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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2011
PAGE 6
EDUCATION
Business school fights national stereotypes
BRITTANY CLAMPITT bclampitt@kansan.com
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
According to the article, "The Default Major — Skating Through B-school," if a school falls below Business Weekly's top 50 ranking, there should be anxiety about student apathy.
A school for slackers? That is what an article in the New York Times claimed regarding undergraduate business majors. Collaborating with The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Times explored the apparent lowering of standards in American business schools and the lack of effort on students' parts.
"Business majors spend less time preparing for class than do students in any other broad field, according to the most recent National Survey of Student Engagement," the article stated.
But does this apply to the University of Kansas, which stands at No. 108 on Business Weekly's 2011 list? Many in the Kansas School of Business would argue no.
Toni Dixon, communications director for Kansas' School of Business, said the school stands out from those in the article because of the selectivity of admissions.
"We turn away half the students who apply because our classes are small and our school is small and we have more applicants than we can take," Dixon said. "You have to work for it."
While The Times article cited large student-faculty ratios as one of the issues in undergraduate business programs, Dixon said a small ratio is what makes the difference for Kansas.
"We've kept it a small school so students have interaction with faculty members, get to know them," Dixon said. "Those kinds of things help add stringency to the courses."
The School of Business has other safeguards that keep it from falling victim to the same issues as the schools in the article. Various clubs and activities and a balance of group and individual work have combined to help business students get hands-on experience and stand out to employers.
"Employers give us feedback and tell us they've found that our students are very good," Dixon said. "They can stand up to any competition and they're great hires."
Students of the business school come down on both sides of the argument.
"The admission requirements are pretty hefty and the classes that I have taken so far are pretty intensive," said Brian Kuzarah, a sophomore from Colorado Springs, Colo., who will soon apply to the business school. "But, I feel like it's an over-encompassing major that everyone can use."
Nick Patton, a sophomore from Olathe who gained early admission to the Business School his freshman year, disagreed.
"I don't think I've studied for more than an hour for any exam or quiz or anything," Patton said. "It's not difficult. I think business is pretty standard." Patton thinks that business is learned by doing it. It's a trial-by-basis basis.
There have been arguments among business schools across the United States as to whether having an undergraduate business major is even wise. The Times article quoted St. John's Fellow J. David Hunger as debating if a liberal arts undergraduate degree program would be more beneficial for the writing and speaking skills employers look for.
The University of Kansas School of Business addresses this issue by requiring students to complete a certain number of liberal arts credits.
"They've already had the two years of liberal arts education before they come to the Business School," Dixon said. "They can't enter the Business School until they're juniors."
The School of Business ensures that even freshmen like Patton, whose exceptional records allow for early admission, have two years of those liberal arts classes before starting their business courses.
There is a level of excitement for the future of the school with the appointment of the new dean, a graduate of the school, Neeli Bendapudi.
Austin Falley, communications coordinator for the school, views Bendapudi's career as a testament to the quality of the business program.
"She can be put up against any Ivy Leaguer anywhere around the world and she's shown that," Falley said. "I think a lot of that has to do with the quality of education you get here."
However, Bendapudi's success also shows that it's necessary for undergraduates to take advantage of the opportunities they are offered.
"There's a very entrepreneurial spirit that you are really required to have, especially in business education," Falley said. "I think that is an example of the people we have studying here at the School of Business."
Edited by Sarah Champ
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John Rowland, a master's student of accounting, studies up on taxes in the study help room of Summerfield Hall on Thursday afternoon. The study help room is a resource for students staffed by graduate teaching assistants.
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--sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb averaged more than 20 yards a completion, including three touchdown passes that were all more than 25 yards.
Humanitarian Bowl. Last week in their opener, they put up 49 points against Army, a touchdown more than Kansas scored against FCS opponent McNeese State. Its top two running backs each averaged 9.9 and 7.3 yards per carry, and their quarterback, senior Chandler Harnish, threw for five touchdowns. So yeah, Northern Illinois is good. Good enough for Vegas oddsmakers to make them nearly a touchdown favorite in Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
Kansas football is still a year or two away from doing any kind of damage in whatever conference it will be in, but a 2-0 start that includes an early upset could do wonders for a young team looking to firmly remove that rearview mirror from its perch.
— Edited by Lindsey Deiter
"I think the other thing that's going to be important for us is making sure that we have a 2-to-1 ratio when it comes to big plays," Gill said. "I'm talking about 20 yards or more that we need to be 2-to-1 ratio as far as our big plays in our favor versus them with the plus 20 yards."
Coach Turner Gill and his staff would like to see a similar effort from their team this Saturday against Northern Illinois.
Kansas ran the same amount of plays as McNeese State on Saturday, had the ball for nearly ten minutes less, and scored 18 more points than its opponent.
Offensive coordinator Chuck Long said the big plays that were present Saturday were missing from the offense last season.
JORDAN WEBB
Sophomore quarterback
"Big plays are huge in college football," Long said. "It's very
opened the second possession with a 30-yard run. The freshmen running backs added play-making capabilities as well. Darrian Miller averaged 4.8 yards a carry and Tony Pierson averaged 14.6 yards a carry.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN
"We feel like we have a running game that is built for explosive plays," Webb said. "We can get the 70 and 60 yarders out of the running game just as easy as the passing game."
Even though the run-game is full of playmakers, the receivers are without one of their top players. Senior Daymond
— Edited by Jennifer DiDonato
Freshman receiver JaCorey Shepherd, who caught three passes for 107 yards and two touchdowns in his Kansas debut, will replace Patterson with his 4.5 speed.
The newfound, ground-heavy attack is far away from the spread offense Mark Mangino ran, but that doesn't mean that a more balanced style won't provide just as many opposing defense-killing, scoring opportunities.
Sophomore quarterback Jordan Webb hands the ball to freshman running back Darrin Miller. "We did exactly what we wanted to do. We ran the ball and as quartbacks and receivers we made the plays that we needed and that's the team we need to be," Webb said.
"When you look at steady offenses like that in the past, they are traditionally run-play action pass teams and a lot of times they get open," receivers coach David Beaty said. "They don't have a whole lot of passes in the game, but a lot of times they count for big points. That's the direction our offense is headed in."
That familiar Max Falkenstein draw will return before college basketball season even begins.
Falkenstein to announce Legends of the Phog game
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Falkenstein and his iconic voice will join Dave Armstrong in broadcasting the Legends of the Phog alumni game at 4 p.m. on Sept. 24 at Allen Fieldhouse. The
A
game is now officially sold out, according to Kansas Athletics.
Brian Hanni and Bud Stallworth will announce for the Jayhawk Radio Network, which will broadcast the game to the state
— KCSP (610 Sports) in Kansas City,
WIBW (580 AM) in Topeka and KLWN (1320
AM) in Lawrence.
1
— Max Rothman