Minding our business
A monthly article written by Dean Becton
We're introducing a new feature in our monthly newsletter. Starting this month, I will write a short column called Minding Our Business where I will share thoughts or issues relevant to leadership, business, or business education.
Renown management scholar, Sydney Finkelstein, recently spoke at the AACSB Deans Conference and made some thought provoking comments about business schools' value proposition today. The central theme to Dr. Finkelstein's talk was that business schools have become set in their ways—taking for granted our position and power—and under delivering as a result. More specifically, he examined three major problems with business schools. I'll summarize each of these and what business schools should do to address them.
First, many business schools don't produce research that makes much of a difference outside of academia. Reminiscent of Steven Kerr's seminal article "On the folly of rewarding A, while hoping for B," most business schools claim to value research that impacts business practice, and society, while their reward systems are designed to incentivize research that is largely consumed by fellow academics. Business schools must find ways to incentivize faculty to produce research that has broader impact and practical applications. Business schools should revise promotion and tenure guidelines, performance evaluation metrics, professorship requirements, and research awards criteria to explicitly include research that has a significant impact on business practice and society in general. Until there is better alignment between expectations and rewards, it is hard to fault faculty members for conducting research primarily focused on increasing knowledge in an established area or developing new theory.
Second, the curricula of business schools have become quite homogeneous. When most business schools are providing nearly identical course material using the same methods and techniques, it is difficult to differentiate between business schools. While it is understood that some degree of standardization is needed to ensure foundational business knowledge is developed, business schools must provide more unique offerings, delivery methods, and experiences to set themselves apart. Factors such as industry trends, market demand, employer needs, and faculty expertise can vary considerably based on location and mission of the institution and should have a more significant effect on offerings as compared to tradition and the status quo.
Last, business schools have been slow to recognize they have competitors in addition to other institutions of higher learning. Prospective students and employers are increasingly turning to other avenues to source the skills and business knowledge they need. Certificates and badges from non-traditional education providers have become very popular and many employers place considerable weight on these credentials. To have a competitive advantage, business schools must find ways to stand out in this market and provide something that these other entities cannot.
Southern Miss Business is focused on continuous improvement and helping prepare our students for the future of work. We will continue to look for ways to improve our offerings and the student experience and these ideas will be part of the discussion. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions related to this column and I hope that you will take time to read the article about Dr. Finkelstein's presentation below.
inspired leaders series with ALUMNUS, Mr. thanh roettele
Our Spring 2022 Inspired Leaders Series speaker, Thanh Roettele '94, was a huge hit with our Southern Miss Business students during his visit. The Scianna Hall McDonnell Auditorium was filled with more than 120 students to listen to Roettele while he shared stories about his life, career, family, and everything in between. Afterwards, he had lunch with select students interested in careers in the financial services industry before speaking in a class of finance majors about the industry, career opportunities, working at JPMorgan Chase, and more.
Mr. Roettele is originally from Pass Christian and graduated from USM with a BSBA in Finance. He has more than 25 years of experience with JPMorgan Chase and currently serves as managing director of mortgage finance for JPMorgan Chase’s Corporate Client Banking and Specialized Industries. In his role, he oversees the business responsible for coverage of non-bank mortgage, residential and multi-family originators, mortgage REITs, and servicers throughout the United States.
AACSB Reaccreditation IN BUSINESS AND ACCOUNTING
The University of Southern Mississippi’s College of Business and Economic Development and School of Accountancy have once again earned a five-year reaccreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). Southern Miss is among 48 schools whose accreditation in business was extended this year, and one of only 17 who extended their accreditation in both business and accounting.
“The extension of AACSB accreditation is a tremendous accomplishment for Southern Miss Business and evidence of a culture of continuous improvement. AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting places Southern Miss Business in an exclusive group of institutions. Our faculty and staff should be commended for their efforts to ensure our curricula and programming are high quality, relevant, and impactful.” — Bret Becton, Dean of the College of Business and Economic Development
According to AACSB International, currently 926 institutions across 60 countries and territories have earned AACSB accreditation in business and 189 institutions maintain supplemental AACSB accreditation for their accounting programs. The USM College of Business and Economic Development has been accredited by AACSB since 1976, while the USM School of Accountancy has been accredited by AACSB since 1982
“I am extremely proud that our accounting programs have received an extension of AACSB accreditation. The School of Accountancy at USM has a long history of providing an outstanding accounting educational experience and this is evidence that this history endures today." — Dr. Marvin Bouillon, Director of the School of Accountancy
To achieve accounting accreditation, an institution must first earn AACSB business accreditation. Then, in additional to developing and implementing a mission-driven plan to satisfy the business accreditation quality standards, accounting accreditation requires the satisfaction of a supplement set of standards specific to the discipline and profession of accounting. Once accreditation is achieved, each institution participates in a five-year continuous improvement peer review to maintain high quality and extend its accreditation.
Southern Miss offers the only AACSB-accredited business programs in South Mississippi with classes offered at the Hattiesburg and Gulf Park campuses as well as online. In 2022, U.S. News and World Report ranked Southern Miss #51 for Best Online Bachelor’s in Business and #121 for Best Online MBA programs.
Marketing Confidential, featuring local Entrepreneur Mr. Nelson Haskin
Last week, the School of Marketing brought back its’ most significant event of the year for the first time in over two years, and it was a roaring success! The Marketing Confidential was hosted in Scianna Hall Lock Commons and this year’s theme was ‘Setting the Table with Products that Sell’ with keynote speaker Nelson Haskin, a USM alumnus and accomplished entrepreneur and restauranteur.
Nelson Haskin Jr. is a native of Gulfport, MS, but has lived in Hattiesburg since 1983 and considers the Hub City his home. Nelson is a 2013 graduate of Southern Miss and served 20 years in the Mississippi Army National Guard, retiring in October 2020. In 2017, Nelson and his wife, Felicia, opened Blu Jazz Café in Downtown Hattiesburg and now owns and operates SouthBound Bagel and Coffee Shop, Nellie’s Chicken and Daiquiris, and the newly opened Hattiesburgers and Blues. Being a part of the Downtown Hattiesburg revitalization is his passion, serving as a board member for the Downtown Association and the Economic Vitality Committee. In 2017, Blu Jazz Café was awarded Best New Restaurant in the Pine Belt by Signature Magazine. Nelson is also a long-time supporter of the School of Marketing and has recently been working closely with the School's ConsulTEAM to create social media content for his new restaurant, Hattiesburgers and Blues.
The first half of the Marketing Confidential included an informational fair where students could interact with stations that discussed student research, earning a Tri-Star badge, advisement, graduate school, study abroad, Pathway Experiences, membership into the USM Alumni Association, student organizations, and more. At each station, students could also enter for raffle prizes!
This portion of the event was followed by Haskin’s keynote presentation, which had a turnout of over 60+ participants, including both students and faculty. Haskin gave the audience some fantastic insight into what makes a successful restaurant and how to provide your customers with exceptional products you can stand behind before pushing them out to sell.
“Our philosophy is product over promotion - setting the table with products that sell. So, that’s what we want to do first. We want to put the product before the promotion.” — Nelson Haskin
The School of Marketing wrapped up the evening by heading outside to visit Haskin's Nellie’s Chicken food truck, where students and faculty enjoyed delicious chicken tender snack plates! After tasting his product, we were able to see that Haskin stands by his word and truly does set the table with products that sell.
To try his chicken tenders for yourself, visit Nellie’s Chicken and Daiquiris, located in downtown Hattiesburg at 213 E Front Street.
Thank you to our Raffle sponsors!
- Main Squeeze Juice Co.
- Equinox Coffee
- Southwest Theaters at Turtle Creek Mall
- Southern Miss Athletics
Additional refreshments for the event were provided by Insomnia Cookies and Coca-Cola Hattiesburg.
Experience Business Casually, Gulf Park Campus
The University of Southern Mississippi School of Leadership held Experience Business Casually, a popular Hattiesburg event, on the Gulf Park campus this month. The event was open to all USM Gulf Coast students regardless of their major, but the majority of the students who participated were from the School of Leadership. Feedback from the students was very positive with nearly all students indicating that participation was beneficial. Volunteer business professionals from across the coast coached student participants on fifteen different topics such as interviewing strategies, the 60-second elevator pitch, the art of small talk, personal brand, and others.
The following organizations were represented at the event:
- Hancock Whitney Bank
- Workforce Development Consultant
- Keesler Federal Credit Union
- RPM Pizza
- American Heart Association
- Knight Transportation
- Camp Shelby Joint Forces Training Center
- Sock Enterprises
- Memorial Hospital at Gulfport
- Mississippi Dept. of Labor
- State Farm Insurance
- Singing River Hospital
- U.S. Air Force
- Huntington Ingalls
- VT Halter Marine
- Hajoca
- Waffle House
- Southern Farm Bureau
- Pearl River Community College
Thank you to Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance for sponsors this effort on the Gulf Park campus. A special shoutout to RPM Pizza and Coca-Cola Hattiesburg for providing pizza and beverages for students who attended this event.
Dr. Steven Stelk Quoted in Recent Daily Journal Article
The Southern Miss Business MBA program was recently featured in an article in the Daily Journal about enrollment growth in online programs during the pandemic. Dr. Steven Stelk, MBA director and assistant professor of finance, was interviewed for the piece and shared some specifics on USM's MBA enrollment trends.
In the article, Stelk said before COVID, in the fall of 2019, 120 students were enrolled in the MBA program, 54 of which were fully online students.
“In the fall of 2020, once things started shutting down, we jumped from 120 to 198 student total enrollment, a 65% enrollment increase. Of the 198 students, 114 chose to be fully online, which is an 111% increase in online enrollment. With the economy shutting down, it was an opportunity to go to school, and online made more sense.” - Steven Stelk
White Collar Jobs in Blue Collar Industries PANEL
Southern Miss Business Career Services hosted a White Collar Careers in Blue Collar Industries Panel in an effort to overcome student misconceptions about some jobs and career paths they consider less “glamorous” and showcase the executive-level options available with national organizations that are often ranked as top companies to work for.
The panelists, four of which were USM alumni, all represented companies who regularly recruit at Southern Miss for internships and full-time career positions. Discussion topics included positions for new college graduates and upward career paths available, salaries, a glimpse into a typical day-in-the-life, and the traits they seek in desired candidates. Thank you to our panelists:
- Brad Jones, General Manager for Cintas
- Casey Schwingle, Recruiting Director for Waffle House
- Duane Cantrell, District Manager for Fastenal Company
- Brooke O’Bryant, Regional Recruiter for Hajoca
- David Tolbert, Manager for Southern Tire Mart.
Southern Miss Business student attends Association of Government Accountants’ annual National Leadership Training
Junior accounting major, Alaney Dunton was accepted into the AGA's National Collegiate Leadership Program, a scholarship program that provides students with the opportunity to engage with and learn from leaders in government financial management at the Association of Government Accountants’ (AGA) annual National Leadership Training (NLT). This month, Dunton attended the NLT in Washington, DC.
While at the conference, I had the opportunity to interact with government accountants and financial managers. I participated in informational sessions regarding the future of the accounting field and received one-on-one mentoring from my mentor, Tony Scardino, who is currently a Managing Principal at Grant Thornton.
Prior to the training conference, I was unaware of how great a role government accountants play in our country's day-to-day operations. After learning about the possibilities of a career in government accounting, I can definitely see myself finding work in the public sector after graduation. This experience was something I will never forget, and I hope to return to Washington D.C. soon!
Alaney Dunton is an accounting major here at USM from Biloxi, Mississippi. She graduated with high honors from D'Iberville High School as a member of the ACT 30+ Club before going to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College (MGCCC). Now, she is currently putting herself through school with two part-time jobs, one of which is a tax internship, allowing her to gain real-world experience related to her major. In 2020, she was selected as a recipient of the Scholarship for Military Children, and in 2021, she was awarded an AICPA Legacy Scholarship.
Alumni of the Year Luncheon
Each year, the College of Business and Economic Development recognizes an outstanding Alumni of the Year and Young Alumni of the Year for their professional achievements. This year, we will host the event on March 25, 2022 at noon in the Trent Lott National Center on the Hattiesburg campus.
2022 Alumna of the Year, Cindy Gaddis
Cindy Gaddis is a proven global finance executive with a broad based experience across the integrated Oil, Gas, and Petrochemicals industry. She is known for being passionate about developing staff and building a diverse and inclusive work environment. As a multicultural leader she managed staff directly or indirectly in Europe (including the Middle East) Asia, and North and South America. She lived abroad for over four years in London England and has traveled extensively visiting over 30 foreign countries.
Before the transition to her sports career, she worked in Economic Development, Chamber of Commerce and Association Management; having all started in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Courtney earned her degrees in Business Administration (Marketing emphasis), Foreign Language & Literature (Spanish emphasis) and Mass Communication & Journalism (Public Relations emphasis) from the University of Southern Mississippi.
2022 Young Alumna of the Year, Courtney Campbell
Courtney Campbell is the Director of Group Sales for BSE Global (Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment, Global), encompassing the various growth properties such as: Brooklyn Nets, New York Liberty, Barclays Center, and more. She joined the organization just before the start of the 21’-22’ season to relaunch the Group Sales department from the ground-up. She serves as a member of the National Sports Forum Planning Committee, BAN Social Events Chair, BSE Global Youth Marketing Research & Strategy Co- Chair, and a proud alumna of the University of Southern Mississippi.
New Southern Miss Business Program Ranking by onlinemastersdegrees.org
Top Online Master's in human resources
Human Capital Development Program Ranked #1
Top Online Master's in Sport Management
Sport Management program Ranked #6
OnlineMastersDegrees.org (OMD) analyzed more than 7,700 schools using data from the U.S. Department of Education. Their data science team created an algorithm to rank these schools in 70 unique master's degree subjects. To qualify, a school must hold active regional accreditation and have both academic counseling and career placement services available to students. Primary ranking factors included availability of programs with an online component, number of programs in subject area, and metrics considering cost as well as the impact of institutional aid.
Business Alumni, What's New With You?
Southern Miss Business Alumni, we want to hear from you! Do you have good news to share? Maybe you got a new job, earned a promotion, or won an award! Share your good news with us so we can help celebrate you. We encourage you to share these things with us so we can include this in future newsletters. Click the link below to fill out the form.