UpFront: Mission Driven
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| Robert F. Scherer, Dean |
The Nance College of Business is mission driven. Our mission is to drive 'the global significance, economic vitality, and sustainability of the northeast Ohio region through business education, innovation, leadership, and collaboration. In this issue of Dialogue, you'll learn about some innovative new initiatives designed to move us toward fulfillment of our mission.
Our central role is to develop the leadership capacity of not only our students, but also to provide growth opportunities for current professionals and future business leaders in our region. In an increasingly global market, we must develop our students into 'global citizens' – professionals who understand their mandate to find profit in an expanding global market while doing the right things for people and the planet.
The Nance College has spent the last six years developing an infrastructure to ensure our capacity to deliver international applied business programs. We are pleased to announce a new graduate certificate program in Global Sustainable Business Practices that leverages this infrastructure and our global network of partners to integrate the triple bottom line (people, planet, profit) into the management framework to prepare a new generation of leaders with the skills and tools necessary to lead competitive, yet sustainable global businesses. The certificate is designed for alumni and other professionals who wish to expand their knowledge on this timely topic. Graduate students may also enroll in the newly developed courses to fulfill their elective requirements for the MBA program.
The certificate program is part of our commitment to engage and incorporate the United Nations Global Compact Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) into and across the academic activities and curricula in the Nance College of Business to provide our students with the skills to positively affect a firm's bottom line and the society in which it operates. Look for more sustainable business initiatives to come.
We continue to expand the study abroad opportunities available to our students– This year our Accelerated MBA program took on a "global" theme with the addition of an international study trip as a key part of the curriculum. Next year we will add a short-term study tour to Japan during Spring break that will focus on operations and global supply chain management.
We will continue to build on our recent successful collaborations with our community partners such as the National Society of Hispanic MBAs and the National Black MBA Association to develop tomorrow's business leaders.
We will continue to feed our pipeline of students by collaborating with our partners locally and throughout the world to provide a portfolio of degree, certificate, and outreach programs to move us toward fulfillment of our mission. I invite each of you, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends to join us in this effort.
Have a safe and enjoyable summer. I look forward to sharing more exciting news with you in our next issue in September.
Featured Alumni: Eric Barnett, BBA '06
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Eric Barnett, BBA '06 |
Eric Barnett earned his BBA from CSU in 2006 with dual major in marketing and international business. After graduating, Eric became a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania, in West Africa, from 2008-2009 and is currently a Peace Corps Response Volunteer in Negril, Jamaica. We recently interviewed Eric about his post-graduate experience.
Tell us about your experiences since you graduated from CSU.
After graduating I took a job at Progressive Auto Insurance
as a Total Loss Concierge. The job was a really great learning
experience, but it left me wanting for more. I applied for
the Peace Corps in the summer of 2007. I left for Mauritania
in June 2008. The normal Peace Corps service is a two year
commitment. However, we were evacuated from the country in
August 2009 due to problems with terrorism in the north of
the country.
My initial post was in Gani, a small Wolof village of 500 along the border with Senegal. I worked primarily with a small farming cooperative in Gani and a disabled women's sewing cooperative in Rosso, the capital of my state in Mauritania. I helped educate them on basic business principles.
What were some of the business lessons you taught them?
The taught the farming cooperative how to apply for and obtain micro financing, and subsequently how to manage repayment. The sewing cooperative wanted help with exportation. I helped them find the best method for shipment and together we developed a sustainable operating schedule. I also taught both cooperatives the basics of marketing, with a strong focus on finding a target market. My business education from CSU played a vital role in giving me the background necessary to teach these lessons. It also helped me garner respect and legitimacy in the communities.
What kinds of enterprises were they hoping to start? Was the goal to profit, or was there a greater societal motive?
The vast majority of business ventures in Mauritania were aimed at personal profit. Most of the greater societal needs were taken care of by the government or by foreign aid organizations.
Where do these micro enterprises stand today?
The farming cooperative is doing quite well. They obtained funds from a member's relative overseas. They continue to expand their operations and are fully supporting the families that are a part of the cooperative. The disabled women's sewing cooperative is not exporting currently; the women have gone their own ways and have started working from home. They are able to provide income to their families though, which is always considered a success.
What advice you would give to today's business students who may be interested in social enterprise?
Whenever you have a company that is operating strictly for the greater good, finding the motivational drive of the enterprise is crucial for its success.
What are you doing now, what's next for your career?
After evacuation from Mauritania in 2009, I joined the Peace Corps Response Program in Jamaica. Peace Corps Response is a specialized program for returned Peace Corps volunteers designed to pair countries with volunteers who have the professional background to handle their specific needs. I am currently writing a marketing plan for an eco-tourism attraction called the Negril Royal Palm Reserve. I plan to return to the United States in early June and I start graduate school at CSU this fall. After graduate school I will either start my own business or look for a business development job with the UN.
What will you be studying in graduate school?
You know, to tell you the truth I am not entirely sure yet. I am torn
between marketing and international business. However, I have been tossing around
the idea of concentrating in finance or operations management, just to switch
it up a bit and give myself a more rounded business education. I'll let you know
soon!
If anyone has specific questions about business in the developing world or about the Peace Corps, you may contact Eric at: barnett.eric@gmail.com
Featured Student: Kailey Klein, BBA '10
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Kailey Klein, BBA '10 |
Kailey Klein came to Cleveland State University from a small Chicago suburb on an athletic scholarship. As she nears graduation, Kailey says that she has enjoyed her experience and that her Nance business education has prepared her well. "I've enjoyed my time in Cleveland. I was a Bulls fan when I came to Cleveland now I'm a Cavs fan."
Initially Kailey majored in accounting but soon realized that it was not for her. She switched her major to finance because "there is so much more you can do with it," she says. Kailey credits her professors for working with her to balance her academic and athletic careers. "I've met so many great professors here. My favorite finance course was Intro to Risk and Insurance with Dr. Ravi Kammath. He gave me a better understanding. He's the reason I intend to go into the insurance field–he doesn't know that, I've never told him. I enjoyed everything about his class."
Kailey thinks that her business education has prepared her well. She did not know what she wanted to study as she started college. "My advisor kept promoting the College of Business... I had a teammate who was an accounting major working at one of the top companies in Cleveland, so I knew the College of Business was for real. They helped me network and gave me a good base of fundamentals to take into my future. I am happy with my degree. I think I can do a lot with it. I feel like my options are unlimited."
Kailey had plans to head home to Chicago after graduation to work in the finance field while her agent worked to secure her a spot on a European pro team. "When I decide to hang up the basketball shoes I'll need something on my resume to start my real career." However, she recently signed a training camp contract with the Connecticut Sun of the WNBA. She is one of seven undrafted players who are in camp vying for spots on the Sun roster. She plans to eventually attend graduate school.
When not playing basketball Kailey still works out but she gets out for fun a little more often. "I'm really into restaurants. I eat out a lot. My family comes to visit often–I think we've been at every restaurant in Cleveland!" Kailey also likes to go out with friends on West 6th street. "That's the place to be on the weekends. I don't want to live and breathe basketball. I'm determined to get my work done, but when it's done, that's my time to relax and hang out."
To prospective students or people who don't know much about CSU, Kailey says, "Give it a chance...you don't know how good it can be until you get here. I learned so much in my four years at CSU. You have all the personal attention you need. All the professors know you; they're willing to work with you. If you put your work in you're going to get recognized for it. Learn everything you can while you're here. Take it all in."
New Graduate Certificate Program In Global Sustainable Business Practices
We are pleased to announce a graduate certificate program in Global Sustainable Business Practices starting in Fall 2010. The program is designed to prepare the next generation of business leaders to seize opportunities to profit while making a positive contribution to the well-being of our society.
The 16-credit certificate program includes four courses; two required and two electives. The two required courses are MBA 650 Principles of Sustainable Business Practices and MBA 651 Applied Sustainable Business Practicum, in which students will provide consulting services to area business that seek to improve their triple bottom line through lean processes. The program is open to current MBA students as well as those who already have a graduate degree.
Electives may be chosen from among five new courses and two existing courses. Two courses are now open for enrollment; MBA 650 and OSM 652 Sustainable Supply Chain Management.To see the full curriculum and elective options, visit www.csuohio.edu/business/osm/sustainability/.
Our program provides managers of small-to-medium size enterprises with the knowledge and tools necessary to successfully implement environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable business practices.
The certificate program is part of our ongoing commitment to the United Nations Global Compact Principles in Management Education (PRME). The UN Global Compact was established to coordinate efforts towards sustaining corporate citizenship, safeguarding the environment and society, and stabilizing financial markets in the global context.
For more information, visit www.csuohio.edu/business/osm/sustainability/ or contact the program director, Dr. Oya Tukel, at 216.687.4741 or o.icmeli@csuohio.edu.
Nance Students Compete at HR Games
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(L to R)Alan Weber, Talina Ulee,
Jennifer Freyhauf, Nicole Chernikoff, Nichelle Marquez, and Margaret Gillanders |
Our undergraduate student teams from the CSU student chapter of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) placed 4th and 7th in this year's Ohio HR Games held at Baldwin-Wallace College on February 27, 2010. HR Games is an academic competition among student chapters run by professional members of SHRM. In a Jeopardy-style format, teams demonstrate their professional knowledge of human resource management by "ringing-in" answers to questions related to content on the Professional of Human Resources (PHR) certification exam. The state HR games included twelve teams representing The University of Akron, Ashland University, Baldwin-Wallace College, Bryant and Stratton, Cleveland State University, John Carroll University, Youngstown State University, and Xavier College.
Nichelle Marquez and Alan Weber represented Cleveland State at the North Central Regional HR Games competition held April 23 and 24, 2010 at Purdue University. The Regional student conference had forty teams competing from colleges in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. The Cleveland State SHRM students are grateful for coaching from the faculty in the MLR Department and for financial support from the Cleveland SHRM professional chapter. The students have worked hard in preparation for taking the PHR certification exam. We congratulate some of our students who recently passed the certification exam: Ksenia Firdman, Amanda Koenig, Michael Penny, Jonathan Walsh, and Zeta Wilkins.
NASBITE International Hosts 23rd Annual Conference
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(L to R) Dean Robert Scherer,
NASBITE president Sara Jackson, Colette Taddy Hart, Dr. Julian Earls. |
As the host institution for NASBITE International, a professional organization for global business professionals, the Nance College of Business, in conjunction with the NASBITE Board of Governors, hosted the 23rd Annual NASBITE International Conference in Austin, Texas from April 7-9, 2010.
This year's conference, themed "Setting the Stage for Trade" attracted over 190 professionals, educators, practitioners, and students. The conference featured three top-notch keynote speakers and over 40 presenters.
Keynotes speakers included Luz Hopewell, Director for the Office of International Trade in the Office of Capital Access at the U.S. Small Business Administration, Ray Brimble, CEO of Lynsx Group, a small business practitioner with global education experience, as well as Dr. Julian Earls, Executive-in-Residence at the Nance College of Business.
The presentations covered a wide range of topics including: renewable energy, sustainability, and energy efficiency; NASBITE accreditation; trainers and programs; teaching international trade; and emerging markets. The conference sessions were brought to a close with an exciting and relevant panel discussion: NAFTA Update: Perspectives from Canada, Mexico and the US with panel participants from North America's SuperCorridor Coalition, Inc., PROMEXICO, and the Canadian-American Chamber of Commerce.
The conference concluded with a reception at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum celebrating the success of the NASBITE Certified Global Practitioner (CGBP) program and those who have earned the CGBP credential.
NASBITE International, with the assistance of the Nance College of Business, will host its 24th Annual Conference in Charleston, South Carolina from April 3-6, 2011.
Students Honored for Academic Achievements
The Nance College of Business recently honored some of its best and brightest with initiation into Beta Gamma Sigma and with the presentation of business scholarships. The Beta Gamma Sigma Induction Ceremony & College Honors Night was held at Fenn Tower on April 23, 2010 to recognize the new inductees and scholarship winners.
Beta Gamma Sigma is an honorary society formed in 1913 to encourage and reward scholarship and accomplishment among students of business administration. Election to membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest scholastic honor that a student in business administration can attain and is reserved for those business programs that are accredited by AACSB International.
The following students were inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma:
Undergraduate Students |
Graduate Students
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(cont.) |
A number of business students were recognized for their academic excellence through business scholarships established by various alumni, professional organizations, and civic or corporate organizations:
Ahuja Endowed Scholarship
Arun Achuthan
Samantha Anderson
Diganth Aswath
Brittany Bandish
Asmaae Benmerzouga
Jacquelyn Bennett
Shireesh Bogle
Christina Carney
Stephen Connolly
Cassy DeVos
Saranya Dosakayala
Mathieu Fortin
Jzinae
Jackson
Andrisa Jefferson
Sudhashri Joshi
Bretton Kastor
Puneet Kaur
Siva Rama Krishna Kollipara
Rama Rao Koneru
Bharat Madan
Madhukar
Rahul Madhari
Alina Marculetiu
Ginger McGhee
Patrick McLaughlin
Michelle
Medlik
Cody Meglio
Teja Swaroop Mylavarapu
Karthik Varma Nadimpalli
Nicholas Noll
Jessica Petrus
Haley Proszek
Hariharan Radhakrishnan
Rohita Ramaraj
Giorgina Ramirez
Gertrudis Ramos
Christopher Rautner
Chandni Saxena
Bhuvanesh Sethupathi
Harshit Shah
Sunil Subeydhi
Dagna
Sztykiel
Vijay Thakkar
AvinashVallabhaneni
Varun Vattikonda
Siddarth Reddy Vedere
Alexander Weizer
Jason Wiles
Haowei Wu
Haneesh Reddy Yekollu
Neha Zalpuri
Applied Industrial Technologies Scholarship
Alexander Bondar
David
Freelan
Brittany Jicha
Timothy Vath
Christina Visser
Alex Woolf
Daniel F. McCafferty Scholarship
Paul
Mytrohovich
David Balint Endowed Scholarship
Alejandra Crespo
Johnneshia Larkin
Timothy McLaughlin
Jamieson Williams
Richard Zakowski
David Rosenblatt Scholarship
Andrew Heckman
Donald W. Scotton Scholarship
Valerie Hanlon
Eddie Hardy Memorial Scholarship
Donnell Collins
Joanyra Hernandez
Tiana Stringer
Jasmine Young
Ellis and Ann Yan Endowed Scholarship
Wensi
Wang
GEON Endowed Scholarship
Jennifer Austin
Cara Salveter
Caitlyn Saxton
Maryna Svilovich
Alexander Wax
Andrew C. Gross Endowment
Andriy Paliychuk
Key Bank Student Managed Investment Fund Scholarship
Kathleen Dickey
Matthew Gabele
Aria
James
Endia Jones
Latifah Keyes
Chad Lee
Christopher Lee
Alex McKenna
David Przybojewski
Kathleen Rossman
Tatsiana Rypinskaya
Mark Curley Scholarship
Cynthia Maldonado
Paul Anders Alumni Association Scholarship
Manon Cernan
Marc Rothenberg
Michael Sowa
Kinda Stanbouli
Richard
Thompson
Paul Everson Endowed Scholarship
Asmaae Benmerzouga
Matthew Kukla
Vladimir Popovic
Lacy Sharratt
Ron Coccari Scholarship
Michael Ottebre
Schmidlapp Scholarship
Sam Hanley
Natasha Owens
Kitaya Southivong
Demetria
Stanfield
Walter Schmidt Endowed Scholarship
Alexandria Frygier
John Mau
Suzana Milkovic
Elise Previtera
Faculty and Alumni Visit Diebold
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Frank Alexander, Director,
Executive Briefing Programs, shares how Diebold stays a market leader through innovation |
Tom Swidarski, MBA '84 and CEO of Diebold, hosted Nance College faculty and alumni for an evening of hors'dourvers and refreshments while sharing insight on Diebold's global operations. Mr. Swidarski highlighted the unique challenges of running a multinational corporation in the current economic conditions. Guests were given a tour of Diebold's Global Solutions Center and their high tech innovations that make them a market leader. The center includes everything from a look at Diebold's past to the future of fraud protection and customer service. We received very positive feedback from the attendees.
The Nance College of Business will continue to partner with companies like Diebold to bring alumni insight to current business topics. If your company would like to partner for an alumni reception, contact John McCreery at 216-687-5481 or j.mccreery@csuohio.edu.
Net Impact Looking for New Members
The Cleveland State University student chapter of Net Impact is recruiting undergraduate, graduate, and DBA students with an interest in sustainability and corporate social responsibility. The group, whose membership includes 22 students from diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, meets monthly to discuss issues related to environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable business practices. Meetings feature guest speakers from area businesses including the Cleveland Indians, The Taylor Company, and Eaton Corporation. Networking opportunities with the Corporate Roundtable allow chapter members to meet leaders in the regional sustainable business movement. The group makes a continuous effort to provide members with professional development opportunities within the region and nationally.
Contact csunetimpact@gmail.com or stop into BU327 for more information.
Nance Collaborates with Hispanic Community to Support Convencion Hispana 2010 Case Competition
Convencion Hispana and the National Society of Hispanic MBA's (NSHMBA), partnered this year to host their first case competition for students in Northeast Ohio. Students had the opportunity to apply their knowledge, leadership and analytical skills to business solutions that align health and education issues in the Hispanic community with the corporate and community strategy of the participating "clients." The Nance College of Business supported the event, continuing the long-standing partnership with the NSHMBA organization.
The kick-off event took place on February 6th, 2010 at the Nance College of Business, with the participation of Robert Romero, Executive in Residence and representatives from Convencion Hispana and the NSHMBA Cleveland Chapter Board of Directors.
Participating in the case competition were two teams from Cleveland State University and two teams from Case Western Reserve University with the contribution of a student from Baldwin Wallace. The teams worked as consultants for RPM Inc., Sherwin Williams, Dollar Bank, and the Cleveland Clinic.
The final presentations and award ceremony took place at Cleveland Clinic Foundation House on April 3, 2010. Cleveland State University took second place with "El Cuarto Poder" Team, which included MBA students Zhenting Men, Claudia Silvana Ochoa, and Flor de Maria Sedano and Nance Alumna Nassera Saoud.
Both the sponsoring corporations and the participating clients were very pleased with the outcomes of the competition and they intend to make it an annual event
Nance Partners with Community Organizations to Develop Future Business Leaders
In recent years, the Nance College has collaborated with community partners on initiatives aimed at developing the region's future business leaders.
Throughout the 2009-2010 academic year the Nance College of Business partnered with the Cleveland Chapter of the National Black MBA Association to host the Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) Program. The LOT program is designed to expand the cadre of future minority students who enter college through mentoring and coaching, collegiate preparation workshops, and scholarship opportunities. The Program identifies minority high school students who demonstrate leadership potential, exposes them to various business disciplines in a college environment, and assists in identifying positive career and educational options. The Nance College provided the classroom experience and sponsored an MBA student, Monyett Moragne, to serve as a role model and mentor. The program included a business plan competition designed to introduce the students to entrepreneurship. The eight month program concluded on April 17 with student presentations of their business plans, an awards program, and graduation ceremony in Monte Ahuja Hall. The author of the winning business plans received summer internships with local businesses, scholarships and gift certificates to area department stores.
This spring, the Nance College also collaborated with the President's Council on Building Economic Empowerment to host PC Scholars, a pre-college program established in 2008 by a group of 15 African-Americans entrepreneurs to educate and mentor select sophomore students in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The program helps students learn and develop skills that will allow them to be successful in their education, career, and life. Nance provided a classroom experience and an undergraduate student, Chad Lee to serve on a panel discussion. Robert Romero, Executive in Residence led this collaboration on behalf of our college. The PC Scholars program is designed to provide leadership, innovative ideas, and resources to advance African-American businesses and build economic empowerment in Northeast Ohio.
Klaus Voted Accounting Professor of the Year
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Frank M. Klaus
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Frank M. Klaus, CPA was recently honored as Accounting Professor of the Year by them student members of Beta Alpha Psi, the accounting honorary fraternity, and the Accounting Association. Mr. Klaus teaches Accounting Information Systems and Information Systems Auditing as well as financial and managerial accounting to students in the Nance College MBA program.
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