College of Business News

Even with tough economic times, the Montana State University College of Business (CoB) presented more than 85 scholarships and awards for students majoring in business options for the 2010-2011 academic year. The scholarships, announced Monday, April 19th at the CoB’s annual scholarship banquet, were provided through endowments and funds set up to specifically grant financial aid to students enrolled in the CoB. Around people, including family and friends, attended the event.

President Waded Cruzado, the banquet’s keynote speaker, began the evening welcoming those in attendance and talked about the legacy being celebrated that evening before she launched into a fun and entertaining story that emphasized her message for the students. “Many years ago in the Middle East, there was a country that had a currency called “talent,” President Cruzado began saying. She told the story of a wealthy man who, before leaving on a journey, passed on “talents” to three servants who were to care for his properties while he was gone. He gave them each a different amount and asked them to use their “talents” wisely and invest, saying he would come back to see how they had done. Upon his return, he found two of his servants had invested the “talents” and now had more than what they started with. On the other hand, the third servant, who was afraid, had buried his “talent.”

President Cruzado concluded the story by encouraging the students to follow the first two servants and not the last. “Everyone here has a talent. You need to delegate and believe in people and trust their judgment. To those who receive a lot, they need to give back a lot.” Then she looked into the audience and emphasized that the donors didn’t know the scholarship recipients beforehand, but had chosen to invest in them. She said each student has now received many “talents” and we will see what they do with those gifts.

If you would like more information about CoB scholarships, please contact Halina Rickman at hrickman@montana.edu or 406-994-4423.

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Sixteen Montana State University College of Business (CoB) students and one CoB faculty member were added to the prestigious list of Beta Gamma Sigma (BGS) inductees at the induction luncheon on Wednesday, April 7. BGS, an international honor society started in 1913, provides the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in an accredited, Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), undergraduate or master’s program.

BGS Advisor, Dr. Susan Dana welcomed attendees and the induction started with the definition of Beta Gamma Sigma and what it means to be a member of this honor society. The inductees were encouraged to live according to the standards of Beta, meaning honor, Gamma, meaning wisdom and Sigma, meaning earnestness. The inductees recited the BGS pledge and received their certificates and pins.

Afterwards, BGS presented The Beta Gama Sigma Professor of the Year Award to Dr. Omar Shehryar, CoB associate professor of marketing. Shehryar joined the CoB in the summer of 2005 after teaching at Louisiana State University and the University of Missouri. His primary teaching interests include principles of marketing, marketing management and marketing research. His research focuses on the application and extension of terror management theory in the domain of consumer behavior and behavioral pricing. Shehryar received his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. The graduating CoB class of 2009 acknowledged Shehryar’s excellence in teaching, during commencement, with the prestigious Professor of the Year Award.

BGS also recognized Todd E. Eliason, president and founder of Rock Creek Associates, as the Chapter Honoree.

An accomplished industry executive and visionary, he has offered significant leadership contributions to telecommunications companies for more than 25 years. He received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from MSU and his MBA from Seattle University. Eliason is also on the CoB Advisory Board.

Eliason congratulated the students for the honor of being in BGS and told them to savor the moment and to take pride in their success, the CoB and MSU. “Be proud of your education and what foundation you’ve received here. The College is truly becoming a world-class organization centered on student success.”

His advice to the students, “Todd’s Tidbits,” focused on key attributes that lead to professional and personal development. He listed twelve attributes: Attitude and Enthusiasm, Teamwork, Integrity, Openness, Hard Work, Focus, Challenge/Question/Ask Why, Trust, Perspective and Humor, Positive Noise and Professionalism and Balance, giving examples of how each lead to positive outcomes. Eliason also talked about defining realistic expectations, making a plan and then identifying various paths to achieve one’s goals. He closed by saying that a leader stands out by the nature of their commitment and the integrity of their character.

2010 BGS INDUCTEES

Seniors: Joseph Bogen, Meghan Doyle, Anthony Gaffke, Loretta Hemingway, Rachel McGinnis, Sophie Mumford, Heather Morris, Stephanie Mundt* and LeAnn Plymale.

Juniors: Caley Chadwick, Carl Nystuen, Randi Regli, Garrett Shaw, Abbey Schmaltz, Jay Trotter and Xiaochen Zhao.

* in absentia

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As a part of the HR Management Club’s Hospitality series, they are hosting Colin Davis, the general manager at Chico Hot Springs at their next meeting on Wednesday, April 14th at 5:30 pm in Reid Hall 202. He will discuss hospitality careers, education for the industry, and the challenges and opportunities in his line of work. For more information please email hr_mgmt_club@yahoo.com.

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The College of Business (CoB) held its sixth annual Entrepreneur Day in the Strand Union Ballrooms on the Montana State University (MSU) campus Tuesday, April 6. This free event was a part of the CoB’s on-going commitment to community service and enhancing entrepreneurial spirit and education.

The morning began with Associate Dean Susan Dana’s welcome to high school student participants from around the state—some attending from as far away as Park City and Cascade. The students were given a brief overview of the day’s events, interactive workshop, as well as a crash course introduction into entrepreneurship and small business management. Split into smaller groups, the students created a small entrepreneurial business as a part of a simulation. All businesses were required to be “green” and related to food. Assigned differing amounts of “seed capital,” the small groups had certain objectives to meet, such as assigning organizational positions, including company president and vice president. They also created and gave PowerPoint presentations about their start-up business at the end of the workshop. The students came up with many unique entrepreneurial endeavors, including edible bags and smoothie carts.

Elizabeth Mead, Jessica Fix, Tara Lindblom, Morgan Rangel and Lily Hurley, CoB students in the Alderson Entrepreneurship Program, as well as Grant Jamieson, an alumnus of the program, served as “experts” during the workshop, answering questions as the groups developed their businesses. At the end of the workshop, the students presented their ideas and the winning team received a “$25,000 check” that simulated a Small Business Association (SBA) grant for the successful launch of a small entrepreneurial business.

During lunch, young entrepreneur and CoB graduate, Lorie Hoffman of L.A. Hoffman Studios talked to the high school students about her experience in the entrepreneurship program and gave them advice about how to start their own businesses.

The keynote presentation took place after lunch, with guest speaker Jennifer Sipes, operation director for the nonprofit, Central Asia Institute (CAI) and CoB alumna. Sipes gave a lively presentation about the Central Asia Institute, how it was developed, its projects and her role as CAI operations director.

CAI promotes education and literacy programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan and has established or supported 131 schools and educated more than 58,000 students, including 44,000 girls.

Mortenson, the executive director, along with his team, has combined philanthropy and entrepreneurship by providing educational opportunities for thousands of students in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sipes oversees and manages CAI’s daily operations, while Mortenson frequently travels to fundraise and manages on-site overseas operations.

Entrepreneur Day reflects the CoB’s and the Alderson Program in Entrepreneurship’s commitment to improve Montana’s economic development, while providing a framework for an outstanding educational experience for students. This event was sponsored in part by Boeing. Students from any major at MSU can take Entrepreneurship coursework through the CoB’s 30 credit-hour Entrepreneurship and Small Business Management minor.

For further information about Entrepreneur Day, please contact Audrey Lee at 406-994-7026 or e-mail: audrey.lee@montana.edu.

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After a full year of planning and hosting events, five Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) members were able to compete in the regional SIFE competition in San Francisco in April. Zach Curtis, Jamie Pearce, Elliot Rueb, Susan Sheaffer and Kate Snapp represented the MSU College of Business SIFE club along with advisor, Gary Bishop.

In order to qualify for the competition, the club had to complete a project in each of SIFE’s seven categories: market economics, success skills, entrepreneurship, financial literacy, environmental sustainability, business ethics and team and program sustainability. Each project had to promote and create economic opportunity for those attending the event.

The club put together some great educational events for these categories including a financial literacy session for freshman students and a guest lecture focused on business ethics with Carson Taylor, City of Bozeman commissioner and College of Business adjunct instructor. All of the events and activities had to be documented and it took the club multiple days of organizing and compiling presentation plans and travel plans to prepare for the competition.

The competition was an amazing experience for the students. Elliot Rueb, president of the SIFE club recalled the trip as very rewarding professionally: “We gave a 24 minute presentation on our accomplishments of the year which was presented to a panel of 15 judges as well as a conference room of spectators. We really pulled together and had a great performance, even though we didn’t make it into the world cup. Other competitors consisted of large schools such as UCLA and Oregon State, but even their advisors said we competed tough for such a small school. It taught me how valuable teamwork can be and what teams can accomplish when working together.”

Their advisor Gary Bishop agreed, “The SIFE team performed admirably at the 2010 regional competition. The competition was fierce but this event has strengthened the SIFE team’s performance and overall desire to do better at next year’s competition and other future competitions.”

This opportunity was made possible to the SIFE club by the College of Business; alumni, Jim and Connie Alderson; and the Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU).

The SIFE website, www.sife.org, describes these competitions as “challenging, team-oriented events that create a sense of accountability and motivation for teams to continually improve the quality of their projects. They also provide an opportunity for collaboration and best-practice sharing, further strengthening the value of the learning experience and the overall effectiveness of the program.”

About SIFE

SIFE, an international non-profit organization, works with leaders in business and higher education to mobilize university students to make a difference in their communities while developing the skills to become socially responsible business leaders. Participating students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need. An annual series of regional and national competitions provides a forum for teams to present the results of their projects, and to be evaluated by business leaders serving as judges. National champion teams advance to the prestigious SIFE World Cup. In addition to the community aspect of the program, SIFE’s leadership and career initiatives create meaningful opportunities for learning and exchange among the participants as well as the placement of students and alumni with companies in search of emerging talent.

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Jennifer Sipes, operations director for the nonprofit, Central Asia Institute (CAI) and College of Business (CoB) alumna, will be the keynote speaker for the sixth annual Montana State University (MSU) College of Business Entrepreneur Day. Sipes’ presentation, followed by a question and answer session, will be held on Tuesday, April 6, from 1:15-2:00 p.m. in ballroom B in the MSU Strand Union Building. The keynote presentation is free and open to the public.

Sipes will discuss her experiences as CAI operations director and the organization’s focus on social entrepreneurship. CAI promotes education and literacy programs in Pakistan and Afghanistan and has established or supported 131 schools and educated more than 58,000 students, including 44,000 girls.

Mortenson, the executive director, along with his team, has managed to combine philanthropy and entrepreneurship by providing educational opportunities for thousands of students in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Sipes oversees and manages CAI’s daily operations, while Mortenson frequently travels to fundraise and manages on-site overseas operations.

In addition to Sipes’ presentation, CoB faculty and current students will facilitate a group workshop in the morning. The session is designed for high school students and transfer students interested in the entrepreneurship program at MSU.

The MSU CoB hosts Entrepreneur Day as part of its commitment to enhance entrepreneurial spirit and education, as well as its commitment to improving the state’s economic development. The multi-session day is planned for high school and college students, but everyone is welcome to attend. The day’s events will take place from 9:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m., in ballrooms B and C.

For more information on the sessions and luncheon, or to reserve a space, contact Audrey Lee at 994-7026 or audrey.lee@montana.edu. Reservations are requested.

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Four Montana State University (MSU) accounting students, Caitlyn Deen, Bryan Jackson, Jennifer Larson and Wasawat Tuntiprapha, spent spring break in Alaska filing tax returns through the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program. The program, established through the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), assists people who find it difficult to pay for tax preparation services.

The four students were selected from a pool of about 25 who were interested in participating in this program, based on their academic excellence and experience. The College of Business (CoB) pays up to $600 towards each volunteer’s airfare to Anchorage, Alaska and the students make up the difference. The Alaska Business Development Center (ABDC), a non-profit organization sponsors the trip by covering all other trip expenses and taking care of logistical arrangements.

The students arrived in Anchorage on Friday, March 12, where they trained in tax laws specific to Alaska before heading out to the villages on Sunday. Prior to arriving in Alaska, all the students had practiced preparing returns through the VITA program on campus. They also had to pass an IRS tax preparation exam, complete at least one comprehensive tax course and receive specific training related to common tax issues and those pertinent to villages in Alaska, such as considerations related to fishing, oil and gas, as well as Alaska’s Permanent Fund Dividend program for its citizens.

Jackson and Tuntiprapha visited smaller villages on Kodiak Island: Old Harbor, Larsen Bay, Karluk, Akhiok, Port Lion and Ouzinkie; while Deen and Larson visited three larger villages: Kongiganak, Kwigillingok and Tuntutuliak, all located in Western Alaska.

With these villages being so remote, roughly 90 percent of the villagers are native and speak a first language other than English. Deen and Larson interacted mostly with the Yupik Eskimos and the villagers were kind enough to teach them a few words in the Yupik language.

The students also experienced some culture shock with their living situation being so different from what they are used to in Bozeman. There were no roads so everyone traveled by four-wheelers, snow mobiles, boats or bush planes. Everything was very expensive. Larson recalls buying a box of donuts for twice what she pays in Bozeman. Luckily many of the students had brought food with them from Bozeman. The students slept on cots, air mattresses, on the floor and and even on a table. Toilets were broken at all three places where Deen and Larson stayed so they learned firsthand about honey buckets. The trip was an eye-opening experience for these four students.

On the other hand, the students were able to experience a rich native culture. Deen and Larson watched a rehearsal of native dancers at the local school in Kongiganak and they also visited an artist who created baskets and dance fans (similar to those used at the rehearsal) in Kwigillingok.

In four days, Deen and Larson printed 167 returns, while Jackson and Tuntiprapha completed 100, for a total of 267 returns from nine villages.

Tuntiprapha believes this experience helped prepare him for his future in accounting. “Going to Alaska gave me the opportunity to apply my knowledge to a real-life situation,” he stated. “I would like to give a special thanks to [professor] Anne Christensen who did an excellent job teaching us”. Tuntiprapha plans on taking the Certified Public Accounting (CPA) exam and work in the U.S. before returning to Thailand. He says, “I am confident that the Master of Professional Accountancy program at MSU and the experience in Alaska will help me contribute to the improvement of Thailand’s accounting and tax system, which is principally important, given that Thailand has entered into an epoch of violently competitive trade in the international arena.”

Overall, the students gained valuable tax preparation experience, learned about another culture and were able to help many villagers and their families.

For a video clip of what the students experienced and more information about the VITA program, please see our website: http://www.montana.edu/cob/Accounting/vita.html.

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