At the College of Business, we're building on our strong history of success while transforming the way we prepare students to lead the future of business. This fall, we launched our new undergraduate core curriculum, centered on hands-on learning, corporate involvement and peer-to-peer mentoring.
We welcomed our first-year students for the New Student Kickoff in the packed Ostergard Family Auditorium, where they meet twice weekly for Introduction to Business (MNGT 101), the first course in the new curriculum that explores all business disciplines. In the class, students also team up for our inaugural Business Battle to solve a real-world challenge for MotoAmerica, the premier motorcycle road racing series in North America.
To introduce the Business Battle to students, Nebraska Business alum and MotoAmerica CFO Richard Varner and actor Keanu Reeves, who co-owns a racing team, joined Laurie Miller, associate dean of undergraduate programs and curriculum, in a special video. As students sharpen their problem-solving and communication skills, they will be mentored by peer coaches, industry professionals and Shawtell Kroese, assistant professor of practice in management, who teaches the new course. The top teams in the Business Battle will present their ideas to MotoAmerica executives, an experience designed to build confidence and career readiness.
This fall also marks several major milestones:
- 45 Years of Accountancy Excellence: One of only 2% of institutions with dual AACSB accreditation in both business and accounting, our School of Accountancy celebrates 45 years. The SoA undergraduate program consistently prepares students for careers at Big Four firms, private companies, nonprofits and beyond with 98% of students securing employment or continuing their education within six months of graduation. Its Master of Professional Accountancy program, now in its 40th year, also boasts a 97% placement rate.
- A Decade of Strengths-Based Development at Nebraska Business: The Clifton Strengths Institute (CSI) celebrates 10 years of helping students discover and develop their talents through the signature Investing in Strengths (BSAD 111) course, the second class students take in the new curriculum. More than 450 peer coaches guided over 10,000 first-year students in the last decade. The CSI’s Clifton Builders Program has empowered 250 entrepreneurial-minded students to deliver real-world solutions in partnership with 45 Nebraska businesses and nonprofits. The CSI also leads more than 60 workshops across campus each year, and this fall began working with first-year students in the College of Education and Human Sciences.
- Expanding Financial Literacy Across Nebraska: The Nebraska Council on Economic Education, housed in the college, recently celebrated its 60th year of advancing financial literacy and serving schools in all 93 Nebraska counties. This year, the NCEE will expand access to the Stock Market Game in middle and high schools with high percentages of students receiving free and reduced-price meals. Thanks to a partnership with the FINRA Investor Education Foundation, more than 180 Nebraska schools are eligible to offer the program at no cost, providing thousands of students with essential financial and investing skills.
Also featured in this newsletter, two of our recent graduates share their experiences earning business degrees and how it prepared them for the future:
- Josiah Allick from Lincoln, Nebraska, earned a graduate certificate, then rolled the credits into an online Master in Business Administration degree. Named the New Zealand's Most Valuable Player in professional basketball in July, he graduated with his MBA in August.
- Kathryn Christensen from Bennington, Nebraska, blended her undergraduate business degree with the university's emerging media arts major to gain the skills, internships and experience that helped her to pursue her dream career in Hollywood.
As we launch this innovative curriculum, deepen partnerships and expand student opportunities, I want to thank our generous supporters, dedicated alumni and committed collaborators.
Together, we are building business leaders like only Nebraska can.
Go Big Red!
Dean Kathy Farrell
