Strictly Business

Within the past week, two Belmont College of Business Administration faculty members – Dr. Jeff Cornwall, Director for Belmont’s Center for Entrepreneurship, and Dr. Charles Wainright, Associate Professor of Management, Healthcare Administration, have been in the press. Read Life Experiences Form Entrepreneurs and Hospital Worker Retention: It's About the Environment.

We are proud of the accomplishments of our faculty and the continued contributions they make to their respective fields. You can view recent faculty recognitions here.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 11:01 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Belmont University is among the preliminary Top 25 nominating schools with the most students in contention for the Entrepreneurs’ Organization Global Student Entrepreneur Awards. We congratulate our student nominees who have already received national recognition for their abilities. For the second consecutive year, Belmont students took first place in the Business Plan Competition and first and second place in the Entrepreneurial Challenge at the International meeting of Delta Epsilon Chi in 2009. Notably, Business Plan Competition winner Andy Tabar was also named one of the Top 20 collegiate entrepreneurs in the country in last year’s StartupNation Dorm-Based 20 Rankings for his business, Bizooki.com. We continue to be proud of the success of our students and graduates.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Seventy high school students from across the state of Tennessee recently gathered on the campus of Belmont University to participate in the eighth annual Tennessee Society of Certified Public Accountants (TSCPA) Accounting Academy. Under the direction of Dr. Del DeVries, Assistant Professor of Accounting and Information Systems, and Dr. Jane Dillard-Eggers, Associate Professor of Accounting, this free, four-day program offers students the opportunity to explore careers in accounting and learn more about the dynamic world of business. This year, students met over 50 accounting professionals, participated in an interactive team project and visited several area businesses, including Deloitte & Touche, Ernst & Young, Lattimore Black Morgan & Cain, the Tennessee Titans Practice Facility, Curb Records and the historic RCA Studio B.

This is the third consecutive year the program has been hosted at Belmont University. Dr. Pat Raines, Dean of the College of Business Administration, said, “The TSCPA Accounting Academy aligns with our approach to teaching by incorporating experiential methods of learning that are fun and engaging. We believe students can truly benefit from the professional experience and business contacts our faculty possess and are happy to partner with TSCPA to help students better understand the opportunities available in the accounting profession.”

Participants shared positive feedback on the experience, making comments such as “I had the opportunity to learn so much from so many different areas! All the tours and presentations were outstanding! Also, the discussions, activities, and sessions were an awesome experience!” and “Being here has helped me realize that Accounting is truly what I want to do as I become older. The conversation and experience is truly a blessing and was a fantastic opportunity.”

Belmont’s College of Business Administration is proud to work with TSCPA on this event and is pleased to have been selected to host the camp again for the next two years. To learn more about TSCPA Accounting Academy, contact the TSCPA office at 615.377.3825.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 12:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Good news for business majors – according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, findings from the NACE Summer 2009 Salary Survey indicate members of the Class of 2009 who were business majors received more job offers than their colleagues in other majors.

According to Lori LeBleu, Director of Career Development for Belmont's College of Business Administration, “This news mirrors the trends we are seeing in the College of Business Career Development Center. In recent weeks, we have received job acceptance notification from several recent graduates and continue to see a stream of quality postings coming in, especially in the Accounting, Corporate Finance and Sales areas.” Belmont College of Business Administration students and alumni may contact the COBA Career Development Center at 615.460.6947 for career assistance.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 08:42 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We have neat news to share about one of our alumni. Tammy Wolbers, 2001 Economics graduate from Belmont, was among the Bank of New York Mellon employees who gathered at the New York Stock Exchange yesterday to sound the closing bell and commemorate the company’s 225 years in business. Wolbers, a “Trust Associate” at the Bank of New York Mellon, is pictured on the first row, second from the right. Tammy’s story is a great example of how a business degree from Belmont can help take you “From Here to Anywhere.”

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As we prepare for spring commencement this weekend, we invite our current students and alumni to stay connected by joining our College of Business Administration LinkedIn pages:

The Belmont University Massey Graduate School of Business Group is for all current students (MBA and MACC) as well as alumni of Belmont University's Massey Graduate School of Business program. It is specifically used for networking purposes.

The Belmont University Undergraduate School of Business Administration Group is the official networking group for students, alumni, faculty and staff of Belmont’s Undergraduate School of Business Administration.

Belmont’s Undergraduate School of Business also invites prospective students, current students, alumni and friends of Belmont to become fans of our Undergraduate School of Business Facebook page to show support and stay informed of current happenings. A Massey Graduate School Facebook page is planned for the near future.

Congratulations to the 2009 graduating class! We are proud of your many accomplishments and are excited to hear about your future successes.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 03:40 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Congratulations to Dr. Jane Finley, Belmont University Deloitte and Touche Professor in Accounting, for being elected to the Publix Super Markets Board of Directors. “Dr. Finley has an impressive background in finance and information technology that will complement our current Board of Directors,” said Maria Brous, Publix director of media and community relations. “She also adds another geographic area of our company to the Board as a Nashville, Tenn., resident. We are proud to have Jane as part of the Publix family.” For more on this story, visit Belmont News.

We are also proud of our Delta Epsilon Chi Team for their performance at the International Delta Epsilon Chi competition last week in Anaheim. This is the second consecutive year that we took first place in Entrepreneurship Business Plan and first and second place in the Entrepreneurial Challenge! For a list of award winners, please visit Dr. Cornwall’s blog.

After winning the Regional Championship for the fourth consecutive year, Belmont’s Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) team will participate in the SIFE National Exposition in Philadelphia on May 12-14. In addition to the Regional Championship, the Belmont team was selected as a finalist for the 2009 SIFE USA Topic Competition for six of their projects.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 03:34 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Over 30 young Belmont Undergraduate Business School Alumni met with current students yesterday at the “Business Bistro,” a networking mixer sponsored by the College of Business Career Development Center and the Business Student Advisory Board. The Belmont Alumni, representing companies such as Gaylord Entertainment, Smith Barney, Kirkland's, Capital Financial Group, Caterpillar Finance, Tractor Supply, Thomas Nelson Publishers, EMMA Inc., HCA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, shared their professional experiences and offered advice to current students. Rebekah Gunkel, 2005 marketing graduate now with Protherics, Inc., had this to say about the event, “I loved the Business Bistro event! It was a great opportunity for students to see young alumni, not much older than themselves, using their degrees in different capacities. I think it really helps bridge the gap between a college degree and a career when you talk to someone that had the same major, took the same classes, even sat in the same seats at Belmont, and is now successfully using the information first learned here on a daily basis.”

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 01:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Belmont’s College of Business Administration would like to congratulate the 48 new members recently inducted into Belmont’s Chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma. Membership in Beta Gamma Sigma is the highest recognition a business student anywhere in the world can receive in a baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate (master’s) program at a school accredited by AACSB International.

Continue reading "Belmont Business Students Inducted into Beta Gamma Sigma" »

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 01:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to let everyone know that BusinessWeek Magazine just released their list of Top 100 Undergraduate Business Schools for 2009, and Belmont for the second year in a row has achieved a Top 100 national ranking. Belmont moved up five places in the rankings to No. 84, and is the highest ranked business program at a private institution in Tennessee and one of only six private universities in the South to be included in the rankings. The McIntire School at the University of Virginia replaced the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School as the top undergraduate business program in the U.S. It’s an honor to be included in a list with such prestigious business programs.

Posted by Susan Taylor at 02:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The College of Business Administration is proud to support junior marketing major Joshua Maisner and his efforts to raise awareness of impoverished children worldwide and organize a way for college-age students to make a difference.

Maisner founded the charity organization UNITED: FOR CHANGE. “I’ve been really haunted by the plight of poor children in our community and around the world for some time, but as a college student, I’ve also felt incredibly powerless to do anything about it,” Maisner said. “Then I realized that while my efforts alone might not seem significant, the efforts of a united campus could produce much bigger dividends. Asking individuals to contribute the spare change in their pockets on a weekly basis is a commitment that’s a lot easier for college students to do than to write a check each month.”

Each Belmont student will be asked to contribute their spare change each week. If each of the university’s 5,000 students donated $1 per week toward the effort, UNITED: FOR CHANGE could raise its goal of $100,000 over the course of the 20-week spring semester. The money raised will benefit four charities that impact children locally, nationally and internationally: Safe Haven Family Shelter, Feed the Children, African Leadership and World Vision.

Please make plans to attend the UNITED: FOR CHANGE kickoff event, featuring musical guests Damien Horne and MIKESCHAIR, on Monday, January 19th from 3-5pm in Belmont’s Massey Performing Arts Center.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 01:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last week, members of the Business Student Advisory Board had lunch with Dr. Pat Raines, Dean of the College of Business Administration at Belmont and Dr. Susan Taylor, Associate Dean of the Undergraduate School of Business. The luncheon provided an excellent opportunity for undergraduate business students to share feedback and discuss ideas for the future. The accessibility of the faculty and staff in Belmont’s College of Business Administration, and the interest they show in our students, is a great benefit.

I had the opportunity to attend a reception for Dr. John Gonas, to celebrate his recognition as the Tennessee Professor of the Year. What a wonderful testimony to the quality of our faculty and the influence they have on our students! After receiving accolades and encouragement by his peers, Dr. Gonas made certain to reflect his achievement back on his students (many of his former students, who he still keeps in contact with, were in attendance). Dr. Gonas’ heart for service and his desire to see students succeed have brought dreams to life for so many, and for that he gives God the glory.

I believe we all left the emotional reception that evening with a smile, thankful for the blessing to be at Belmont. The principles of empowerment, encouragement, challenge, and continuous improvement are embraced in this culture, contributing to the success of the university and the leaders it produces.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 01:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Congratulations to Dr. John Gonas, an assistant professor of Finance in Belmont's College of Business Administration, for being selected as Tennessee’s Professor of the Year! This prestigious honor is determined by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). For more on this story, click here.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 02:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Well thanks to all of our employees and supporters, The Massey School has once again been recognized as a Best Business School by the Princeton Review. This marks the fourth straight year that Belmont's graduate business programs have received this outstanding recognition. The New York-based education services company features the school in the just-published 2009 edition of its “Best 296 Business Schools” (Random House / Princeton Review, Oct. 7, 2008).

Continue reading "Four Years Running" »

Posted by Joe Alexander at 03:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

In just over 24 hours, the 2008 Town Hall Presidential Debate will take place in Belmont University’s Curb Event Center. After many months of preparation, Belmont is ready to welcome the candidates and the nation as viewers from all over the country watch the debate unfold.

Last Thursday, I was able to tour the media tent and Curb Event Center and was impressed by the efforts to accommodate the national media while showcasing our beautiful campus and the history of the Presidency. I expect our guests will be impressed as well.

This is certainly a historic event that we, in the Belmont community, are proud to be a part of. We hope everyone will tune in and watch.

For news related to the debate, please visit Belmont University’s Debate 08 website.

Posted by Jocelyn Gutekunst at 06:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)