by Amanda Pittman | May 20, 2011 | Dean Chronicles
Dr. Lytle checks in with us from his travels in Asia:
Since May 15 I have been on an Asian tour, meeting Christian business professionals in their home countries. May 15-18 was spent in Beijing, China where I had the opportunity to have dinner with several Christian business people serving in China with major U.S. companies. I was also asked to speak at a conference of around 200 Asian business professionals. My topic was Service Matters: Building Brand Advantage through Service Excellence. Today (May 19), we landed in Singapore. We will be holding a variety of meetings with Christian business professionals here as well. On Saturday, I will speak to the CEO Forum-Asia group on my book, Abandoning the Ordinary. Sunday we leave for Hong Kong to do more of the same. Additionally, I am exploring and crafting opportunities for our business and technology students to study abroad during their time in our programs at ACU. One of the great privileges of this trip is the opportunity to be mentored by Mr. Dick Schulz, former Iowa Basketball coach, former Cornell Athletic Director, former president of the NCAA, and former Secretary General for the U.S. Olympic Committee. He is a man of faith who has had an extraordinary life of service to God and man and family. Asia is an amazing part of the world – certainly the focus of the most dynamic and significant global development over the next 30 years.
God bless,
Rick
Dr. Lytle at a speaking engagement in Beijing
by Amanda Pittman | May 12, 2011 | COBA Events, College Decisions, Current Students
The students in our Digital Marketing class have spent the entire semester working on a market research project for Canadian-based retailer, ROOTS. The research was integrated into the curriculum for this unique class that focused on ecommerce and the interactions between a consumer and a retail webstore. The class was a collaboratively taught between Mike Winegeart, Assistant Professor – Marketing and Mike Willoughby, Senior Partner and President of PFSweb, Inc. ROOTS is a client of PFSweb.
In late April, our students had the fantastic opportunity to present their findings to the actual client. James Connell, VP of Marketing for ROOTS, Inc. flew down to Texas to hear what this group of college students discovered in their market research.
ROOTS Account team from PFSweb, including VP from ROOTS
We caught up with junior Marketing major, Kenli Viertel, who was part of the team that presented to the account team from PFSweb as well as Mr. Connell. We asked her just a few brief questions:
1) What was the presentation about exactly?
As a class, we split into groups and each researched different aspects of Roots Canada’s digital marketing efforts. Some of the groups’ topics were Social Media and Product Merchandising. We researched the efforts Roots is making and compared them to other similar companies and put together a presentation full of ways they can better reach their online customer.
2) How long have you been working on this presentation?
For the presentation, we used everything we’d learned all semester, but I’d say we were actually working on the project for a month before the actual presentation.
3) How many students presented?
I think there were around 18 students in the class. Most everyone presented if they were comfortable.
4) What’s one or two things you learned about ROOTS that you didn’t know before?
Roots uses every scrap of leather and waste nothing! They use scraps for leather bracelets or keychains instead of throwing it away. They focus a lot of time and effort on being “green”.
5) What’s one or two things you learned about e-commerce that you didn’t know before?
I don’t think I ever realized that there is someone tracking every click of my mouse on their website, learning from what I do. It’s incredible to me the things we can learn from observing the consumer. What I love about e-commerce is that it’s turning from a business-to-consumer game into a consumer-to-consumer game, run by the shopper.
6) How has this class set you apart to potential employers?
By taking this class from PFSweb professionals, I believe I’ve gotten an inside view of the career that so many potential employers will expect me to perform. This class gave me hands-on experience and really gave me a good grasp on what happens behind the website. Also, doing work for a company like Roots is something that I’ll soon be proud to tell an interviewer.
- Students in the Digital Marketing class that presented to ROOTS
- PFSweb account team with ACU students
- Dr. Lytle, PFSweb President Mike Willoughby, ROOTS VP James Connell and Assistant Professor of Marketing, Mike Winegeart (L-R)
PFSweb Senior Partner and President, Mike Willoughby, is an ACU COBA grad. You can read more about him, here. And if you don’t follow his blog, http://mwilloughby.com, you definitely should add it to your bookmarks. And if you are wanting to learn more about ecommerce, digital marketing, or how to increase the bottom line for your on line retail store – absolutely follow this blog (Willoughby is a frequent contributor): www.pfsweb.com/blog.
by Amanda Pittman | May 10, 2011 | College Decisions, Current Students, Placement stories
Senior Finance major from Dimmitt, Texas, Kylah Riddle, is finishing up the last of her college final exams this week. She’ll walk in ACU’s Commencement ceremonies this Saturday afternoon. And Kylah already has landed a job with PFSweb, a leader in providing eCommerce solutions for some of the world’s biggest brands.
Soon to be ACU alum, Kylah Riddle has accepted a job with PFSweb
We recently sat down with Kylah to find out how she scored such an awesome job before she has even graduated!
What will you be doing for PFSweb?
The program I’ll be participating in is called the College Recruitment Program. They chose 12 college graduates from different schools and we will all start this program on June 13th. Through this program we will spend a week in each department of the business conducting research, doing projects and learning about that specific department and their particular duties. The program is about six weeks long and after we’ve completed it, our managers will sit down with the recruits and will place us in the department we both feel will be our best fit. This program is much more beneficial than being a direct hire for just one particular area because we will get to see and learn all aspects of the business as we move throughout the company, and find the best fit for our skill set and where we can make the most impact for PFSweb.
How’d you hear about the job opening?
I first heard about the job opening from Tim Johnston, Assistant Dean – Marketing Operations. I knew about the company because Mike Willoughby, Senior Partner – President of PFSweb, helped teach a digital marketing class here in COBA. When we learned there were openings in their college recruitment program, Mr. Johnston and Dr. Lytle (dean of COBA) both encouraged me to pursue the application and interview process.
How did the interview process work?
I posted my resume and a cover letter on the ACU CareerLink post where the job was advertised. PFSweb chose several students to interview for the first round here on campus in the Hunter Welcome Center. They came down and interviewed students all day. A week later, they narrowed down their candidates and invited a smaller number to come back and interview in Plano at their U.S. headquarters. I drove to Plano and went through a whole day of interviews with several different employees and managers. The following week they sent out offer letters.
What did you do before the interview to help you feel prepared? Mock interviews? Resume review?
Before the interview I had several meetings with Tim Johnston, Assistant Dean – Marketing Operations. We went over my resume and highlighted what he called the “star” and applicable experiences. He then conducted a mock interview and drilled me with questions. I would definitely recommend to students who are searching for jobs to go through this process. It was extremely helpful and it gave me a chance to really learn how to explain my strengths and the experiences I had while a student at ACU.
What’s one piece of advice you have for the underclassman here in COBA?
Learn and be involved in all you can while you are here. Take advantage of every opportunity to get to know your professors. That is one thing I have truly cherished these past four years. These professors mean more to me than just a teacher, I consider them my friends!
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 29, 2011 | COBA Events, College Decisions, Current Students
It’s been a big day for our friends across the pond. Word on facebook is that several of our ACU students studying abroad in Oxford made their way to London to join the other 80,000 in watching the royal nuptials. (We’re sure the trip was scheduled for after they finished their homework, of course.)
See any ACU purple in there? (photo from dailymail.co.uk)
This summer, COBA will host two different study abroad programs in Europe. In June, a group of students will travel to Oxford, outside of London, for a month of coursework and consulting with OxFam, International. This will mark our 12th summer in a row to take a group of business students to study and consult in Oxford. Students will take classes in International Business, Management and Organizational Business, and Operations Management.
And in July, a second group of business students will travel to Liepzig, for the first part of the month, and wrap up their time in Oxford. Classes will include: International Marketing, European Strategic Marketing, and Issues in Global Information Technology. Additionally, students will have the opportunity to work on projects for KaDeWe (a high end German department store), BMW and Harrod’s.
For more information on our study abroad programs, click here. Now, take a break from wedding coverage and watch a few episodes of our time in Oxford from the summer of 2009.
COBA in Oxford
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 28, 2011 | College Decisions, Springboard
From time to time on this blog, we’ll be featuring brief conversations with recent COBA alum, asking them to share how ACU has prepared them for where they are now.
Jody Walker graduated from ACU with degrees in Accounting and Finance in 2009. While at ACU, Jody played on the Wildcat football team, was a member of STAR, and was a winner in the student category in our 2009 Springboard Ideas Challenge. He’s currently studying at SMU’s Dedman School of Law and is candidate for his Juris Doctrate in 2012. We’ve asked Jody to share with us how ACU prepared him for his next steps, specifically law school.
Alum Jody Walker (pictured on the left) is now a student at SMU's Dedman School of Law
1) How was your learning experience at ACU (or in COBA) different from that of your classmates at SMU?
One of the biggest differences was the technological innovation used throughout the university. Professors would take surveys on iPhones, Q & A’s would be done through text messaging in chapel and even some of my tests were taken with a remote control. None of my other classmates in graduate school had experienced a university that incorporates technology so seamlessly into thestudent bodies’ daily activities. With this exposure to a cutting-edge learning environment, ACU (and COBA) gave me more than just a “textbook” education.
2) Do you think your learning experience at ACU provided better preparation than your classmates’ college preparation? If so, how? If no, why not?
ACU (and COBA) definitely excelled at preparing me academically for graduate school, as well as for my future in the workplace. ACU is able to distinguish itself on many different levels from the typical public university, and I believe that one of the most beneficial aspects of ACU was the opportunity to improve my social skills. Sounds strange, but the constant communication with my professors and other students, daily interactions with classmates at chapel (not during chapel of course), and socializing at the numerous school activities all helped me develop the skills and attributes necessary to effectively communicate with the people around me. I feel like this intangible characteristic is often neglected at bigger universities, but with the personal environment ACU creates, it gave me the opportunity to develop meaningful relationships with the people I encountered in addition to learning invaluable interpersonal skills.
3) What class/program/event/professor helped prepare you the most for the workplace or grad school? What did they do that was helpful?
STAR (Student Training and Research) was probably the most useful program in COBA. It was a real world application of the material I learned in class. At times it’s hard to comprehend equations and theories past the pages of your textbook, but STAR gave me the unparalleled experience I needed to succeed in graduate school.
4) Now that you are in law school, what is one piece of advice you’d like to share with prospective students or current students that would have helped you?
Get involved, or stay involved with something at ACU. Whether it’s a social club, an organization, or some other extra curricular activity, the relationships you build at ACU are unlike any other.
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 21, 2011 | COBA Events, College Decisions, Current Students
Thirty students recently earned the prestigious invitation for membership into The International Honor Society, Beta Gamma Sigma. These students join the eighteen current student members and twenty-five faculty members in ACU’s chapter. To be eligible, students’ GPA is in the top 10% in our BBA program, and the top 20% in our MAcc program.
Refreshments at the Induction Ceremony
From the Beta Gamma Sigma website:
Founded in 1913, the first national honor society in business was a merger of three separate societies established to honor academic achievement in business at the University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois and the University of California. Today Beta Gamma Sigma is an international honor society that provides the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate (graduate) program at a school accredited by AACSB International. The mission of the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma is to encourage and honor academic achievement in the study of business, to foster personal and professional excellence, to advance the values of the Society, and to serve its lifelong members.
Beta Gamma Sigma’s objectives include:
- to encourage and honor high academic achievement by students of business and management through chapters in AACSB accredited business programs
- to foster in members an enduring commitment to the founding principles and values of the Society: honor and integrity, pursuit of wisdom, and earnestness
- support and advancement of business thought and practice, to encourage lifelong learning
- enhance the value of Beta Gamma Sigma for students and alumni members in their professional lives, and
- advance the visibility and reputation of Beta Gamma Sigma
To begin our ceremony, Dr. Rick Lytle welcomed the new member students and explained some of the perks of membership into Beta Gamma Sigma. Besides lifelong membership and a really sharp medal they wear over their robes during commencement exercises, the new member students will also receive a free year subscription to BusinessWeek, Fortune and The Week. Additionally, students planning on sitting for the CPA will receive a $250 discount off of a Kaplan, Princeton Review or Becker review course. There is also a section on the BGS website with jobs that only BGS members are eligible to apply for. Dr. Lytle also shared that our current student members received a unique invitation from the University of North Carolina recently – automatic admittance into their MBA program, no GMAT score required!
Dr. Lytle explaining the perks of membership
Before the official inductions, Dr. Terry Pope read a scripture from Psalms. Then Dr. Monty Lynn and Dr. Don Pope inducted the new student members.
New student member receiving her certificate packet from Dr. Pope
After the new student members had received their certificate packets, Dr. Tim Coburn offered a prayer of blessing over these students.
A prayer of blessing over the new members
New members proudly showing their certificates
Here are the new student members:
- Raul Andino
- Lily Assaad
- Brett Batchelor
- Trenton Brough
- Jenni Burks
- Elizabeth Carpenter
- Ashley Carroll
- Layken Cathey
- Chase Cobern
- Ross Darden
- Molley Dudensing
- Taylor Fortney
- Brandon Fry
- Daniel Greenberg
- Eric Goff
- Cade Isham
- Simon Jowett
- Charles Levitte
- VJ McElroy
- Brennen McMullin
- Hannah Ostertag
- Michael Powell
- Jacob Raitz
- Semei Rodriguez
- Jourdan Shirley
- Chris Sisk
- Matthew Stark
- Elle Whitaker
- Robby Wiginton
- Jada Yarbrough
Congratulations to these students and their outstanding academic achievements!
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 15, 2011 | CCCU, College Decisions, Current Students
Junior Marketing major Tyler Sutphen just completed a seven concert, nine-day tour for his capstone project as part of his semester at the CCCU’s Center for Contemporary Music based in Nashville, TN. They traveled 1600 miles and visited six CCCU campuses. Read more about the tour here. And click here to read more about the music business program for ACU students here.
Marketing major Tyler Sutphen at the CMC in Nashville
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 14, 2011 | City of Abilene, COBA Events, Current Students, Special Speakers, Springboard
Our fourth annual Springboard Ideas Challenge Awards Dinner was another successful, educational and fun event here on campus. As guests gathered in Hunter Welcome Center, they could mingle through the many displays of the Ideas Challenge finalists, learning more about their business plans and ideas. And in some cases, even tasting the finalists’ business idea. 
During the meal, we heard more about the Griggs Center for Entrepreneurship and Philanthropy from the Director of the Center, Dr. Jim Litton, as well as COBA dean, Dr. Rick Lytle.
Dr. Rick Lytle discussing the Griggs Center
Special guests, Dr. and Mrs. Jack Griggs
To be sure, the point of the awards dinner is to announce the winners of the small business plan competition. But the focus of the entire event and evening is to encourage entrepreneurship – to encourage the entrepreneurs, as well as to encourage the wider community that will support these businesses. To speak further about the topic of entrepreneurship and community, ACU and the College of Business Administration was thrilled to bring in Jessica Jackley, co-founder of KIVA.org and most recently, founder of ProFounder.com.
Special Guest Speaker Jessica Jackley
Jackley shared her experiences in South Africa that lead her to start KIVA
Jackley’s engaging, down-to-earth, completely authentic style had the audience laughing at different times and moved to tears at others. Here’s a nice recap of what she shared from the Abilene Reporter-News.
Audience members had the opportunity to text Jackley questions at the conclusion of her talk
After Jackley shared about her experiences, Dr. Litton announced the winners of the mini-business plan competition. Here is the breakdown of the winners in each catagory:
Community Post-Revenue
Honorable Mention ($1000 cash prize):
- Enchilada Express – Chris Norton, www.enchiladaexpress.com
- Urban Male Hair and Grooming – Lindsey Soria, http://urbanmalesalon.com
- Dream Spectrum Design – Charles Caddell, www.dreamspectrum.com
2nd Place ($3000 cash prize):
- Advantage Cubed – Coty Woolf
1st Place ($7500 cash prize):
- Indivijual Custom Eyeware – Randy Barnett, www.indivijual.com
Community Pre-Revenue
Honorable Mention ($1000 cash prize):
- Cordell’s – Jason Beard, Joy Beard
- XYZ Eyewear – Dr. Troy Carter, Tyler Lewis
2nd Place ($3000 cash prize):
- Knox City Hometown Variety – Sheri Baty, Ezekial Duke, Marla Hawkins, Steve Pepper
1st Place ($7500 cash prize):
- Landman.IO – Chad Hutchins
Students
Honorable Mention ($1000 cash prize):
- Walk Thru – Joshua Archer, Chase Cobern, Justin Durko
- Super TwinBEAR – David Galaz, Chen Gong, Patrick Yan
- Droppage.com – Chas Quisenberry
- The Cellular Trap – Tyler Nolan, John Stevens, Derek Zimmerman
2nd place ($3000 cash prize):
- iMedical Online – Clayton Selby, Seth Thomas
1st place ($7500 cash prize):
- ScholarSphere – Asa Kusuma, Tim Johnston
Social Entrepreneurship Award ($2500 cash prize):
- Suffer Not the Children – Christina Batten, Kevin Batten
Most Fundable Award ($7500 cash prize):
- Landman.IO – Chad Hutchins
Congratulations to all of our winners! In addition to the cash prizes, winners will also have the opportunity to receive in-kind prizes like office space, equipment and furniture. The cash and in-kind prizes were provided by the following sponsors:
Bronze Sponsors
- ACU Campus Bookstore
- Morris&Mitchell
- Rosas Cafe
- Shelton Family Foundation
- Women for ACU
Silver Sponsors
- Abilene Reporter News
- American State Bank
- First Financial Bank
- Genesis Network Solutions
- McMurry University
- Raindance Capital
- Senter, Realtors
Gold Sponsors
- Development Corporation of Abilene
- Dian Graves Owen Foundation
- Dodge Jones Foundation
- Jack and Ann Griggs
- Texas Tech Small Business Development Center
- Kenny and Sharon Wilson
Platinum Sponsors
- ACU’s College of Business Administration
- Bixby Enterprises and Mark Horn Enterprises
And special Program Partner, Workforce Solutions of West Central Texas.
We are grateful for the community of support we received in order to host this competition and awards dinner. Our events would not have been possible without the partnership of our sponsors, judges, contestants, COBA faculty, ACU staff and specifically, Dr. Jim Litton. If you are interested in learning more about our entrepreneurship program in COBA or how you can participate in next year’s Ideas Challenge, please email us at coba@acu.edu.
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 13, 2011 | COBA Events, Current Students, Special Speakers
Recently, students in Business Law and Introduction to Business, had the opportunity to hear from nationally known economist Dr. Russell Roberts. Dr. Roberts was invited to campus as part of the Undergrad Research Festival.
Dr. Russell Roberts
Here’s more information about Dr. Roberts from Econlib:
Russell Roberts, Associate Editor. Russell Roberts is Professor of Economics and the J. Fish and Lillian F. Smith Distinguished Scholar at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University. Before coming to George Mason University, Roberts was at Washington University in St. Louis where he was the founding director of the Center for Experiential Learning at the John M. Olin School of Business and a Senior Fellow at the Weidenbaum Center on the Economy, Government, and Public Policy. Roberts has also taught at the University of Rochester, Stanford University, and UCLA. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Chicago.
Roberts is a regular commentator on business and economics for National Public Radio’s Morning Edition. In addition to numerous academic publications, he has written for the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal. Professor Roberts is especially interested in communicating economics to non-economists. His first novel, The Choice: A Fable of Free Trade and Protectionism, a jargon-free book on international trade written for the non-economist, was named one of the top ten books of 1994 by Business Week and one of the best books of 1994 by the Financial Times. An updated and revised edition was published in the spring of 2000. His new book is The Invisible Heart: An Economic Romance (MIT Press, 2001).
Russ Roberts is the host of EconTalk, economics podcasts available here and through iTunes. He blogs at Cafe Hayek along with Don Boudreaux
Dr. Andrew Little, Dr. Roberts, Dr. Monty Lynn
by Amanda Pittman | Apr 12, 2011 | College Decisions, Current Students
COBA faculty, staff, and MACC students and alums were thrilled and honored to learn recently that US News and World Report has ranked our MACC program as the #1 business graduate program in the nation in terms of graduate students who secure employment within three months of earning their degrees.
Please read the University’s press release about it here.
And here’s the article from US News and World Report.
Congratulations to all the faculty and staff! And thank you to all the accounting firms and recruiters that visit our campus every semester to interview our MACC students.
