes in the
Ferris State University. She analyzed the strengths and
program to help students think critically and use their
weaknesses of the school as a business and found soluskills to be successful in upper management.
tions to achieve more profit, more efficiency and a bet“Students will lean on prior knowledge. We’ll
ter connection with the community. In her research,
answer questions such as, ‘Did you learn it well? Do
she tackled a budgeting system that she wasn’t familiar
you have something to bring to the table?’ This helps
with, which was a “growing opportunity” because she
find loopholes in education and will help these stuhad to work hard to analyze it.
dents become senior managers and leaders,” says Bruce
One thing that Buckingham likes about the class,
Sherony, course professor.
she says, is that the diverse backgrounds of the people in
Students work through case studies of real
the program make conversations about management
businesses to understand the structure of the company
styles more interesting.
and its use of accounting, finance, marketing, manageThe different experiences
ment and statistical tools. As a culmination, students
make the conversation
perform a strategic analysis on the operations of a
more dynamic, which helps
business of their choice.
her learn and grow as an
In this analysis, students consider all aspects of the eventual manager.
business and provide suggestions for how the organizaOther businesses that
tion can improve or become more effective. Most stustudents focused on
dent projects are on for-profit institutions, so another
include Third Street
large aspect of the project is seeing if they can find
Bagel, Garden Bouquet
Professor Sherony
ways to help the organization make more money.
and Design (both of
At the end of the semester, students not only pres- Marquette), First Merit Bank (headquartered in Akron,
ent their findings to the class, but also to the compaOhio) and others.
ny’s managers or stockholders. This is an opportunity
“The work of the MBA strategic management stufor people from the company to consider the students’
dent is to bring the institution to a distinguished level
report and whether their suggestions are reasonable.
of performance,” says Sherony. “Their actions should
“The hope is that investors will say, ‘That’s a great
stand out, creating a well-defined institution that funcidea,’” Sherony says.
tions at its level of effectiveness for the betterment of
Student Tony Plemmons focused his capstone for
society and the world.”
the class on the Recreation Sports Department at
Preparing for the ‘Real World:’
Case studies
T
•
2012-13
13
Jenna Thompson
Entrepreneurs in action
By Katelyn Durst
T
he New Business Venture
Competition invites
Northern Michigan
University students of any major to
submit a plan to start a new business. Since its start in 2008, there
have been many business beginnings for young Wildcat entrepreneurs. Business Horizons caught up
with two past competitors, Chad
Lewis ’08 BS of Ensign Spars and
Alysa Diebolt ’11 of Brick Town
Glass. These NMU alumni have
had successful stories following
their NBVC win.
Alysa Diebolt started making
fused glass at age 14. Her father is a
stained glass artist and was a strong
influence on her in this medium.
Diebolt has been participating in
art shows every summer since she
began creating fused glass and has
attended more than 50 art and
crafts shows across Wisconsin,
Illinois and Michigan.
14 BUSINESS HORIZONS
Chad Lewis says he was always
into boats, and has been sailing
since the age of three. He always
imagined himself moving to the
East Coast and living a nautical life.
At 16, he started working on boats,
which slowly evolved into his own
service business. Most recently,
Lewis Boat Shop bought the name
and assets of a company called
Ensign Spars, which custom builds,
repairs and resells Ensign Class sailing boats and offers parts and accessories.
Business Horizons: How did winning the Business Venture award
kick-start your company?
Alysa Diebolt: I was 19 or 20 during the business plan competition. I
already had a good customer base
and had my work in a few retail
locations across Michigan. Now,
four years after the competition, I
have my work in 20 retail locations
across the state, and my customer
base is getting stronger every year.
The NBVC helped me with the
business side of things. Truly understanding the accounting behind all
my day-to-day work. It also forced
me to really research customs in the
field, such as gallery policies, custom order policies, etc.
Chad Lewis: I used a good chunk of
the money to buy a truck and other
things I needed to get started. The
judges were local businessmen who
believed in me, which really helped
me get the confidence I needed to
then start renting space for my shop
the following winter. The constructive criticism and suggestions were
really helpful and important to my
business development.
BH: What has your business been
up to since winning the Business
Venture award?
will sell, and trying to make new
things. My poppy line was new in
summer 2012 and has been totally
stellar for me. It's brought me an
entirely new customer base, which
has been awesome.
Lewis: It actually evolved more
how I described it in my business
plan for the competition than I
thought it would. I just slowly started working on boats in Marquette; I
rented a space and was able to get
more work.
One thing that I remember
from the competition is one of the
judges asking me, ‘What will you do
if you open up your doors and all of
a sudden everybody wants business
from you?’ I thought at the time
that that would be a really great
problem to have, and we would just
figure it out. Well, it ended up that
when I bought this new business,
that happened, and I was overwhelmed with the amount of work I
had to do. Even in the last two
months, I’ve hired two more
employees. I had to work out stuff
with the bank and buy more inventory, and it went from part-time to
being how I make my living. It’s
really exploded into this huge thing,
and at this point I’m just barely keeping up with the expansion.
My new business opened
February 1, and by 9 a.m. I had
already received four phone calls for
parts. With Ensigns (a specific class
of sailboats that were built by
Pearson Yachts of
Portsmouth, R.I., from
1962-1982), the biggest
part of the business is
selling old parts for
new parts. It’s a really
unique business
because it’s one of the
only old anythings that
you can actually use
old parts from that are the same for
newer models. So I get calls from all
over the world and all over the U.S.
saying that they need parts.
This is the only company in
the world that you can get parts
from for an Ensign, especially original equipment or OEM parts. We
hire manufacturers to make really
specific parts, and we own a bunch
of castings and molds for this specific model. We’re the only ones who
do this, and it’s a neat business to
have in Marquette because there is
a fleet of Ensigns already.
We are currently restoring
boats, even from people who live
out of town. We are working on a
new website as well.
BH: How did Northern prepare you
for what you're doing now?
Diebolt: My favorite things I did at
NMU were my extracurriculars. I
am a Student Leader Fellowship
graduate and Superior Edge graduate. I was a member of SIFE
(Students in Free Enterprise),
American Marketing Association,
ASNMU [student government],
and the College of Business Dean's
Student Advisory Council. I held
leadership positions in many of
those organizations also. My
extracurriculars taught me how to
work with people, all sorts of people, from all sorts of backgrounds,
with all sorts of knowledge on all
sorts of topics. These skills, I
2012-13
15
Greg Wilson
Diebolt: My studio is still in my
parent’s garage. But, I spend about
half the year in Eastpointe, outside
of Detroit. I travel back and forth
every few weeks to work in the studio. I moved to Eastpointe to be
with my fiancé; we are getting married this July in Detroit.
Our plan is that in the next
two years I will find a retail location
in Eastpointe to buy or rent and
open up a storefront of my own. I
want a location that will offer a retail
store feel, but with space for my studio
and room to have classes. I have
become a seasonal instructor at the
William Bonifas Fine Arts Center in
Escanaba. I have offered classes on
jewelry, candleholders, suncatchers,
plates, bowls and ornaments.
I also teach regular private lessons at my studio, which has been
incredibly rewarding. It is amazing
to see, when given all of the same
tools and supplies, all of the different things that my students come
up with. In 2012 alone, I taught
over 100 students (both privately
and at the Art Center) and many
have returned for more classes.
When I move my studio to
Eastpointe, I want to continue
teaching. I enjoy it a lot, and it is
also a great revenue source.
My product line is ever-changing. My personality doesn't allow
me to continually make the same
thing over and over and over again.
So, I am constantly trying to balance creating pieces that I know
believe, are largely why I am successful as an artist. I've always been
a people person, but NMU helped
me refine those skills.
Lewis: There were a couple of really
cool classes that were really helpful.
The last class I took was Dr.
Gnauck’s 436 capstone class. The
biggest takeaway was that I really
needed to know everything I
learned in business school going out
into the business world. I needed to
retain that information. The world
will hold you accountable for the
things you need to know to do well
in that class. The way that he taught
that class, your grade was representative of how well you would do in the
business world. It was representative
of how well you understand business.
Part of being an entrepreneur isn’t
just starting a business, but buying
businesses. It’s an important skill to
be able to identify a good business
that’s for sale, buy it for the right
price and then do more with it than
the previous owners.
BH: What accomplishment since
winning the award are you most
proud of?
Diebolt: I've been published twice
in Glass Patterns Quarterly (the
bowl picture was a featured photo),
a magazine that thousands of glass
artists subscribe to. I've been getting the magazine for years, so it
was surreal to open it up and see
my work, my name and my website
in print! I've also won some big
awards at some of the art shows
I've been to. A more personal
accomplishment, but I'm just really
proud of where I am in my life. I
am getting married in a few
months, I have a career doing what
I love and I'm able to meet people
across the country who are just so
16 BUSINESS HORIZONS
interesting. I have an incredibly
rewarding life and an awesome support system.
Lewis: Still being in business is the
biggest accomplishment. One of
the things that one of the judges
said to me was, ‘You’re the most
likely to be in business in five
years,’ and that’s true, I’m still in
business. It’s a really cool thing to
have in Marquette. The thing
about Marquette is that people are
so supportive of local small businesses because people genuinely
want them to be successful.
•
This year’s
contest
he College of Business
held its 6th annual New
Business Venture
Competition on April 4, and
g. MBA student Tony Plemmons
n
ri
eh
D
y
rr
dge Te
Palace to ju
was the big winner with his business
the Protein
s
in
la
p
ex
s
on
Tony Plemm
idea for The Protein Palace, a café located near exercise facilities, recreation centers and gyms offering low-cost, nutrient-rich, protein-packed
meals. He won for best business plan ($4,000), 60-second elevator pitch ($500)
and trade fair display ($500). Second place ($2,500) went to Warm Fuzzies for
NECO, a non-profit supporting Nepal Orphanage Children's Home (NECO) by selling personalized headbands made of recycled flannels, sweaters and fleece, presented by health sciences student Lauren Lund. Entrepreneurship major Sage
Henning of Fossil Woodworks Co., which specializes in manufacturing tables from
the Drummond Island forest, took away the third-place prize ($1,500).
The other contenders were economics major Keegan Hitz presenting his
plan for Clean Acoustics—portable amplifiers for cell phones; and Matthew Yadro
(business management) and Amanda Yadro (accounting) with their vision for
Cat-O-Pillar Co., designing and manufacturing customizable cat toys, houses and
stands with a focus on quality, design and adaptability.
Judges this year were: Bob Jacquart, president of Jacquart Fabric Products,
Ironwood; Mark Kolesar, ’86 BS, former senior vice president with UBS Financial,
Minneapolis, and now with the Trust Department of Northern Michigan Bank and
Trust; Terry Dehring, ’78 BS, ’81 MA, president of Quick Trophy, Marquette; Mike
Skytta, ’72 BS, ’75 MAE, business development lender for Northern Michigan Bank,
Marquette; Rich Tegge, ’85 BA, president of Wealth Strategy Group, Marquette; and
Gina Thorsen, vice president of marketing and sales and new product development
for Jacquart Fabric Products and Stormy Kromer Mercantile, Ironwood.
T
Sage Henning shows off Fossil Woodworks to Mike Skytta (left), while Gina Thorsen admires Lauren Lund’s custom
headbands whose profits will benefit an orphanage in Nepal.
Greg Wilson
Student spotlight
By Jackie Taves
Meet the 2012-13 graduating MBA class. Pictured, from left, are Martin Banerud, Emily Hagge, William Nolan, JianHua (Emily)
Xu, Tim Andrews, Brianne Horton, Charlie Jauquet, Tony Plemmons, Chad Bollman, Wayne Johnson and Holly Kasberger.
Putting the MBA to work
Whether currently employed or considering employment opportunities, these recent MBA graduates are
applying their acquired knowledge and skills to today’s
workforce.
• Mike Adams works in corporate relations for Lake
Effect Energy Corporation in Harbor Springs.
• Eric Burdick is the program director and instructor
for the NMU respiratory therapy program.
• Andrew Chosa works in marketing as a foundation
coordinator for Great Lakes Recovery Center in
Marquette.
• Emily Hagge works at Marquette General Hospital
and plans to start a side business.
• Craig Helppi is a junior commercial loan officer for
SIR Federal Credit Union in Negaunee.
• Robert Johnson is an entrepreneur at Forward Labs
in London, England.
• Wayne Johnson is the administrator at Christian
Park Village, a five-star Skilled
Nursing Facility in Escanaba.
Wayne already has 10 years’
experience in the SNF field. He
plans to continue his work and
eventually become a regional
SNF director.
• Holly Kasberger has worked as
a graduate assistant for the
Martin Banerud is working as a
NMU dean of students, business construction manager. The first
manager for The North Wind,
project he is part of is building
and the foundation associate for the new American Embassy in
Great Lakes Recovery Centers. Oslo, Norway. He stopped by
She is actively applying for posi- the NMU booth at a recent
education fair in Oslo to chat
tions in Milwaukee, Madison,
with NMU international
and Appleton, Wis.
recruiter Miriam Moeller. They
• Daniel Lazzari is a health plan also visited with the U.S.
Embassy’s public affairs officer.
adviser for Blue Cross Blue
Shield in Gladstone.
• William Nolan is a tax preparer for Bartkowiak
Accounting in Marquette.
2012-13
17
MBA student profile:
Brianne Horton
By Brian Price ’12 BS
here are many reasons why people don’t pursue an MBA: working, traveling or simply being
too busy. But Brianne Horton is doing all of
these things and received her MBA in May without
letting anything stand in her way.
Horton is the manager of Third Street Bagel in
Marquette, handles property management and shows
houses for Alder Properties, is a project manager for
the Village Business Association in Marquette and a
bartender at the Black Rocks Brewery.
“I don’t know why I do so much. I guess I have a
hard time saying no to people,” Horton says. “I like
being busy and not sitting around.
“Having all of this work experience has allowed
me to bring in real-life examples to draw upon in the
classroom,” she says. “I’m in a position where I can
relate to the concepts from the courses.”
Conversely, the aspects of an MBA have allowed
her to be a better manager at Third Street Bagel.
Horton says she brings in marketing, management
and finance ideas and skills and is able to do it
because of what she learned in the program.
Being a part of the MBA program exposed
Horton to the entire world of business.
“I enjoyed it because it forced me to dig into
finance, accounting, human resources and
management information systems.”
T
18 BUSINESS HORIZONS
“Before moving to
Ghana to study abroad,
I wasn't exactly sure
what I wanted to do for
a career. However, that
changed almost immediately when I started to
work at the orphanage.
I quickly fell in love with
the children and knew
that I wanted to spend
the rest of my life working with children in
Third World countries.”
She earned a
bachelor’s in marketing
from NMU in 2011.
While completing her
undergraduate degree,
she studied abroad
twice. In 2008 she visited an orphanage and
refugee camps in
Ghana, Africa, and in
2010 she joined “All
Hands Volunteers,”
where she traveled to
Haiti to remove rubble
and help rebuild the
city after the devastating earthquake.
“Working with
orphan children in
both Ghana and Haiti changed my outlook on life,”
Horton says. “Before moving to Ghana to study
abroad, I wasn't exactly sure what I wanted to do for a
career. However, that changed almost immediately
when I started to work at the orphanage. I quickly fell
in love with the children and knew that I wanted to
spend the rest of my life working with children in
Third World countries. Simply put, it was the children
in Ghana who made me realize that I wanted to go
into international non-profit work. It's amazing, the
children had next to nothing in life, yet they were
some of the happiest individuals I have ever interacted with in life… Those are the individuals that I want
to work with in life.”
Horton, a Marquette native, is looking around the
San Francisco area for jobs as a project manager for a
non-profit where she can combine her passion for
others with her skills in marketing, business and social
media.
“There is nothing holding me back,” Horton says.
“A lot of people think they’re too busy or can’t do it. I
just say ‘why not?’”
•
The internship difference
By Josh Posa
W
hen I first started my
internship with
Northern Initiatives, I
can admit, I was nervous. This was
the first time I was in a real office
situation where people depended
on me for my work ethic and skills.
I had never been around web programing before and this was all new
to me. I can remember the first
time I saw a Content Management
System that linked HTML and
CSS together through an interface;
I was definitely a bit overwhelmed.
But over time I began to learn bits
and snippets of information on programing and other various tools and
it all started to come together.
One of the major tasks I
accomplished during this internship
was learning to build websites from
scratch by taking Photoshop design
files, separating them into individual parts and then programing them
into a styled HTML and CSS website through a Content
Management System such as
WordPress or Joomla. It was very
interesting to learn how all of it was
put together to create a final piece.
This was interesting to me and naturally I wanted to learn more. On a
less technical side, I have learned a
lot about teamwork and coming
together on a project to gather different views and ideas from others
to help move forward on a project.
This was one of the most crucial
skills I have learned over my duration at Northern Initiatives. Now
looking back, if I didn’t have this
opportunity, I feel that I would
have been behind in the business
world. Today the job competition is
high and without these additional
types of skills, you will be without a
job. Another major task I have
learned over the duration of my
internship was database setup and
server administration. For every
new website I was developing, I had
to first set up a database for the
install of the Content Management
System and make sure all of the
information was correct so the
process would run smoothly. I also
had day-to-day tasks of adding users
to our server, changing their privileges and granting access to specific
people while making sure our server
was still protected from security
threats.
I have learned a lot from the
previously mentioned tasks and this
internship in general. I now know
what it’s like to meet strict deadlines, have meetings to discuss current and future projects while estimating completion times, and proposing and displaying newly developed tools and guides to a team of
staff members. These are extremely
crucial skills to have when entering
the workforce, and I feel that they
will help me greatly with my search
for a career.
path a little bit and look into the
field of web development.
When I start designing and
developing a new website, I get a
feeling of excitement and intrigue.
Every website is different and I love
that about this career. There is
always something new or different.
Whether it’s a new design or
functionality portion that I have to
try and figure out, I am always
learning. Also, I have always loved
to troubleshoot issues and in this
line of work there are a lot. This
job is always keeping me on edge
and my skills up to par.
If it wasn’t for the internship I
have now, I would still be sitting at
home not knowing what I want to
do when I am
Today, people need every additional
done with
skill they can learn to give themselves school. Now, I
am confident in
an edge over someone else.
what I say when
someone asks me what I want to do
This internship has also influafter I graduate and it’s a great feelenced my future career choice. I
ing. Once again, I am very grateful
never really knew much about the
to have had the opportunity to gain
web and how it’s developed until
this additional knowledge in my
now. I really enjoy what I do now
field and to work together with
and I want to continue doing it into
Northern Michigan University to
the future. I was going to go into
be recognized for it.
database administration, but now I
think I’m going to alter my career
•
2012-13
19
Taking care of business
Our very active, involved, investment-savvy and brand-new student groups
By Rebekah Tadych and Katie Hub bard ’13 MA
B
usiness-related student
groups at NMU have been
branching out throughout
the academic year to represent the
university to regional employers
through professional development
excursions and events designed to
strengthen ties between the college
and community.
These events serve to not only
inculcate business and finance
students into various arenas of
professional culture, but increase visibility of the accomplishments and
ambitious nature of NMU’s students.
Here are examples of the activities
of some of the business-related
groups.
Beta Alpha Psi
Beta Alpha Psi, an accounting and
finance club, had a busy year taking
trips, touring facilities and volunteering in the community.
Despite this year’s challenging
economy, Beta Alpha Psi raised
enough funds to embark on a professional development trip to downstate Michigan in September. The
trip was led by Jian Sha, BAP president, and attended by 15 students,
comprised of 11 accounting majors
and four finance majors.
The first stop was in Traverse
City at Plante Moran, a certified
accounting, tax and business-consulting firm. Student Jesse Burnett
says, “At Plante Moran, a partner
talked to us for a few minutes and
then we had lunch with several
new and experienced accountants.
It was really good to talk to people
20 BUSINESS HORIZONS
Beta Alpha Psi members learning about Plante Moran in Traverse City.
in a variety of real-world positions
their office and talk to department
to get a feel for what they do and
managers.” Burnett adds,
potential career paths. I liked the
“Rehmann has a corporate
fact that their office is almost
fraud/investigation unit headed by a
entirely paper-free.”
few ex-FBI agents; that was pretty
The organization also traveled
interesting.”
to Troy to attend a presentation at
Between the two visits, the
Rehmann, an accounting and
group visited Honor Bank, where the
financial consultation firm.
“At
Rehmann, there
was a larger
college recruiting
event with
several other
universities. A
partner, hiring
manager and a
few others gave a
presentation and
answered questions before we
split into smaller The BAPs helped three elder Marquette residents by raking their yards during Make a
groups to tour
Difference Day.
finance majors had an opportunity to
speak with the company’s CEO.
In March, BAP took a trip to
Cliffs Natural Resources mining
company in Ishpeming for a tour of
its production facility. The group
also met with a representative from
Cliffs’ accounting department.
More recently, BAP met with
Hugh Miller, CEO of the Upper
Peninsula Medical Center. Miller
spoke with the group about his
organization and its financial strategies in the health-care industry.
They finished off with a tour of the
Medical Center.
In the winter, BAP also participated in the Volunteer Income Tax
Assistance program that provides
free tax filing services to people
with middle to low incomes in the
Marquette community. Members
give the income tax assistance on
Sundays during tax season at the
Peter White Public Library. “It is
great real-world experience for our
members and provides a great service to the community,” says member
Joey Short.
Student Managed
Investment Fund
Students in SMIF meet weekly in
the trading lab and discuss current
stock market situations. Each week
they do research on a different company and then vote on buying or
selling stock from that company. In
one recent week, students traded
around $70,000 in stock.
“SMIF is a great opportunity
because it is real money. Students
get to apply what they are learning
in class to a real-world situation,”
says member Troy Cogan.
SMIF also went to Chicago and
toured businesses including J.P.
Morgan Chase & Co., Arthur J.
Gallagher & Co. and TD
Students Sean Coykendall (4th from left) and Troy Cogan (7th from left) just received charter approval for a new
group on campus, Gamma Iota Sigma, a risk management, insurance and actuarial science collegiate fraternity,
for both business and math students. They are shown with the initial student members and adviser Linda
Lawton from the mathematics and computer science department.
Joining the chapter gives
students opportunities to network
with various insurance and actuarial
companies at conferences. “GIS has
a strong correlation with the industry,” says GIS President Sean
Coykendall. “Many companies go
to GIS and pay a fee to meet students at the conferences so they
can, in turn, get resumes, interviews
and potentially, employees.”
Last August,
Cogan and
Each week, members of the Student
Managed Investment Fund do research Coykendall experienced this correon a different company and then vote
lation first hand at
on buying or selling stock from that
the
GIS Presidents
company. In one recent week, students
Conference in
traded around $70,000 in stock.
Philadelphia,
where both networked and attended
Gamma Iota Sigma
forums for leadership development.
Students Troy Cogan and Sean
Also, in the fall, Vice President
Coykendall have been busy starting Cogan attended another internaa new group on campus, Gamma
tional GIS conference in Chicago.
Iota Sigma, an international risk
The conference was a large career
management, insurance and
fair with 50 companies attending.
actuarial science fraternity. They
In addition to interviews, he was
chartered at the end of the
able to attend breakout sessions on
academic year, making NMU’s GIS
re-insurance, insurance, actuarial
the 50th chapter in the United
science and succeeding after
States.
graduation. •
Ameritrade. “The whole idea was to
give students an opportunity to see
how different companies operate.
Also, to see if the businesses we
toured would be a place where we
would want to work in the future,”
says Cogan. The students finished
off their trip with a lunch in the
executive dining room at the top of
the Chase Building.
2012-13
21
Helping steer
the ship
By Brandon Fris k and Rebekah Tadych
T
he student experience is a top priority in the
College of Business. To get a true perspective of
that experience, the Dean’s Student Advisory
Council is an indispensable source of input and guidance. Ten students from several College of Business
majors meet two times a semester with the dean and
assistant dean. Most are leaders of student groups, so
the dean hears what their groups are doing and how
the College of Business can better help them and
individual students.
Class content, extracurricular activities, even
faculty performance are discussed and analyzed.
Matt Croschere, Student Advisory Council chairman, says, “It’s not your typical student group. It’s not
for people who join to be on an email list and throw it
down on a resume. Everyone on the council is highly
involved.”
The quality of the members makes being council
chairman simple, says Croschere. He doesn’t consider
himself the leader of the group, just the organizer.
“To me it’s not hard. Everyone in the group is
already involved and wants to be involved as a part of
the council and as a part of the campus community. My
job is to facilitate the meetings, keep them flowing and
make sure members stay prepared and diligent.”
Member Sean Coykendall says, “The best thing
about the council is seeing how other student leaders
22 BUSINESS HORIZONS
manage their groups. When all of those types of students get together it can really generate involvement
in the community.”
The council members take their job as advisers to
the dean seriously, and in turn they are taken seriously.
“For instance, when as a group we reach a consensus on
if we feel a professor isn’t providing a quality service or
seems to have lost his passion for teaching, it sends a
much more powerful message than the evaluation surveys or an angry email from a student who received a
poor grade,” says Coykendall.
However, the council strives to serve as a proactive
catalyst. Last semester, the group hosted a networking
event at the Landmark Inn for local business professionals from around the community and all students
from the College of Business.
Croschere says it was a success. “We had roughly
30 students and 15 professionals who attended. This
event is a great chance for students to get comfortable
talking business in their business attire. It is very much
like the ‘business after hours’ events, which are very
prominent in the business world. It also helps us build a
connection between College of Business students and
the local business community.”
“The council is a very critical source of information to me and a link to the larger student body,” says
Dean Jamal Rashed. “For example, they raise concerns
about funding, travel to conferences or the quality of
classes. I listen carefully to them, meet with faculty and
make adjustments accordingly, as we go along, instead
of waiting for the end of the year.”
Rashed says council members were very involved
recently in drafting the strategic plan for the college—
and very passionate about it. “They played and
continue to play a major role in shaping the future of
our programs and the university.”
•
Dean’s Student Advisory
Council Members (2012-13)
Eric Borsum • Tony Carlson • Troy Cogan • John
Comastro • Sean Coykendall • Matt Croschere •
Ethan Hausmann • Haley Jacobson • Nick Lefebre •
Alex Palmer • Joey Short • Garrett Paquette •
Rebekah Tadych • Amber Warren • Andrew Worden.
Supporting students
An easy new way to make an immediate impact
Students and donors have the chance to meet face to
face each year at a scholarship and awards
breakfast.
T
he Upper Peninsula Human
Resources Association is the
first to take advantage of the
new ScholarshipNow program, an
opportunity for donors to have an
immediate impact on an NMU student’s education. The UPHRA, a
group of approximately 100 members
from private industry, education, public and nonprofit employers, has
selected students in the College of
Business to be the gift recipients.
Mary Adamini ’85 BS, ’96
MPA, UPHRA president and director of personnel and employee relations for the Marquette Board of
Light and Power, explains, “Even
though Northern doesn’t have a
human resources program, many of
us in HR didn’t start out in this
field. We felt that students in the
business programs are exposed to the
same types of classes that are needed
to develop the skills we use.”
Adamini herself majored in mass
communications at NMU, with
minors in business and journalism.
“My mom always told me, ‘You
can’t go wrong with business.’ She
said studying business would help in
my future, and it certainly did.”
Adamini and Mary Feuerbach,
human resources director at Island
Resort and Casino in Escanaba,
who is with the Superiorland
Chapter of Human Resources
Professionals, spearheaded the
scholarship effort. The association
had a balance in its account from
member dues and had been talking
about the best way to use it for a
number of years. When member
Kristen Bjorne ’86 AB, ’94 BS,
’05 MPA, assistant director of
human resources at NMU, suggested NMU’s business program, the
members were very excited and
voted to start the scholarship.
“Our hope is that by providing
this scholarship, it will help ease
the financial burden that students
feel and that they will be able to
concentrate more on their studies,”
says Feuerbach.
“We hope it will help young
professionals stay in the U.P.—that
is really important to us,” Adamini
says. “Maybe it will help a student
to consider a career in human
resources. Maybe it will be someone
who can replace me someday!” She
adds that HR is for “people who
like to help people,” and that it’s a
rewarding career.
With ScholarshipNow, donors
provide a $1,000 (minimum) annual
scholarship. A gift received by Dec.
31 will be advertised to students during the winter scholarship application
period, and the selected recipient
receives the award in the fall. “Instead
of waiting for interest to accrue, these
scholarships can be awarded right
away and start making a difference in
a student’s experience,” says Robyn
Stille ’00 BS, ’09 MCert., NMU
executive director of alumni relations
and annual giving. “This is a really
nice amount for students, as far as
scholarships go. And it’s an accessible
amount for many donors.” The criteria for students is very broad, making
many eligible to receive the awards.
“Donors will be invited to our annual
scholarship breakfast, and have the
chance to meet students who are
impacted by their gifts,” Stille adds.
Donors are also recognized as
President’s Club members.
“It’s so easy to do it,” says
Adamini. “We just had to determine
which college we wanted to support
and then send a check. It’s something we plan to do annually, for as
long as we are able. It’s a great
feeling to help.”
•
In the 2012-13 academic year,
College of Business students were
awarded $62,000 in scholarships.
Thank you, donors, for your support
of our students’ success.
2012-13
23
Non-Profit Org.
U.S. Postage
PAID
Business Horizons
College of Business
Northern Michigan University
1401 Presque Isle Avenue
Marquette, MI 49855
Midland, MI
Permit No. 250
The NMU Collegiate Chapter of the American Marketing
Association has been going strong for decades. Currently, the
AMA meets every week during the semester. The group hosts
guest speakers, has a student-run business, travels to explore
Midwest businesses and pitches in on community service
projects. These photos from the NMU Archives were undated.
Can anyone help us identify those pictured and shed light on
the bus trip destination? Please email horizons@nmu.edu.