by Amanda Pittman | Jun 20, 2011 | COBA Events, College Decisions, Current Students
Riding the train from Oxford to London
Last Friday, COBA in Oxford hopped aboard our very first train to London. Excitedly, we stepped onto the platform of Paddington station. As we separated into groups, we were given our itinerary and left to explore the city until mid-afternoon. Most of us decided to take the tube (the subway) to the British Museum. We stood in the bustling station, confusedly trying to decipher the different lines and stops necessary to get there, as well as trying to avoid all the people who actually knew where they were going. Amidst the confusion, two of us were separated from the rest of the group. I happened to be in the minority.
Do not be concerned. My fellow derelict, Leigh Foith, and I did arrive safely at the British Museum, only to find our classmates visiting the ancient Egyptian pharaohs! This was a pleasant surprise, considering the magnitude of the museum itself, not to mention the traffic of visitors wandering its varied exhibits. After taking our individual allotments of history, different groups of us left to find some lunch. We then met, professors and all, at Trafalgar square to begin our tour of the Palace of Westminster, otherwise known as the Houses of Parliament.
Waiting in the rain for the Parliament tour
Dr. Pope and Dr. Phillips
We went through security and emerged into a huge stone building, with high wooden ceilings and steps leading up to Parliament itself. Our tour guide explained the history of the palace, and how it has affected England’s political system throughout hundreds of years. That huge stone building we first came into had been standing for almost 1000 years. It was so interesting to hear the history of England while we stood on the spot of its occurrence. And the art! The Palace of Westminister was extravagantly built by Queen Victoria; the richness and details of murals, carpeting, sculptures and the throne itself were astounding.
Our tour over, most of us took the train back to Oxford, and several left for Edinburgh, Scotland. The next day, a group of us girls went back to London for some shopping and the Queen’s royal birthday parade. We found the royal family, Portabello road market, and the lovely Hyde Park. A perfect combination! It was a busy, but unforgettable weekend.
Mrs. Pope at the Portabello Road Market
by Amanda Pittman | Jun 16, 2011 | College Decisions, Current Students, Mobile Learning
Dr. Ian Shepherd, associate professor in our Management Sciences department taught an Economics class this past semester where students used ipads as part of a pilot program on campus. He says in the CNBC article:
“It allows me to focus on coming up with a new application that perhaps is more relevant to a student,” he says. “It has reinvigorated my love for teaching.”
Click here to read the full story.
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.
