Massey e-Leader

On the Road Again...

This Saturday, a total of 32 of us (including myself and Dr. Charles Wainright) will depart from Nashville International Airport en route to a MGT 6350 International Study Abroad course experience in Amsterdam that will run from March 6-13. For those of you familiar with our program, we are trying something a bit different on this trip in that we have developed dual "tracks" to allow students to experience company visits more closely tied to their chosen area of study. To that end, about half of the students will be joining Dr. Wainright on a series of Wednesday and Thursday visits geared to the healthcare industry, while I will be with students on more of a general business/marketing path. It's the first time we have tried this arrangement, so we will evaluate how this approach works.

At the same time we are in Europe, another dozen Massey students (led by Drs. Jeff Overby and Sean Yoo) will be participating in a study abroad experience in Seoul, South Korea. And only a few weeks from now, Dr. Overby will lead our first cohort of Accelerated MBA students to Cape Town, South Africa for an extended study-abroad experience at Stellenbosch University. This, too, is somewhat of a first in that our students will also be learning from some of the international business faculty at this prestigious university.

]]> Later this year, Dean Pat Raines will be leading a group of students to Istanbul, Turkey, and Dr. Greg Faulk will lead a group to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Trip destinations for 2011 were recently announced and include: Beijing, China; Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam; Madrid, Spain; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

We continue to find that this particular component of our program not only helps prepare our students to meet the many challenges of a global business environment, but also is a significant point-of-difference between the Massey graduate programs and those of our peers. Those of you who are our alums, please let us know if you have additional suggestions for us to consider as we continue improving these programs over time. Joe

Join us March 13 to volunteer with Habitat for Humanity!

It's that time of year again!

For the past three years, Massey students have assembled on one weekend day to volunteer with the Nashville Area Habitat for Humanity (“NAHFH”) to help build a home for a local family. The overwhelming response to assist our community coupled with the opportunities to learn new skills and meet new people have always made these events a huge success.

We need volunteers to help make this year the best ever!

WHEN: Saturday, March 13, 7:00 am-4:00 pm
WHO: YOU! We are looking for volunteers from Massey students, alumni, friends and family. No building skills required!
DETAILS: Breakfast and snacks will be included.

To sign up, please contact Jeremy Bradford for the release form and more information.

For more details...

]]> Recently, NAHFH has reported a shortfall in the number of corporate sponsors, which has ultimately reduced the number of volunteers that commit to building houses. They have asked specifically for our help.

Our goal is to have 45 or more volunteers from the CBC come out to assist in building two houses. We will be teaming up once again with Caterpillar to accomplish this goal [Our Massey/Cat Team from 2009 is shown to the left].

Habitat’s greatest need on March 13 is help installing doors, trim, baseboards, cabinets, counter tops, porch columns and railing, and possibly finishing up some left over siding work. There may also be some painting to be done. Thankfully, this work is different from years past, so there will be an opportunity to learn new skills - and get out of the mud!

Details:
On the build day, we start at approximately 6:30 - 7:00 am (for breakfast and instructions) and finish approximately at 3:30 - 4:00 pm, and you must commit to work the entire day. Family and friends are also welcome but volunteers must be at least 18 years old to participate (16, with the signed consent of parent or guardian). You do not need to bring any tools, just show up and have fun! Due to generous contributions, breakfast, snacks, and lunch will be provided.

If interested, please contact Jeremy Bradford for the volunteer release form and return it no later than Monday, March 8. You cannot participate without it.

If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Jeremy or Harry Allen.

For more information, please visit http://www.habitatnashville.org/.

Spring 2010 Networking Calendar Update

Networking Lunches:

Tuesday, March 9 at J. Alexanders, 1721 Galleria Blvd, Cool Springs

Tuesday, April 13 at Calhoun’s, 96 White Bridge Road

Tuesday, May 11 at Franklin Chop House, 1101 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin

For the March 9 Networking Lunch, please RSVP to Courtney.Hensley@aon.com no later than Friday, March 4.

ADDITIONAL Networking Breakfast with Coach and Speaker Michael Burt!

Also, we are hosting our Networking Breakfast at the Copper Kettle Cafe located at 94 Peabody Street on Tueday, March 23 from 7:00 am - 8:30 am.

This is a great opportunity to network with fellow students, alumni and faculty while hearing from Coach and Speaker, Michael Burt. Learn more about Michael Burt at www.maximumsuccess.org.

For this event, please RSVP to Courtney.Hensley@aon.com no later than Thursday, March 18 if you plan to attend.

Space is limited so please RSVP if you plan to come and don't delay!

Calling for Nominations

2010 Massey Distinguished Alumni Award

The Massey Distinguished Alumni Award is an annual honor created by Massey Alumni for Massey Alumni that recognizes a graduate of The Jack C. Massey Graduate School of Business who has demonstrated excellence in the areas of professional achievement, community involvement, and commitment to the Massey School.

Over the past three years, the award has continued to gain esteem through the strength of its previous recipients. Please take a moment to help the Massey Alumni Advisory Board continue this tradition by nominating a deserving Massey Alum.

The award recipient will be honored at the Massey Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony and Reception on October 7, 2010 (location TBD).

(Pictured: 2009 Recipient Nancy Leach with Dean Raines.)

For more information on the award, past recipients, and to make a nomination, please click HERE. The 2010 nomination deadline is May 31st.

Massey students and alumni are invited to hear "Leadership Lessons"

WHAT: "Leadership Lessons": Scarlett Seminar on Emerging Leadership
WHO: Joe Scarlett, Founder, Scarlett Leadership Institute
WHEN: Tuesday, March 30

7:00 am-Continental Breakfast and Networking
7:30 am-Program

WHERE: Belmont University, Frist Lecture Hall, with free parking in the Inman Center Garage

For more, including registration information...

]]> Joe Scarlett
Joe Scarlett is the retired Chairman of Tractor Supply Company and Founder of the Scarlett Leadership Institute at Belmont University in Nashville. Scarlett is a lifelong retailer who served in leadership roles at Tractor Supply Company from 1979 until his retirement at the end of 2007. He played a key role in the initiative to return the company to profitability through improved customer service and focused product selection as part of a classic leveraged buyout in 1982. Joe led the successful 1994 effort to take the company public. During his ten plus years as CEO, the company’s revenues quadrupled and the price of its stock increased ten-fold.

Please register by March 23rd by contacting:
Jill Robinson by email or phone (615-460-5560).

See more online here.

Entrepreneurship Students Need Your Votes!

Belmont Entrepreneurship students need your vote for a project they have entered through the Dell Corporation. The winning school will receive a $50,000 grant to benefit a project that is used to meet a social need.

Belmont's plan is to support the creation of an independent venture that manages the production and commercialization of fair trade honey for small-scale farmers in Guatemala.

Here is the simple four-step process to vote:

1. Visit this link.

2. Enter your e-mail address (they won't send you anything) and a username/password.

3. After you have registered go to: View Ideas>View Top Ideas.

4. Click the "Promote" arrow next to the project titled: Guatemalan Honey Cooperative for Economic Development.

Vote by March 4th to help Belmont win this prestigious competition!

Career Development Calendar

Beta Alpha Psi Career Management Seminar

Accounting Career Planning Panel
Wednesday, March 3, 5:00 – 6:15 pm
Frist Lecture Hall in Inman Building

Recruiters from LBMC Strategic Staffing, Creative Financial Staffing Services and The Search Firm will share tips and advice for navigating the current accounting job market. Each firm specializes in staffing in the Finance and Accounting areas.

If you have any questions about this event please contact Alexa Karpinski .

Massey Third Thursday Career Development Seminar

“Interview Strategies” - Dana Mastropieri, Director of Talent Acquisition at Hospice Compassus.
March 18, 5:00 – 6:00 pm
MBC 103

With more than 10 years combined experience in recruiting and staffing in various industries including healthcare, technology, aviation and hospitality, Dana will provide a strategic approach to interview preparation and behavioral interviewing. Light refreshments will be served.

Please RSVP to hiremassey@belmont.edu.

Massey Mixer

Thursday, April 8, 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm
Please click here to register online!

Massey State of the School - 2010

As we are already off to a great start for the Spring 2010 term, we remain thankful for the many blessings we received in 2009. That became increasingly clear to me as I put together our Spring report for last week's Massey Advisory Board meeting. Record enrollments, near best-in-class student satisfaction levels and retention, strong performance on learning assessments, and continued external recognitions in national publications--it was a very good year indeed.

And yet, part of what makes these results so exciting is because we feel fully confident that our best results lie ahead...

]]> As I'm now interviewing our student applicants for Summer and Fall 2010, we are continuing to attract high-quality candidates to the MBA and MACC programs, and our reputation is continuing to spread well beyond the middle TN region.

Members of our Graduate Curriculum Continuous Improvement Committee (Professors Carter-Thomas, Cornwall, Faulk, Wilgus, and Young) suggested that our State of the School report was a document that our alumni, students, and friends also deserved to be able to read for themselves. After all, so many of you contributed your own time and energy during 2009 to make these results and initiatives possible.

Click on the following link to download the Massey State of the School 2010 report. Download file.

Lean Healthcare Course SOLD OUT

The Lean Healthcare Certificate Program, a partnership between the Massey Graduate School of Business, Healthcare Performance Partners (Gallatin), and The Pittsburgh Regional Health Initiative, has filled to capacity for the third straight time. The one-week, hands-on program designed for healthcare professionals seeking to improve quality of care while lowering costs is offered four times per year in Belmont's state-of-the-art Inman College of Health Sciences and Nursing facilities.

The February offering reached capacity registration back in November. Additional courses are already scheduled later this year in April, August, and October. Interested registrants are urged to reserve their spots early by visiting HERE.

Spring 2010 Networking Luncheon Calendar

Upcoming Spring 2010 Massey Networking Events:

February 9th at Gerst Haus, 301 Woodland Street, Nashville

March 9th at J. Alexanders, 1721 Galleria Blvd, Cool Springs

April 13th at Calhoun’s, 96 White Bridge Road

May 11th at Franklin Chop House, 1101 Murfreesboro Rd, Franklin

Please RSVP to Courtney_Hensley@ars.aon.com for the February 9th lunch no later than Friday, February 5th.

"Save the Date" Reminders from the Career Development Center

Friday, February 12, 2010. 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Career Development Power Lunch with author and career coach Elizabeth Freedman.

The Vince Gill Room – Curb Event Center

A light lunch will be provided. Following the lunch Ms. Freedman will also provide eight 20-minute coaching sessions to the first MBA students/alumni that sign up!

Thursday, February 18, 2010 (3rd Thursday of each month)
3rd Thursday Career Development Seminar

Thursday, April 8, 2010; 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Massey Mixer

For more information, and for details on how to sign up, click below.

]]> "Ready for the Recovery?" Career Development Power Lunch
The author of several books and an exceptional public speaker, Ms. Freedman will lead a discussion on strategies for MBAs to get their careers on the right track for the economic recovery.

Email Lori LeBleu at lori.lebleu@belmont.edu to sign up for the event.
For more details on Elizabeth Freedman, check out her blog.

3rd Thursday Career Development Seminar
WHAT: Job hunting and career information sessions from the Massey Career Development Center
WHEN: Thursday, February 18, 2010 (3rd Thursday of each month)
WHERE: Location TBD

Massey Mixer
WHEN: Thursday, April 8, 2010; 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.
WHERE: Location TBD
NOTES: Light refreshments provided.

Sign up for Pitch Camp and hone your presentation and communication skills!

Have you always wanted to start your own business, but didn't know how to communicate your idea to investors?

Have you already started your business but need funding to get it off the ground?

Or, simply, do you foresee an interview with a company, large or small, in your future?

If you recognize yourself in any of the above, you must plan on attending Pitch Camp!

Details
February 5, 2010
1:00-4:00pm
Belmont University - Frist Lecture Hall, Inman Health Sciences Building

For more information on how to register ...

]]> Pitch Camp is free to students with a valid ID and $55 for non-students.

The event will cover the following topics: creative thinking, effective communication of ideas and how to pitch successfully in 60 seconds. Groups will work together and then pitch to the room. It is not necessary that you come to this event with a business idea in hand; learning to pitch transcends entrepreneurial endeavors - everyone should be able to pitch themselves for networking.

Attending this camp will set you up for Open Pitch and the opportunity to compete in Fast Pitch for the opportunity to win a top prize of $3,000. Fast Pitch will be held on March 30, 2010.

Don't miss this great opportunity!

For more information on this event, please contact Sarah Reeves.

To register, click here.

Symposium on International Trade, Local Economy

The Belmont University Center for International Business invites you to attend a symposium on international trade and the local economy.

The symposium is co-sponsored by the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Society of International Business Fellows.

Friday, February 19
Gordon E. Inman Center, 4th Floor
Frist Lecture Hall
Belmont University

Breakfast: 7:30 - 8:00 am
Presentations: 8:00 am - 11:00 am

For more information on the different sessions and registration information, click below.

]]> First Session 
International Business Activity in Nashville
Results of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce International Business Study

Second Session
The Global Economic Outlook - Robert Powell, Economist Intelligence Unit
 
Third Session
Mad About Trade: Why Main Street America Should Embrace Globalization
Daniel Griswold, Director, Center for Trade Policy Studies at the Cato Institute

There is no charge for members to attend but, due to limited seating, registration is required. Spouses, guests and prospective members are welcome to attend.

Please click here to register.

Mark your calendars for the next Signature Executive Program

Signature Executive Program: A Practical Approach to Executive Development

The need to develop the next generation of world-class business leaders is one that is acknowledged by society, the media and executives everywhere. The Signature Executive Program offers a unique and engaging means of transferring leadership experience to the next generation of business leaders.

Open only to high potential individuals nominated by senior leadership in their organizations, this "for-leaders by-leaders" executive education program was designed by leading business minds to develop the people and talent they most need to support the continued success of their organizations.

Next Program Begins March 2, 2010

For more information:
Call (615) 460-5554 or visit scarlett.belmont.edu.

Hire Massey!

The College of Business Administration Career Development Center is continuing with the campaign to encourage alumni and area businesses to HIRE MASSEY!

We are starting with a grassroots effort to increase the number of job leads we post for our students and alumni. If you know of open positions in your company suited to Massey students and alumni, please send the posting to our new email address: hiremassey@belmont.edu.

Students and alumni can also sign up for the HIRE MASSEY job alerts via email. As hot job leads come into the Career Development Center we will send email alerts to this group. Click here to sign up!