It has been a busy year for the Opus College of Business Undergraduate Programs office. Our undergraduate programs combine excellence in business education with a focus on real-world application, a strong emphasis on ethics and responsibility, and dedicated service to the community.
Three new official OCB student clubs were welcomed during the 2014-2015 academic year: LEAD, the Investments Club and the Sports Business Club. Leaders Engaging in Active Development (LEAD) Club received the Outstanding Club Community Service Award at The Tommies: A Leadership Recognition Ceremony last week. Erica Diehn serves as the LEAD Club adviser.
The Business Undergraduate Mentorship Program completed its inaugural year serving 60 students (40 mentees, 20 mentors) in a peer-to-peer mentor program. Next year the program will expand to increase outreach efforts to first-year students in the undergraduate program.
Enactus club adviser Betsy Lofgren recently traveled with 6 students to present at the Enactus National Exposition in St. Louis, MO. Enactus is an international organization active in more than 35 countries. Students develop community outreach projects that improve peoples’ quality of life by using business skills with an entrepreneurial approach.
The American Marketing Association-UST Chapter received an award for Exemplary Collegiate Chapter Performance - Outstanding Chapter Planning, Internal & External Communication - at the 37th Annual AMA International Collegiate Conference. Kudos to student leaders Ali Olson, Dan Herriges, Anna Smith and Anna Kubes. Stephen Vuolo is the AMA faculty adviser.
The London Business Semester was named as one of the “50 Best Faculty led Semester Study Abroad programs in America, by Best College Reviews. Our London Semester was one of 4 MN colleges named, along with Carleton College, Gustavus Adolphus College and St. Olaf College.
An undergraduate Small Business Institute team project for their Senior Market Management course won first place in the SBI National Project of the Year competition. The team, under the direction of Jamal Al-Khatib won their award for their consulting work with HealthCare Interactive, Inc., a leading national provider of online dementia care training programs.
Emily Straker-Barak, business program adviser, co-presented “Shifting Your Lenses: How the Physical Environment Can Enhance Advising” with Drew Puroway, UST academic counselor, at the National Association of Academic Advising Region 6 conference in Fargo, North Dakota.
The OCB Undergraduate Programs staff partnered with the Listening House and 20 BUSN 200 students to host our 15th and final Annual Listening House Silent Auction on Sunday, May 3. The auction raised $25,000 and all proceeds directly benefit the Listening House, which is a sanctuary from the streets where practical assistance, counsel and a friendly ear are offered to people who are homeless, disadvantaged or lonely. This is the 15th year that BUSN 200 students have completed this fund raiser, earning a total of nearly $400,000 for Listening House.
Each year a diverse group of learners chooses the Opus College of Business because of our ability to offer a strong professional major combined with an extensive liberal arts foundation in a faith-based environment. These events and activities are just a sliver of the great work OCB students, faculty and staff take part in each year.
