Impact on Education

Priscilla Arling, assistant professor of management information systems, introduced a new knowledge management course in Aug. 2006 to prepare students for the technical needs of business but MS 400 Expert Systems & Knowledge Management, was not a typical lecture. The key objective was to provide students with hands-on, real life experience with knowledge management processes and technologies while at the same time build the Butler Business Accelerator's knowledge repository. Using the Microsoft Sharepoint system, the students learned maintenance and upgrading techniques and provided a much needed service to the Accelerator.

Bill Templeton, professor of finance, involved his MBA 567 MBA Financial Theory and Cases class in a project for the Accelerator. Competing student teams created financial diagnostic tools that calculate ratios and other financial indicators that can be used to help the Accelerator assess the financial situation of potential clients.

Larry Lad, associate professor of management, linked his MG490 Capstone class to the Accelerator in spring 2007. The class worked directly with consultants on projects for Uri Dynamics. In the fall of 2007, Dan McQuiston, associate professor of marketing, will directly involve his capstone class in Accelerator client projects.

Steve Dolvin, assistant professor of finance, has created a new course that will involve students in managing a real dollar, $1 million investment portfolio. The course provides hands-on experience in portfolio management, including investment policy statement preparation; economic, industry and company analysis; hedging tactics; and investment strategy implementation. Students will report on their performance to the Endowment & Investment Committee of Butler University's Board of Trustees.

Students in the MG101 Freshman Business Experience class compete in a business plan competition called the Top Dawg - and work with a local partner company.

All second year students participate in MG 201 Real Business Experience, in which they present a business idea to a funding board and if approved, start-up, operate and liquidate their businesses - all within one year. The course is placed early in the student's college career so that when they take core business classes, they are able to relate the material back to their businesses. The class is facilitated by a team of faculty and professionals who act as mentors, helping the teams create business solutions.

MBA students kick-off their graduate courses with a one-day immersion experience with a local company, similar to The Apprentice. Students work in competitive teams to develop the best solution to a problem being faced by a partner organization. The MBA 501 Gateway Experience class recently partnered with executives from Steak n Shake. Click here to watch the five teams in action.

Undergraduate and graduate courses partner with local companies and work on live cases and business problems - companies such as Eli Lilly & Company, Roche Diagnostics, Finish Line, Hubbard & Cravens, Inside Indiana Business, Steak n Shake and more.

All undergraduate business students are required to complete two internships for credit. The internship program is just one piece of the four-year career development process. Students are assigned to a career mentor when they arrive on campus and participate in a series of activities and exercises to prepare them for internships and eventually, full-time placement upon graduation. Career mentors are retired executives from the business community, including such companies as SBC, General Motors, Eli Lilly & Company and more.