Friday, June 21, 2013

Exciting Times this Spring!



We continued to implement our mission by focusing on excellence in teaching and research, learning beyond the classroom, and encouraging our students to find their passions. Below is a summary of our accomplishments and event action items over the last few months:

In February 2013, our students finished #1 in the Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge. The Austin Peay portfolio averaged an 18.52% return, ahead of second place Western Kentucky at 17.34% and third place Belmont with a 17.33% return.

Our up and coming sophomores visited four Nashville companies: Ingram Content, AJAX Turner, Ernst & Young, and Curb Records to view their operations and link theory to practice through discussion with their executive teams.

In fall 2012 and spring 2013, our faculty presented their research to the community in the Dean’s Research Forums. Congratulations to Dr. Grimmett, Dr. Kim, Dr. Said, Dr. Pearson, Dr. Meyer Dr. Cockrell, Dr. Nyonna, Ms. Wolfe, and Ms. Meyer for their successful presentations.

The Zeta Phi chapter of our business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, was named Chapter of the Year in the Southern region for a 3rd time and received the 1st Place Fraternity Standing Award for receiving 100,000 Annual Chapter Report (ACR) points.

In April 2013, our Dean’s Ambassadors visited the bond trading floors of Vining Sparks and First Tennessee Capital. They visited Wepfer Marine, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Sun Records. This experience changed lives and career directions.

With gifts from Delta Dental of Tennessee and Civic Bank of Nashville we launched the Free Enterprise Center for Entrepreneurship in May 2013. The Center for Entrepreneurship will be the hub for the entrepreneurship minor, the business plan competition, and community workshops, summer day camp, and a week-end boot-camp.

The Free Enterprise Center for Economic Education is designed to help teachers and students with a better understanding of capitalism and free market enterprise. In cooperation with Tennessee Jump$tart Coalition, the Federal Reserve Bank, and Tennessee Sister Universities – East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, the Center is engaged in teacher workshops, a Free Enterprise Speakers series, curriculum development, and resource materials for teachers and students.

Assessment performance continues to improve as curricular improvements in the areas of concern take effect. The MFT Spring 2013 results place the College in the 59th percentile with all areas above the 50th percentile except for management at the 46th percentile. Additionally, the accounting curriculum is performing exceptionally well with the total population of graduating seniors in the 61st percentile. This can be attributed to the close the loop actions of the faculty, the adoption and implementation of a co-requisite learning software, MyAccountingLab, and the addition of faculty led accounting labs available to all Principles of Accounting students.

Four academically qualified faculty members agreed to join the College of Business, significantly strengthening the management, marketing and economics areas. With the addition of these faculty members, the AQ/PQ ratios are met for fall 2013 and forward.

Three new College of Business advisory board members joined. The annual giving to the Dean’s
Excellence Fund by the group exceeded $41,000.

Exciting times, indeed!