The Weekly Update – Professional & Online MBA: September 3, 2015

Program News & Announcements

Town Halls with Dean Allen

Town Halls with Dean Allen happen once a semester, and are a great opportunity to give the Dean direct feedback on all aspects of the program. We encourage all students to attend these if possible, as it’s important for us to hear your concerns and make adjustments as needed to continually improve the student experience. This is also a chance for Dean Allen to share important big-picture program news and updates. These are casual events, and food is provided. Please save the dates below; more details to come:

October 9 – Online MBA, 4 – 5:30 pm
October 12 – Professional RTP MBA, 5 – 6 pm
October 13 – Professional Main Campus MBA, 5 – 6 pm

Student Ambassadors Needed

The most frequent request we receive from prospective MBA students is the opportunity to interact with current students, and our Ambassadors enable us to give them a perspective only an NC State MBA student can provide. The time commitment involved is minimal (typically 10 hours/semester) but the impact you have on our program is significant. Some Ambassador tasks might involve hosting a prospective student in one of your classes or answering student questions via email. Interested in learning more? You can read more about what’s involved and fill out the Student Ambassador form here on our website.

Academic Advising

Academic Advising Syllabus

This is a reminder to all full-time, professional evening, and online students to view your academic advising syllabus and, after reading it, to sign the Academic Advising Contract Form confirming that you have read and understand expectations. Please note that your advising hold for spring will not be lifted until you complete and submit this form.

Academic Advising Contacts

A friendly reminder that Sarah Pickel is the academic advisor for all ONLINE students; you can reach her at sarahadvising@ncsu.edu to schedule an appointment. Deborah Waller Wilkins is the academic advisor for all PROFESSIONAL MBA students; you can reach her at deborahadvising@ncsu.edu to schedule an appointment.

Career Events & Information

PCOM Fall Career Fair

The Poole College of Management Career Fair will be held on Friday, October 2 from 10 – 3 at the McKimmon Center on NC State’s Main Campus. Over 100 employers will be in attendance and MBA students are invited to attend. To view a list of participants, click here.

Professional Conferences and Networking Events

Last Call for Upcoming YPN Tickets

If you are interested in attending the next Raleigh Young Professionals Network event on September 17th, please email Claire Jefferies at csjeffer@ncsu.edu by end of day Friday (9/4) to reserve your free ticket. This month’s guest is Rob Stevenson, international speaker and best-selling author, who will discuss key elements of optimum performance. You can read more about the event here.

Ticket Giveaway (worth $225) for North Carolina Chapter Project Management Institute (NCPMI) Conference!

The NC Chapter of the Project Management Institute is celebrating its 30th Anniversary with this year’s annual conference, “In Flight”. The conference, held September 25th at the Raleigh Convention Center, will focus on inspiring project managers to elevate their value within organizations. Opportunities will be available to investigate adding skill sets, improve your professional presence, and make valuable connections. We have one free ticket (valued at $225) to give away to the first student to email Claire Jefferies at csjeffer@ncsu.edu explaining why you would benefit from attending by EOD Thursday, September 3rd. For more information, visit the conference page or NCPMI’s website.

Penn State Smeal MBA Sustainability Case Competition

The Smeal College of Business has personally invited Jenkins MBA students to participate in its second annual 2015 MBA Sustainability Case Competition. Six major corporations are sponsors, and the prizes for first, second, and third place are substantial ($10,000, $5,000, and $2,500). Two teams from NC State are eligible to compete, and teams must have at least three members who are current MBA students. The Poole College Business Sustainability Collaborative will cover the $100 registration fee. Deadline to register is September 14th. For more information, please visit the case competition website, and email Jessica Thomas, Director of Poole College Sustainability Collaborative, at jothomas@ncsu.edu if you are interested in participating.

Student Clubs & Events

MBA Student Association

Jen Wiles, a Professional MBA student and MBASA board member, will be at the RTP campus on Mondays and Thursdays to answer questions and take payment in person for professional students interested in joining the organization. Tyler Price, MBA Student Association President, will be at the RTP campus on Tuesday and can also collect payment at that time. For our main campus students, our Events Chair, Tyler Bassett, will be in Port City Java on Main Campus from 5 – 5:45 to answer questions and take payment. Students are also welcome to mail checks ($100 dues covers your entire time in the MBA program) directly to NCSU MBASA, Campus Box 8114, Raleigh, NC 27695.

MBA Service Corps

Only two spots remain for the first Service Saturday event of the semester: the Second Chance Pet Adoptions Dog Wash at Unleashed in Raleigh on September 19th. This monthly dog wash is a fun and rewarding fundraiser, and volunteers can either work registration or get hands on and wash dogs themselves. For more information and to sign up, email Dave Knospe at dknospe@ncsu.edu.

Innovative Women Conference (IWC) Coordinating Team Seeks Volunteers

The IWC coordinating team is looking for volunteers interested in gaining hands-on marketing, PR, and event management experience, as well as networking opportunities and exposure to top female executives in the Triangle. Some of the different ways to get involved include serving as a moderator in one of the conference’s panels, assisting the conference coordinators with specific event-related tasks, being a host in the networking event/conference or during the registration process, just to name a few. The coordinating team is looking for a diverse group of volunteers that include full-time, professional, and online students with a genuine interest in giving back to the community. Tasks for volunteers typically require between 2 – 10 hours, depending on the nature of the task, and not all volunteers need to be present for all conference events. This year’s conference will be hosted at the Talley Student Union on NC State’s Main Campus on November 13th. A networking event will be held the evening of November 12th at HQ Raleigh to kick off the conference. Volunteers will be able to attend both the networking event and conference free of charge. There are limited volunteer spots available, so you are encouraged to express your interest soon by contacting Jen Wiles (jrwiles@ncsu.edu) as soon as possible.

Meet a Jenkins MBA: The Weekly Spotlight

Name: Diane Michot, Professional MBA – RTP Campus
Employer: Financial Analyst, Allscripts
Hometown: Meridian, MS
Previous: Millsaps College – BS, Biology; Portland State University – Post-baccalaureate, Accounting; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill – BS, Nursing; CPA licensure in OR and NC

Q: What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
A: Sleep on it; everything will look different in the morning.

Q: If you have could have any superpower, what would it be?
A: I’m not sure if this is a recognized superpower, but I’d like to be able to add a couple of extra hours to the day (but just for me).

Q: If you had 5 minutes to teach someone something new, what would you teach?
A: The tremendous power of being grateful for the good things and good people in your life. I worked as an Oncology nurse, and that experience gave me tremendous perspective about what is really important in life and how many of the things we worry about are really not all that important in the grand scheme of things. The good people in your life and the here and now are the best things – and the only things – you can count on.

Q: What is your dream job or career goal, and how is the Jenkins MBA program helping you get there?
A: My career goal is to expand my understanding of the business world. I feel like I have a fairly good handle on the accounting end of things, but most of what I see from other areas is on the back end, as the numbers flow through. I’d like to understand how and why decisions are made in other areas of the business so I can add value in new ways to my role and future roles. The Jenkins MBA program appealed to me in particular because it is hands on, technology focused, and very real world in its perspective. I’m excited to see where this degree takes me, and I’m open to new possibilities.

Q: What is the last book you read/movie you saw/concert you attended?
A: I know this is not a concert or a movie, but I saw the Paperhand Puppet Intervention in Chapel Hill last weekend for the first time after wanting to see it for years. I will definitely be going to their next show. If you have never been, I suggest checking it out.

Q: What’s the nicest thing anyone has ever done for you?
A: This is a hard question to answer, so I’ll pick what came to mind first. My sister has treated me to many fun trips – a cruise in Alaska, ski trips to CO, MT, and VT. I have the best big sister in the world.

Dates to Remember/Upcoming Events

September 7 – Labor Day – university closed
September 17 – Raleigh YPN Event at PNC Arena
September 19 – Service Saturday at Unleashed
October 2 – Poole College Career Fair
October 8 – Fall Break begins
October 8 – 10 – Raleigh Residency for Online and Professional MBAs
October 9 – Social for Online MBA Students – Location TBD
October 9 – Online MBA Town Hall with Dean Allen
October 12 – Professional RTP MBA Town Hall with Dean Allen
October 13 – Professional Main Campus MBA Town Hall with Dean Allen
October 16 – Last day to withdraw or drop a class
October 20 – Registration for Spring 2016 begins
November 13 – Innovative Women Conference
November 25 – Thanksgiving Vacation begins
December 4 – Last day of classes