The Cameron School of Business is listed in the 2008 edition of the “Best 290 Business Schools,” published in October by The Princeton Review. UNCW's listing focuses on the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program.

The Princeton Review compiles its information from surveys of 19,000 business school students and school-reported data. Strengths of UNCW’s program that are highlighted include:

• Hands-on projects with local and regional businesses
• Faculty who are accessible and care about student success
• A high level of student participation and learning coupled with an understanding of the pressures on students who work full-time
• Strong student diversity in experience levels, age and industry segment

“This listing is recognition of the quality and ‘real world’ focus of our MBA program, which gives students the tools they need to be successful in a variety of business settings,” said Dean Larry Clark. “We give our students hands-on experience in actual business situations to help them develop effective decision-making skills.”

The program provides much of this business experience through the MBA Learning Alliance, which matches student teams with regional firms for a 13-month study of the firm’s business processes and competitive environment. This is followed by an industry practicum, in which students take on a consulting project for a regional business, not-for-profit or public sector organization.

“Working on real projects facing real businesses distinguishes UNCW’s MBA program from those of other institutions,” said Vince Howe, associate professor of marketing and director of the MBA program.

The Princeton Review agreed, noting that students surveyed said “practical application with actual business” is a strength of the curriculum and also that “the program is evolving and changing as the needs of students change.”

Students from any undergraduate background may enroll in the MBA program, and approximately 70 percent of students come from academic fields other than business, including engineering and science. The average age of students in the part-time evening program is 30, and most are looking to immediately apply their graduate school experience in their current professional positions.

“This program allows students to very quickly apply what they are learning in the classroom in an actual business environment,” said George Hollen, president of the MBA Association, who works at PPD in Wilmington. “We learn from experience how a textbook theory will or will not work within a variety of organizations and industries. It's an MBA program specifically designed for the working professional.”

UNC Wilmington’s new International MBA program, which began in the fall of 2007, is also mentioned in The Princeton Review report. This program, which offers dual degrees with several universities in Spain, Russia and other countries, requires residency abroad and is open to students with undergraduate degrees in business.

SBTDC serves 15,000 businesses over last 20 years

Aimed at supporting the growth and development of North Carolina’s economy, the SBTDC has assisted clients like Pat Pane, founder of Medical Insurance Assistance, a Wilmington company dedicated to helping families manage medical expenses. The company has been featured in national publications Kiplinger’s Finance Magazine and the Wall Street Journal.

In 2007 alone, the UNCW SBTDC stimulated the creation or retention of more than 300 jobs, increased client sales by more than $16 million and helped small businesses obtain more than $8.5 million in financing.

Client William Moyer said, “I cannot say enough good things about the UNCW SBTDC. They started me out with my very first business plan and now, we just keep growing. I never imagined working with 15 countries.” Moyer is the owner of Termite Detection Systems Inc., an Oak Island provider of pest solutions to be sold in Home Depot and Lowes stores and used internationally.

Assisted by the UNCW program, Raymond Ryan, president and CEO of Flow Sciences Inc., expanded his small local chemical containment company into a 30,000-square-foot Leland manufacturing complex. The company provides products that protect the environment from harmful bio-waste to clients around the world, including pharmaceutical companies like GlaxoSmithKline and Pfizer.

One of the most successful regional service centers of the University of North Carolina system SBTDC program, the UNCW SBTDC confidentially addressed the needs of more than 375 clients with one-on-one consultations this year.

For every dollar spent on the SBTDC program, $6.88 in tax revenues is generated, providing an excellent return on investment for North Carolinians. Services encompass unique small business issues like financing, marketing, technology development, human resources, operations, business planning, and feasibility assessment and assistance.

“People owe it to themselves, their employees and their customers to improve their business. It can be difficult to start and maintain a business, but we are here to help,” said UNCW SBTDC director Leslie Langer.

In collaboration with the Cameron School of Business and the U.S. Small Business Administration, the UNCW SBTDC serves business clients in Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, Duplin, New Hanover, Onslow and Pender counties.

Visiting Entrepreneur

Richard Johnson, founder of HotJobs, was the visiting entrepreneur for 2007 with the Cameron School of Business.

The visiting entrepreneur program is designed to bring a noted entrepreneur to campus for one to two days per month to speak to the students, faculty and community.

Johnson, who sold HotJobs to Yahoo, was a keynote speaker for the 2007 Business Week and the Opportunity 2007 conference sponsored by the Council for Entrepreneurial Development. He was a guest speaker for a one-day seminar hosted by the Cameron School for a group of business people from Russia and was a guest speaker for undergraduate and graduate classes. He has also provided one-on-one career and entrepreneurship advice to numerous students pursuing the Entrepreneurship and Business Development option.

Cameron Executive Network update

Led by Howard McCain, the Cameron Executive Network (CEN) Resume Assistance Program had 35 CEN members regularly working with Cameron School of Business students this fall. The network, with Skip Jones and Dick Verrone as co-directors, has more than 140 executive members; nearly 400 students are matched with a mentor.

Meet the firms

Accounting and Business Law Department’s annual “Meet the Firms” event took place in August in the Fisher Student Center.

The Master of Science in Accountancy class and qualified undergraduate internship candidates attended all three evenings with a record number firms participating. Each student spent a half hour with each firm while representatives talked about career opportunities available with their companies.

Students also had an opportunity each night to further discuss career opportunities at a reception held after the formal firm presentations.

CAMERON DIGEST

Conference held for exchange program with Brazilian universities
The five Brazilian students studying at UNCW – Cintia Rovinski, João Cezar Porto, Marco Antonio Bertoglio, Raphael Dias and Rodrigo Barcellos – attended the first Fipse US-Brazil Trade Conference, hosted in November by the College of Charleston School of Business and Economics.

The conference gave program directors at each of the participant schools the opportunity to discuss ways to increase exchange numbers, make plans for new initiatives to internationalize the curriculum and offer more study abroad opportunities.

Becky Porterfield, director of international programs for the Cameron School of Business, Howard Rockness and Carlos Rodriguez, country liaisons for Brazil and co-coordinators of the Department of Education-sponsored exchange, headed the UNCW group.

Rene Muller and Peggy Golden, program directors at the College of Charleston and Florida Atlantic University, respectively, represented the other U.S. partners. Brazilian partners Francisco Barbosa from Federal University of Minas Gerais and Beatriz Peçanha and Youssef Youssef from Unisul also attended the meetings.

Chapter sweeps regional conference
The UNCW Delta Tau chapter of Pi Sigma Epsilon, the national sales and marketing fraternal organization, swept the Atlantic Regional Conference. The chapter won top awards including top marketing plan and top business plan.
Brittany Barr won the national speaker competition sponsored by Enterprise Rent-A-Car. Rachel Riddle placed second in the Pro-Am. Each of these members will compete for national honors in Dallas, Texas, in March, when PSE chapters from across the country engage in a weeklong series of competitions and events.

The UNCW chapter is one of the largest and most successful chapters in the country thanks to a dedicated team of students and the faculty advisors from the Department of Marketing, Lynnea Mallalieu, Katie Hartman and Brian Kinard.

State-of-the-art Sales and Research Lab opens
The new Sales and Research Lab in Cameron Hall allows Cameron School of Business to meet the pedagogical needs of the marketing curriculum as well as the qualitative research needs of faculty. It gives students the opportunity to hone their individual presentation, communication, negotiation and interview skills.

Video capabilities, combined with custom-tailored sales scenarios and role-plays, enable faculty to record students in professional selling classes as they learn by doing. Students will receive immediate feedback from faculty, peers and Cameron Executive Network members serving as sales assessors.

The lab also supports courses in the marketing curriculum having focus group, personal interview and other qualitative research learning components. Cameron faculty in multiple disciplines may also use the facility to conduct research projects involving the collection of qualitative data.
The Sales and Research Lab consists of three areas:

• Two presentation rooms to simulate group sales to executives, one-on-one sales techniques and moderation of focus groups. Each presentation room simulates a business conference room and is equipped with dual video cameras, microphones, flat screen video monitor and laptop hook-up. Each space may also be used as a “sandbox” for student work teams or as a meeting area for small committees and honors thesis defense presentations.
• Control room to manage activities within the suite and provide an area where digital editing of recorded material can be used to create training material and copies of role-plays for students. A variety of electronic equipment gives the researcher complete control of cameras, microphones and video monitors in the other rooms. Ample hard drive space is accessible to store video recorded sales sessions and focus groups. This room also serves as an observation room for faculty and students to view role-plays and presentations. The control room and presentation rooms are separated by one-way mirrors.
• Sitting area that simulates a professional office reception area to serve as a waiting room for students just prior to starting their sales presentations.

The marketing curriculum has been updated to build stronger marketing research expertise and professional selling skills. Two new courses, Marketing Intelligence and Communication and Marketing Research Design, have been added as requirements to the degree program. The Professional Selling course is now required of all marketing students.

UNCW competes in regional Ethics Bowl
For the first time ever, a team from UNCW participated in the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ethics Bowl held in November at UNC Chapel Hill. The Ethics Bowl is an intercollegiate event that combines the excitement and fun of a competitive tournament with a valuable educational experience for undergraduate students.

The team, led by Tracy Meyer, assistant professor of marketing, and Jessica Magnus, assistant professor of management, was comprised of seven Cameron School of Business students – Philip “Clay” Moseley, Kari King, Kathleen Dowse, Corey Hill, Philip Stone, Ashish Lakhiani and Leah Hatem – who demonstrated intellectual curiosity and strong public speaking skills.

Preparation for the competition required a review of 15 ethical cases provided to the competing teams six weeks prior to the event.  The cases in the 2007 competition ranged from ethical issues surrounding payday loans, the funding of the FDA approval process, to differential tuition rates for colleges within universities.

The team met regularly to discuss the cases and form opinions regarding the potential viewpoints. A number of UNCW faculty and friends assisted the team in preparing for the competition.

At the competition, six of the 15 cases were randomly chosen for presentation.  Judges awarded points based on the clear and systematic presentation of the case, the identification and thorough discussion of the relevant moral dimensions as well as the thoughtful consideration of different viewpoints.

The CSB team beat West Virginia University in the first round of the competition and Clemson University in the second round.  The CSB team then lost to the University of Richmond in the third round and ended up in seventh place overall.

Executive Certificate Program popular
The fall Executive Certificate Program offered through Center for Business and Economic Services was a success, and there is a waiting list for the winter program, due to overwhelming interest and limited space designed to keep class size small and interactive.

This cutting edge, practical-based business program is designed for professionals looking to develop, complement and advance their current business knowledge and skills. The 11-week curriculum covers advanced business topics taught by UNCW business faculty and executives, all of whom bring a wealth of business knowledge, experience, research and practical application into the classroom.

Completion of this program will result in a Certificate in Business Administration. UNCW alumni will receive a 10 percent discount on the program cost of $965.

Beta Alpha Psi News
Beta Alpha Psi officers attended the annual conference in August in Chicago. The organization is led by Michael Maalik, president; Lauren Evert, vice president; Hannah Short, secretary; and Allyson Kuegel, treasurer. In addition to a full schedule of technical meetings, the chapter plans to participate in various community service projects including the Battleship Run, Relay for Life and Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program in the spring. As part of VITA, members and pledges help community members complete and file their federal income tax returns.

Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable
Launched in fall 2007, the Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable will be offered each semester. Students are invited to apply to the Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable, which is coordinated by Steve Harper, UNCW’s Progress Energy/Betty Cameron Distinguished Professor of Entrepreneurship.

The students who are admitted to this non-credit program attend five luncheons per semester where an entrepreneur is invited to share his/her thoughts and experiences in an interactive setting.

Past speakers included Richard Johnson, founder of HotJobs and visiting entrepreneur for the Cameron School of Business; Herbert Fisher, founder of Coastal Realty; Jeannette King, president of SpecialtySoft; Pat Bradford, publisher of Wrightsville Beach Magazine; and Hunter Brown, owner of Blowing in the Wind.

An anonymous donor has underwritten most of the cost for the Entrepreneurs’ Roundtable so the students pay only a nominal fee for the luncheon series.

Entrepreneurship and Business Development Option
Student interest and enrollment in the Entrepreneurship and Business Development option continues to grow with the number of juniors more than double that of seniors.

The senior-level students spent an afternoon at Southport Boat Works’ headquarters and production facility in December. Co-founders Frank Longino and Alton Herndon profiled the gap in the market the company was created to serve as well as the firm’s innovative product designs, funding structure and distribution network.

Management Department open house
More than 85 students and faculty participated in the open house hosted by the Management Department in October.

Presentations were given on the three degree options in management offered by the Cameron School: Entrepreneurship and Business Development (EBD), Human Resources Management (HRM) and Management and Leadership (MLD).

Students then met in breakout rooms with specific faculty to discuss their program of interest and the most advisable course sequencing. Career Services counselor Leslie Wright also provided information about internship opportunities and career planning services at UNCW.

Information about the new degree options in EBD, HRM, or MLD, or how alumni or their firms might be involved with the program can obtain additional information from Tammy Hunt, department chair, at huntt@uncw.edu or 910.962.3684.

Human Resources Grads score internships and jobs
One of the Cameron School’s newest degree options is Human Resources Management. Early indications are that a combination of an HR student internship and sitting for the Professional in Human Resources (PHR) Certification Exam has led to excellent career opportunities for the first graduates.

HR internship placements include Wilmington area firms such as PPD Inc., North Carolina State Ports, Coastal Beverage, The Wilmington Group and UNCW Human Resources.

Graduates were hired by Guilford Industries in Kenansville, Wilmington Realtor Association, Life Span in Charlotte, Reichhold in Research Triangle Park, Stock Building Supply in Raleigh and Reeds Jewelers.

UNCW Human Resources Association News
The UNCW Human Resources Association had a busy fall semester.

The students hosted four speakers from the local professional human resources community who discussed interview and resume tips, career tracks in HR, new employment-related federal and state legislation, and experiences in the staffing industry.

The group also participated in the Walk to Cure Diabetes sponsored by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and co-sponsored the Cameron Gives Back campaign. Among other events, the HRA group plans to participate in Habitat for Humanity events and the Relay for Life.

Amber Wilson honored to community service
Amber Wilson was the recipient of the second annual N.C. Campus Compact Community Impact Student Award.

The award is presented to one student from each of the institutions in the N.C. Campus Compact who contributed significantly and innovatively to campus-based efforts to address community needs.

Amber is a junior business major with concentrations in marketing and accounting. She is a resident assistant and gender and alcohol peer educator. She is active in organizing and facilitating alternative spring break service trips, including Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts on the Gulf Coast and working at the Community of Creative Non-Violence, a homeless shelter in Washington, D.C.

She wants to incorporate greater discussion and education of the issues into her service trips, and she is planning follow-up programming on campus connected to Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week. Amber is active in a variety of other service projects including the Angel Tree program.