HBCU Digest » Business

Delaware State Launches MBA Program in Vietnam

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:03:51 +0000

Delaware State University, in partnership with the Center for Educational Technology and Career Development at the Vietnam National University, has announced the opening of an MBA program at the institution. The 16-month program, which will be monitored and taught by Delaware State faculty, will cater to working students seeking managerial advancement. From the Dantri International News:

“This MBA program provides students in developing countries with the usable skills that will position them well for advancement in their careers. Like other Asian countries, Vietnam needs active and excellent business managers and the US business education is still the most valuable and coveted education in the world,” said Tony Sanichara, Director of DSU’s MBA program in Vietnam.

The launch of the new program comes just weeks after DSU revealed its new vision statement and core values, created to drive the academic, social and cultural mission of the university.

Free Textbooks, Real World Experience Change Culture at Virginia State School of Business

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:24:24 +0000

A technological-upgrade that could save students thousands of dollars, and real-world application to instruction are just a few of the things in development at the Virginia State University School of Business. Mirta Martin, Dean of the VSU School of Business, says that structural changes to the program will create positive outcomes for the state business community to seek out Trojan graduates. From the Richmond Times-Dispatch:

Martin, named dean in April after serving in an interim role since July, also is implementing a cost-saving strategy that will be a lesson in environmental sustainability for students.

The texts for 10 courses will be made available online.

“Rather than paying $250 to buy one book, this is a free download,” she said.

That’s important at the historically black university because many students cannot afford to buy books, she said.

The digital texts fulfill “a very real need of our students,” she said. And environmentally, “it’s the way of the future.”

The new integrated core curriculum will include team teaching to get away from “the silo effect” of how courses have been taught, she said. The goal is to show students that “business is about integration, not separation.”

For a capstone course, the school will partner with business leaders who will guide students through a practical challenge.

Not only will this provide real-world experiences for students, it also will allow them to forge relationships with local business leaders, she said.

Martin is also chairwoman of VSU’s hosting of the Hispanic Youth Symposium, which begins on July 14 and will be held at an HBCU for the first time in its three-year history.

Bluefield State Posts Top Ten Finish in International Business Strategy Competition

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 19:28:30 +0000

A team of business students from the Bluefield State College School of Business recently placed eighth out of more than 1600 schools in a business simulation competition held at the University of Alabama. More than 134 colleges and universities from around the world competed in solving real-world business problems, and the BSC team finished top ten in stock performance, earnings per share, and collected 12th place in the return on equity category. From the release:

Three other BSC student teams earned Top 100 ranking in at least one category. The students comprising those teams included Lindsay Jones and Andrea Morgan, Meshal Aleisa and Andy Perry, and Logan Shortridge, Kayla Skeens, Mark Boggess, and Ashley Short. BSC students were competing against teams from major institutions of higher education, including Duke University, the University of Virginia, North Carolina State, Cincinnati, Xavier, Oregon State, Florida, Southern Miss, and South Carolina, as well as several international universities.

Dr. Steve Bourne (Dean/BSC School of Business) noted, “The experience is a ‘hands on’ exercise, where students make business decisions in situations that are very similar to those they will make in a ‘real world’ setting. They apply much of the knowledge acquired in other business courses, thus the exercise is an excellent measure of a student’s ability to integrate business concepts.”

“This tournament enables our students to measure themselves against other students from around the world,” Dr. Bourne continued. “Our students’ performance is a reflection of the quality of the entire faculty and curriculum of the School of Business.”

Bowie State Introduces International Business Initiative

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 01 Jun 2010 16:45:11 +0000

Bowie State University today announced the creation of a new international business initiative that will spur African academic and trade relationships with local ties, and introduce a global perspective to existing curriculum in the BSU College of Business. The program was established in part by a $170,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Education, with BSU providing matching funds. From the release:

The BSU International Business Initiative (BSU-IBI) will enhance the ability of the College of Business to internationalize its business program by improving existing curricula and developing three new courses: Supply Chain Management, International Business Entrepreneurship, and Advanced International Business Seminar for Practitioners. In addition an undergraduate track in international business will be developed.

“We are excited to have received this extremely competitive grant, which most universities are not successful in obtaining the first time,” said Granville Sawyer, BIE project manager. “We are ready for the challenge of organizing and conducting all of the activities associated with this opportunity.”

Business faculty members will work with the Department of English and Modern Languages at Bowie State to offer a new African Language and Business Skill Course (Amharic-101). Bowie State will also collaborate with the Africa Trade Office (ATO) in Prince George’s County to enhance the ability of small and medium-size businesses in the Washington metropolitan area (especially those owned and operated by women, minorities and immigrants) to conduct business internationally, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Bowie State and the ATO will conduct a series of export-readiness workshops and digital video conferences between U.S. and Ethiopian firms. Furthermore, the College will team up with Addis Ababa University (AAU) in Ethiopia to increase the international business knowledge and global awareness of faculty and students at Bowie State University and AAU by hosting faculty and student exchange programs. Students will have the opportunity to participate in a ten-day study abroad program to Ethiopia in early spring 2011 and 2012.

South Carolina State Business Program Maintains International Accreditation

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 19 May 2010 17:10:46 +0000

The South Carolina State University Business Program has maintained its accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The school received confirmation of its positive review last month during the annual AACSB conference in Anaheim, CA. From the release:

“It takes a great deal of self-evaluation and determination to earn and maintain AACSB accreditation,” said Jerry Trapnell, chief accreditation officer of AACSB International. “Schools not only must meet specific standards of excellence, but their deans, faculty and staff must make a commitment to ongoing improvement to ensure continued delivery of high-quality education to students.”

Dr. Robert Barrett, dean of the College of Business and Applied Professional Sciences at SC State, recently received the certificate of accreditation on behalf of the University at the annual meeting and international conference of AACSB in Anaheim, Calif. “Our Business Program has an outstanding faculty, excellent students and strong programs,” stated Barrett. “The AACSB peer review team commended us for excellent work in those three primary areas of evaluation.”

Winners Selected in Annual Hampton-Prudential Business Case Competition

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 19 May 2010 15:45:38 +0000

Hampton University School of Business students Sylvester Bryce, Diane Maisonet and Brittany Henry received a $21,000 first place award at the 2010 Prudential Financial Inc. Case Competition. An annual event held on the HU campus with selected finalists traveling to Prudential headquarters in New Jersey, undergraduate and graduate students develop and present financial strategies for a case study developed by Prudential Financial executives. From the release:

“This is our fourth year sponsoring the case competition with Hampton, and it clearly demonstrates our commitment to developing strong diverse talent,” said Rich Carbone, chief financial officer of Prudential Financial. “This event not only provides an opportunity for students to respond to real-world business challenges, it also gives us a chance to identify top recruits for future positions within Prudential.”

All three winners have received internship offers from Prudential.

Jackson State Seeking Vendors for One University Place

HBCUDigest.com — Wed, 12 May 2010 18:15:47 +0000

Jackson State University will hold an open house on May 13, 2010 for vendors interesting in operating out of the university’s One University Place complex. From the Clarion-Ledger:

The open house will be 4-6 p.m. Thursday in the third floor ballroom of the JSU Student Center.

The building, scheduled to open this fall, will include apartments on the upper floors. It is part of the $125 million University Place development that will include single-family homes, retail space and apartments connecting the campus with downtown Jackson.

Urban Farm Project Presents Business Opportunities for Paul Quinn

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 04 May 2010 15:22:47 +0000

Paul Quinn College made headlines recently with an initiative to turn its campus football field into a community farm for academic and agricultural training. The venture may also yield financial benefit for the school, as the PepsiCo has joined PQC as a partner in the development of the urban farm project. From the Dallas Observer:

PepsiCo’s Food for Good initiative is a new social business initiative that is working with urban communities to increase access to affordable nutrition and create economic opportunities. As part of this initiative, Paul Quinn College and PepsiCo are collaborating on a fully operational urban farm that emphasizes sustainable growing practices, environmental stewardship and community engagement.

Paul Quinn College is developing an innovative curriculum that will integrate the farm into its academic program, teaching principles not only of biology and botany, but also of social enterprise. In addition, PepsiCo is working with the college to develop farm-related businesses such as farm stands that will give low-income communities access to fresh produce.

If PQC can engage Pepsi to invest in the community farm for purposes of revitalizing nutrition for low-income communities, just wait until the beverage giant gets a load of the new programming and fundraising concepts the school is developing. Pepsi can be the first of many investors to restore Paul Quinn as an academic resource for the Dallas community and beyond.

Kudos to PQC for planting the seeds of partnership.

Fayetteville State to Establish Veterans Business Outreach Center

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:19:57 +0000

The U.S. Small Business Administration has selected Fayetteville State University as one of eight new sites to develop a Veterans Business Outreach Center. FSU will receive a portion of more than $2.5 million in funding from the SBA, to develop a community resource for veterans seeking training, counseling and assistance in creating small businesses. From the FSU News Blog:

“Our service men and women have made invaluable contributions and sacrifices for our country and supporting them as they pursue their life’s dreams to start or grow their own business is one of our highest priorities,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said. “Through these centers, we stand ready with a myriad of support, from entrepreneurial education and training to linking them with opportunities to compete for federal contracts and access much-needed capital – critical tools that will help them take their business to the next level, drive economic growth and create jobs.”

Fayetteville State will feature the only VBOC in North Carolina and will be the only HBCU in the program to headquarter a center.

Clark Atlanta to Host Steve Harvey

HBCUDigest.com — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 14:23:31 +0000

Comedian, author, and soon-to-be television host Steve Harvey will host a forum on wealth creation and entrepreneurship this morning at Clark Atlanta University.

Clark Atlanta University’s CEO Academy, the first-year seminar for School of Business students, will take comedian, actor, best-selling author and nationally syndicated radio host Steve Harvey to lunch Tuesday, April 20, at 11:30 a.m. Part of the Academy’s “Take a Millionaire to Lunch” series, Harvey will share his experiences and insights on wealth creation and entrepreneurialism during a presentation in the University’s Henderson Student Center.

Harvey is a tremendous example of how hard work and persistence can pay off with multiple revenue streams. It also doesn’t hurt if you can go in on one person’s outfit for the better part of 30 minutes, either.