A Publication of the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business

Fall/Winter 2013

Educating for onshoringBeacom and Eagle Creek Software Serviceshelp train workforce for rural high-tech jobs

Dear Alumni and Friends,

Here at the Beacom School of Business, one of the things we pride ourselves on is keeping good company as we establish and foster mutually beneficial partnerships.

Inside this issue of Business Connections, you’ll read about one of our newest partners, Eagle Creek Software Services. Eagle Creek has chosen Vermillion as the location of its new operations center and is making its temporary home here in the Beacom Hall incubator that operates in conjunction with the Vermillion Development Corporation.

As IT customers are increasingly looking to relocate offshore work to onshore/rural operations centers, Eagle Creek and USD have teamed up to help fill that niche. The B School and USD’s Continuing and Distance Education Center have created the new Information Technology Consultant Academy and the Big Data Boot Camp to help meet Eagle Creek’s software development staffing needs. Students who successfully complete the program and internship will qualify for a final interview that may lead to a career with Eagle Creek. The first classes graduated from these programs this summer and all were offered jobs at Eagle Creek.

We are in the final stages of preparing for reaccreditation from AASCB International, a process that reminds us how fortunate we are to have such experienced and dedicated faculty who attain excellence in teaching,

research and service—attributes that help prepare our students for leadership roles in business and professional opportunities. We have been in the Division I of business schools for more than 60 years and will continue to be so recognized into the future.

We are also reminded how ambitious and accomplished our students are. Beacom students continue to compete on a national level, as evidenced by test scores, competitions and rankings. In fact, a recent Princeton Review publication

put us on its “Best 295 Business Schools” 2014 edition list. Criteria used in those ratings were based on student opinion categories such as overall academic experience, admissions selectivity, career placement, interesting professors and the accessibility of professors. Our graduate and undergraduate students scored in the top 5 percent of all schools taking the national portion of our exit exam. All Beacom alumni come from a top 5 percent business school.

We have a lot to be proud of, and we have you, our alumni and friends, to thank for all the support you give.

Go Yotes!

Michael KellerDean, Beacom School of Business

BUSINESS CONNECTIONSFall/Winter 2013

EDITORIAL STAFFKim Lee— Editor, Feature Writer

Phil Carter—Contributing Writer

Andrew Farriell—Contributing Writer

Terry Dyvig— Graphic Design

ADMINISTRATIONJames W. Abbott—University President

Chuck Staben—University Provost

Jeff Baylor—University Vice President

Michael Keller—Dean, Beacom School of Business

Tena Haraldson—Director of Marketing

Business Connections is published yearly by the University of South Dakota Beacom School of Business. This volume and all articles, images and photographs within may not be reproduced in any form without permission.

MISSION STATEMENT THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH DAKOTABEACOM SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

We are a community of scholars and practitioners committed to superior undergraduate and graduate business programs accredited by AACSB International. We emphasize excellence in teaching, promote intellectual exchange and development, and advocate continuous learning reflecting a dynamic global environment. Our services deliver value to our students, the university, business disciplines, and society.”

Send your comments to: University Relations urelations@usd.edu

For more information, contact:University of South DakotaBeacom School of Business414 East Clark StreetVermillion, SD 57069-2390phone: 605-677-5455fax: 605-677-5058 email: business@usd.eduwww.usd.edu/business

This document is available in alternative formats upon request. For assistance, call Disability Services at USD at 605-677-6389 or email disabilityservices@usd.edu.

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FEATURES

COVER STORY

Educating for OnshoringEagle Creek Software Services brings operations center to Vermillion; Beacom to help train workforce

ReaccreditationBeacom prepares for another five years of reaccreditation from AACSB International

Faculty NewsResearch, long-term service highlighted

On the cover: USD President James W. Abbott and Eagle Creek Software Services President Ken Behrendt announced a new partnership at a press conference in March 2013 that will bring 1,000 jobs to South Dakota.

Printed on recycled paper.

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2 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Coyote Capital ManageMent takes top Honors at nyC’s global asset ManageMent eduCation ForuM

Eight University of South Dakota students representing Coyote Capital Management (CCM) placed first in the student managed portfolio competition at the Global Asset Management Education (GAME) III Forum hosted by Quinnipiac University in New York City in April 2013. The group finished first in the Undergraduate Core Division of the student managed portfolio competition, an integral part of the GAME symposium. The winning portfolio is one of three portfolios managed by USD CCM. “Since the GAME symposium is unique in the world in terms of combining investment and education, it attracts participants from universities as well as industry from around the world,” explained Angeline Lavin, Ph.D., M.P.A. and M.B.A. Programs Director and professor of finance at USD. “The exposure to this elite group of investment professionals and peer universities enhances the Beacom School of Business’ reputation significantly.” Coyote Capital Management (CCM) is a student-managed investment fund designed to give students hands-on experience as money managers. The fund was started with a $10,000 donation from Larry Ness of First Dakota National Bank in December 2001. Through additional contributions from various donors as well as cooperation from Beacom School of Business International Programs and the USD Foundation, CCM now manages assets of more than $1 million. In 2012, CCM received the South Dakota Board of Regents’ Award for Organizational Leadership. CCM has participated in the national student managed portfolio competition every year since 2002, but this is the first year

that the organization has taken home top honors. Students in CCM voluntarily choose to participate in the organization and attend hour-long weekly meetings learning how to manage money as they attempt to generate long-term capital appreciation for the portfolio. “The exciting track records carved out by former members of CCM in their careers after graduation is a testimony of the value of the hands-on experience provided by CCM,” Lavin stated. “Attending a conference like GAME also provides students with the opportunity to network with potential employers.” According to Lavin, CCM members annually present to clients such as the USD Foundation Investment Committee as a part of the group’s client-customer relationship. Client presentations include detailed reports, communicating personally with the client and receiving detailed client feedback. Because the Beacom Employment Services Center annually attracts many employers to the USD campus, including Wells Fargo, First National Bank, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the FDIC, Tallgrass Wealth Management and Ernst Capital Investments, among others, employment opportunities for members continue to grow. “CCM members get to improve communication skills, enhance leadership abilities and gain a truly extraordinary learning experience that reinforces education from the classroom,” Lavin added. “Most importantly, CCM creates financial leaders willing to go the extra mile, go beyond what is expected, and achieve the unachievable.”

CCM team members Aaron Steele, Nadya Tsoy, Stephen Goodfellow, Erik Muckey, Ian Williams, Molly Rosheim, Nathan O’Bryan and Jill Guericke

FALL/WINTER 2013 3

Richard Muller, instructor in the Beacom School of Business, was recently presented with an award that demonstrates how different academic disciplines can merge. Muller, who teaches in Management, Marketing and Business Law, was given the Teagarden Award in April for “best professional presentation” at the Center for Western Studies’ 44th annual Dakota Conference, held in Sioux Falls, S.D. Muller’s presentation lent a journalist’s perspective to the February 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, where 200 Oglala Lakota and American Indian Movement supporters seized and occupied the village of Wounded Knee for 71 days in protest of a recent murder and long-held grievances against the Bureau of Indian Affairs. “I’ve been going to the Dakota History Conference since the early 80s,” Muller explained. “But 2012 was the first time I’ve presented there. I thought the 40th anniversary of the incident would be a great time to put this project together.” A reporter for KELO-TV from 1970–74, Muller dug up a few of his archived news pieces to supplement his presentation, lending inside commentary to the situation. A self-proclaimed “history buff,” Muller shared the back stories, incidents, coincidences and consequences that had only been privy to journalists during those 71 days.

His presentation, which took Muller and a graduate assistant about three months to compile, received many positive peer reviews, which ultimately earned him the award. When Muller was notified he’d won, he realized the business connections at work. “Here I am, a marketing professor in a business school, and I received an award named after a man who was dean of a business school,” Muller explained. “But I was honored because of work I’d done in the journalism field and because of my interest in history. “This shows that academics crosses paths and has many different connections to make and that educators are always looking at different ways to pull in other disciplines,” he continued. The Teagarden Award is named for Ernest M. Teagarden, who was dean of business at Dakota State University in the 1970s. The Dakota Conference is an annual, signature event of the Center for Western Studies at Augustana College, dedicated to examining contemporary issues in their historical and cultural contexts. Muller received an English degree from Augustana College and a Master of Selected Studies degree from USD and has been teaching in the Beacom School of Business since 2006.

Muller’s award deMonstrates business CurriCuluM Can Cross disCiplines

Harry F. Thompson, Ph.D. (left), executive director of the Center for Western Studies, presents Richard Muller with the Teagarden Award

for his conference presentation on Wounded Knee.

4 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Eagle Creek Software Services, a leader in onshore information technology services, recently chose Vermillion as the location of its newest office, thanks in part to its close relationship with the University of South Dakota and the Beacom School of Business. Eagle Creek and USD, in conjunction with the Vermillion Development Corporation and the South Dakota Governor’s Office of Economic Development, have established the new Information Technology Consultant Academy and the Big Data Boot Camp to help meet software development staffing needs. USD is working on a plan to offer a specialization in the M.B.A. that would also be supportive of Eagle Creek’s needs. Jeff Brusseau, Eagle Creek’s vice president of U.S. project centers, explained, “As information technology services customers are increasingly looking for onshore delivery options, either to replace or complement their offshore outsourcing relationships, there’s a national demand for trained IT professionals to meet those needs. As a company that deals with software code and software development

from around the world, we can see there is a global shortage, and we are partnering with USD and Vermillion to help fill that need.” With U.S.-based companies continuing to invest in information technology, there is an increased need for a skilled workforce—a demand that will only grow as technology becomes synonymous with corporate America. Currently, many companies look overseas to fill STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) jobs, but with a new emphasis on higher education’s connection to economic development, U.S. companies can create a long-term solution to their technology needs. Eagle Creek’s onshore model, staffed with USD and other U.S. graduates, gives greater control over its IT talent pool and IT needs than “offshoring” allows. The IT Consultant Academy and Big Data Boot Camp uniquely integrate four undergraduate courses with an internship, which will provide participants a unique credential entering an IT-related profession. Participants of the program could be eligible for free courses, a paid

Educating for Onshoring

“ This is a great day for South Dakota and the resurgent technology business in America,” said Gov. Dennis Daugaard. “With a $10 million investment in the Vermillion community and a new career path for University of South Dakota students, we are on track to create meaningful jobs that will benefit the community and make South Dakota more globally competitive in the information technology sector.”

FALL 2013 5

internship and a direct line to full-time employment as a consultant at Eagle Creek upon graduation. The Academy will create a well-trained local workforce in South Dakota who can take advantage of high paying jobs. Graduates of the certificate program can expect to make between $37,000–$45,000. Students with a master’s degree may earn between $50,000–$60,000. The partnership was announced earlier this year by Eagle Creek, which stated that it will bring 1,000 jobs to South Dakota. The rural high-tech jobs will be phased in over the next 3–5 years, and a new, $10 million technology center, currently under construction in Vermillion, will house 200 of those jobs. The Beacom School of Business offers two of the four courses in the IT Academy: Project Management and Database Management Systems, both three-credit courses that can be taken on campus or online. Students going through the program also take two IT courses, Software Engineering A and Software Engineering B, from the USD Department of Computer Science. Eagle Creek will rely heavily on USD to help fill the company’s IT positions. Mike Keller, dean of the Beacom School of Business, said, “We are helping produce academic programs that are supportive of the kind of education Eagle Creek would like to see and the people they are going to be hiring. Eagle Creek needs two things in ideal employees: affinity for working with computers and business acumen.

As a software consultant, they are at the junction of where computers and business people meet. We’ve developed the programs to help them meet those needs and to hire the right people.” Ground was broken for Eagle Creek’s new facility in August 2013, and it will open as early as April 2014. Until that permanent facility is complete, the company’s Vermillion operations are happening out of the South Eastern South Dakota Incubator, located on the third floor of the Beacom School of Business, where 30 employees are housed. “By the time their building is ready to open, there may be as many

as 50 to 60 people working for Eagle Creek in our incubator space,” Keller explained. The IT Academy enrolled its first cohort of students in fall 2013, with 14 students enrolled and more set to enroll beginning with the spring 2014 semester. “When students leave high school and enter college, maybe software development isn’t in their career plan, but as they go through their education they can see the real potential for what they learn at USD ties into what we do,” Brusseau said. “We make the IT Academy available, which teaches the basic skillsets, and then we bring them into our organization to train them a little further and gain practical experience. “Looking long-term,” he continued, “we’ll be able to scale our business in South Dakota by meeting the continuing workforce needs. We have a community and state partnership as well as a USD partnership.”

Educating for Onshoring

Jeff Brusseau

About

Eagle Creek

Eagle Creek was founded in 1999 and provides consulting and technical expertise, enabling IT professionals to increase quality and efficiency while managing risk and price. The Minnesota-based company is the largest systems integration company in North America dedicated to Oracle, CRM, BI and application development. By use of their revolutionary “Dakota Model,” Eagle Creek has successfully served more than 300 Fortune 500 organizations across 15 industries.

6 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Angeline Lavin of the Beacom School of Business was one of two university faculty members honored with the 2013 Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest honor USD bestows upon its educators, at the 126th Spring Commencement ceremony in May. Honored in the tenured category, Lavin, Ph.D., C.F.A., is a professor of finance in the business school. She received her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of South Dakota (1993) and attended graduate school at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she received a Master of Business Administration (1996) and a Ph.D. in finance (1997). In addition to teaching Managerial Finance, Foundations of Finance, Investments and Security Analysis, Lavin is also director of the M.B.A. and M.P.A. programs at USD. She’s had several articles featured in publications such as the Journal of Business & Economics Research and has given presentations across the United States, including conferences in Vermillion, S.D., Phoenix, Ariz., and Ft. Myers, Fla. “Dr. Lavin is the consummate professor and extremely deserving of this most recent recognition,” said Tom Davies, LL.M., chair of accounting and Beacom School of Business associate dean. “She excels not only in teaching, but in research and service as well. Angeline is the ideal colleague, always willing to help her students or other faculty any way that she can. Professor Lavin is truly an asset to the finance department, Beacom School of Business and USD.” This isn’t Lavin’s first Belbas-Larson honor; she was given the award in the tenure-track category in 2000.

She has also received the Best of Session Award from the Academy of Business Disciplines Annual Conference in Ft. Myers in 2009, 2011 and 2012, and the Beacom School of Business Research award for the Department of Accounting and Finance in 2009. She also serves on the Sioux Falls City Employee’s Pension Board, the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation Board as chair of the Investment Management Committee, and the Wellmark, Inc. Board of Directors. Lavin has been a member of the USD faculty since 1997. “It has been a privilege serving on the faculty of my alma mater for the past 16 years, and I look forward to many future years,” said Lavin, a Vermillion native. “I enjoy the opportunity to work with excellent colleagues who are dedicated to providing a superior learning environment. I am honored to have the opportunity to impact the future, and I believe that I can accomplish the most by igniting sparks that will motivate students to want to learn and by providing tools and opportunities for each student. One student at a time, we make a big difference.” The Belbas-Larson Awards were established by a 1956 graduate of USD, Dean Belbas of Edina, Minn. and Sioux Falls, S.D., and his friends, Harold W. and Kathryn Larson of Bemidji, Minn. and Scottsdale, Ariz. Each winner of the prestigious Belbas-Larson Award receives a $5,000 tribute, a framed certificate commemorating the accomplishment and a commemorative medal.

lavin presented witH usd’s 2013

belbas-larson award

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David Moen, Ph.D., a long-time tenured professor in the Beacom School of Business at the University of South Dakota, has marked his 30th year as an educator in business administration. Moen earned his B.A. in mathematics from USD in 1970. After receiving his bachelor’s degree, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force during the final years of the Vietnam War. He was stationed for two years of his four-year enlistment at the U.S. Air Force Academy, working in mainframe computer operations. Following his honorable discharge from the Air Force, he returned to USD and earned his M.A. degree in mathematics. It was during this time that he had his first teaching experience. “I had the opportunity to teach college algebra,” said Moen. “That experience, along with the fact that my father was a long-time music professor at Northern State University in Aberdeen, led me to conclude that someday I, too, would like to be a university professor.” From 1975 to 1980, Moen worked for USD’s Business Research Bureau as a research analyst and computer programmer on a variety of different business-related research projects. Vince Montgomery and then Jerry Johnson, Ph.D., were the directors during the time he worked for the Bureau. Dale Clement, Ph.D., dean of the School of Business at the time, gave Moen the opportunity to teach some business statistics classes during the 1979–80 school year, and Clement, along with faculty members Jack Powell, D.B.A., and Gene Iverson, Ed.D., encouraged him to pursue a Ph.D. Given their encouragement and his wife Julie’s support, Moen attended Oklahoma State University and earned his Ph.D. in statistics in 1983. Afterwards, Clement invited Moen back, and he’s been a member of the business school faculty at USD ever since. “The interesting thing is I now occasionally have students come up to me and say ‘My dad or mom was a student of yours!’” joked Moen. “That makes me begin to realize that I’ve been here for a while. Observing the many successes of former students as they pursue their careers is truly one

of the most rewarding aspects of being a university professor.” Moen sincerely enjoys working with students and teaching them skills they can use in the future. One of his main teaching goals always has been to explain the importance of the material as clearly as possible. Moen also engages his students with in-class activities and demonstrations to give them a better understanding of statistical tools and techniques. “Something I tell students is that no matter what their career choice, they can find opportunities to use some type of statistical analysis in their work,” said Moen. “Or at the very least, they can use statistical results to help make more informed decisions.” In 1995, Moen received the Belbas-Larson Award for Excellence in Teaching, which is the highest honor USD bestows upon its educators.

In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Moen was given the opportunity to serve the school in a variety of administrative positions. Throughout Dean Johnson’s 11-year deanship, Moen served as either a division chair, as the director of undergraduate studies or as the assistant dean. More recently, he served for five years as the Division Chair of Economics, Decision Sciences and Management Information Systems. Moen has also been an active researcher while at USD. Most recently, he and colleagues Tom Davies, Ph.D., professor of accounting and associate dean, and Angeline Lavin, Ph.D., professor of finance and M.B.A. and M.P.A. programs director, had several refereed journal articles published on the public’s perceptions of both the federal individual income tax and the federal estate tax. Moen currently serves on the board of trustees for his church and as a member of the Vermillion Federal Credit Union Board of Directors. He and his wife have one son, Christopher, who is a credit officer for Hills Bank and Trust Company with branches located in eastern Iowa. Chris is also working on his M.B.A. at the University of Iowa.

Moen Marks 30 years in eduCation

“Observing many successes of former students as they pursue their careers is truly one of the most rewarding aspects of being a university professor.”

—David Moen

?8 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

It’s safe to say Billy Jones’ research isn’t what you’d typically expect from a business school professor. Jones, Ph.D., an assistant professor of marketing at the Beacom School of Business, performs brain scans or imaging such as electroencephalograms (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Much of his research is conducted in a Sanford School of Medicine lab with colleague Lee Baugh, Ph.D., an assistant professor in Basic Biomedical Sciences who studies neuropsychology. It’s there that Jones analyzes the “whys” of consumerism, examining how our sensory systems extract meaning and how that influences our purchasing habits. “We know things occur in non-conscious ways,” Jones explained. “My studies can help inform us about the way we make decisions.” When asked whether he believes neuroscience techniques will become mainstream marketing tools, Jones replied that they already have and points to ACNielsen’s Consumer Neuroscience division as one example. A better question may be why. “Buyers have a lot more knowledge and more demand in terms of what they want from a product,” Jones argued. “We also know that they have emotional attachment to products. Neuroscience approaches open up new avenues to more fully understand why.”

As an undergraduate student, Jones’ independent study exposed him to neuroscience and an influential professor. “I’ve always had an interest in neuroscience,” said Jones. “That professor always had a big impact on my thinking, and that stayed with me. I initially thought I’d be a psychologist but sort of fell into an M.B.A. program, and I did an assistantship that got me into research and back to those neurosciences roots.” Jones gained additional experience while pursuing his doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky, staying in that program longer than his Ph.D. required, to study in the brain cognition lab at the university’s College of Medicine. It was there he learned how to do brain scans. “The area of analytical behavioral sciences is a broad, eclectic, borrowing discipline that doesn’t neatly segment itself like other areas do,” Jones said. “It’s an emerging area that can help in our studies of marketing. I see this area as one more technique that can offer answers.” In addition to his own research, Jones is heavily involved in and committed to student research and outreach, helping many students find outlets to pursue areas that interest them. At USD, Jones regularly teaches Consumer Behavior, Sales Management, Marketing Research and other courses. Professionally, Jones is active in Sales and Marketing Executives of Sioux Falls, the Society for Consumer Psychology and the American Marketing Association. Jones earned his Ph.D. from the University of Kentucky’s Gatton College of Business and Economics, an M.B.A. from Georgia Southern University and a B.S. in psychology from the University of Scranton. Prior to joining USD in 2012, Jones was a visiting assistant professor and senior lecturer at Wayne State University in Detroit, Mich.

Jones AnAlyzes

Consumerism‘Whys’of

“We know things occur in non-conscious ways. My studies can help inform us about the way we make decisions.” —Billy Jones

? “It’s the time of the year when the accounting firms start to plan for the next six months to a year of their staffing needs,” explained Sara Hansman, manager of the Business School’s Employment Services Office. The accounting firms primarily need new employees and interns to fill positions during their busy seasons, and it’s the Business School that supplies these firms with new talent. “We invite them here and offer them interview rooms,” explained Hansman. “The students are already here, so the firms get a lot more interest and interaction.”

Every year, Beacom designates at least three rooms for interviews. Many firms interview from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m., as the students tend to fill their schedules. This year brought 23 accounting firms, including three of the Big Four—KPMG, Deloitte and PwC—as well as The Black Hills Corporation, Tyson, Ness Tax, Ketel Thorstenson, Casey Peterson, Eide Bailly, McGladrey and the Department of Revenue. Accounting season provides a relationship that is mutually beneficial. Normally a student would spend time and money traveling to interviews themselves. With accounting season, these same students can have potentially up to 23 interviews in a three-week period, all right on campus.

The placement rate for accounting students is approximately 94 percent. “Our goal is to get our students jobs and internships,” said Hansman. “This gives them experience with a variety of different companies.” Former accounting student Evan Hegge ’13 agreed. “During the beginning of the season I tried to be open to all firms,” he said. “As time passed I learned more about the firms and the type of environment I wanted to work in and was able to narrow down my list of potential employers.”

According to Hansman, a majority of the students interviewed will land a job or internship. In addition, more than 95 percent of interns hired by the Big Four accounting firms will get full-time job offers from them. Beacom’s accounting season also prepares students with a foundation to build upon as their careers begin after college. “We were taught what was necessary to land an internship or job with the accounting firms,” said Brett Kruiter ’13. “We also learned how to be prepared for interviews, stay connected with professionals you meet and show a level of professionalism outside the work environment.”

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Beacom Hosts Accounting Season

From late September to mid-October, accounting firms from all over the country sent representatives to the University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business to interview prospective B.B.A. and M.P.A. students. It’s a special time of year for the B School; it’s accounting season.

“Our goal is to get our students jobs and internships. This gives them experience with a variety of different companies.” —Sara Hansman

Jones AnAlyzes

10 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Every five years, Beacom goes through a rigorous, comprehensive reaccreditation process. The initial information gathering took place throughout most of 2013, followed by Beacom’s self-study report, to be completed by the end of 2013. The reaccreditation process culminates with a site visit by an accreditation team from AACSB in the spring of 2014. Preparation for reaccreditation is certainly an involved undertaking. In its initial report to the AACSB, Beacom provided documentation regarding how the school is managed, a well thought-out strategic plan and explanations of how it has strategically hired faculty who are academically and professionally qualified. “The accrediting body stipulates that our faculty must fall into one of those two categories,” explained Dan Tracy, Ph.D., professor of decision sciences in the Beacom School of Business, who is spearheading Beacom’s reaccreditation preparations. Tracy has led efforts, such as the documentation of faculty development and research, to show the AACSB that Beacom is continually improving business programs

and conducting research that keep it current with the market and theoretical developments. Time is also committed to the three legs of Beacom’s academic mission: teaching, service and research. “The new standards focus on the impact of what we do,” Tracy explained. “We need to answer questions like ‘Do we perform research that impacts the practice of teaching and on business? Do we do things that help our students interact and gain meaning?’” A great portion of the process is collection of data, such as course measures and self-assessment. One way Beacom measures this is through its graduating seniors’ exit exam—half of which is the nationally-normed ETS Major Field Test in business; the other half covers terminology, concepts and skills, using questions designed by Beacom faculty. “The exit exam is a way for us to assess how well our students know what we want them to know,” explained Tracy. As the only AACSB-accredited business school in South Dakota, Beacom is inherently at an advantage when it comes to competing for students. But accreditation

Beacom Goes Through Reaccreditation Process

FALL 2013 11

also ensures a level of quality and continuing improvement, something more and more students recognize. In the fall of 2013, 261 freshmen declared a major in business—the largest number Beacom has ever seen in a freshman class at USD. “People feel better about a school when it’s accredited,” Tracy said. “We compete on national and international levels because of it. It’s a guarantee that we will prepare students well for the workplace.”

Since 1949, Beacom has held continuous accreditation with the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB), the most prestigious accreditation a business school can obtain, as only eight percent of business schools worldwide have earned this designation.

Dan Tracy, Ph.D., earned his B.S. in health services administration and M.B.A. from the University of South Dakota and a Ph.D. in decision sciences from Washington State University. He teaches

undergraduate and graduate courses in production/operations management, lean management and quantitative analysis. His research interests are data envelopment analysis, applied optimization, lean management and pedagogical design/development. Tracy spent seven years teaching at the University of Tennessee at Martin before coming to USD in 2007. He was promoted from associate professor to full professor in May 2013.

Accounting graduate Kayla Giesey accomplished in 2013 what no student before her at Beacom ever has—a perfect score of 200/200 on the ETS test, given to graduating business students. Dan Tracy, Ph.D., said, “Our students keep getting better with those scores. This is a

nationally-normed test, so she is comparing herself to students all across the globe.” Tracy said achieving a perfect score on this test is akin to achieving a perfect SAT or ACT score.

12 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS12 BUSINESS CONNECTIONS

Students at the University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business are receiving an educational experience that prepares them for the highly competitive world of business through USD’s Honors Program. According to Scott Breuninger, Ph.D., director of the Honors Program, there is an average of 350 students (or around 5 percent of the undergraduate population) enrolled in the program at any one time. This year there are 37 business students, including 15 members of the incoming class who are pre-business, enrolled in honors courses. Students are either recruited into the Honors Program before they start their college career or can join as a thesis scholar after enrolling at USD. “Our goal when communicating with prospective students is to emphasize how the skills that are emphasized in the honors curriculum are of value no matter what the student plans on majoring in at USD,” said Breuninger. Though there are many facets unique to the honors program, three main tenets are most prevalent. The honors program encourages effective communication, an expansion of critical thinking skills and a development of research skills at a high level. “The rigor [of the classes] stems from pushing the students to articulate their understanding of the issues and challenging them to explain their positions clearly,” noted Breuninger. Honors students take a series of honors courses that satisfy general education requirements as well as upper-level, interdisciplinary seminars. These classes are smaller and offer students a more challenging atmosphere with greater student-faculty interaction. “They have an opportunity to interact with a totally different group of students,” said David Carr, Ph.D., an economics professor who teaches UHON 111. “In effect, the Honors Program is like another student group.” Former student Sara Boyum ’12 can personally attest to the advantages the Honors Program offers. “My involvement helped prepare me for law school and my future career by teaching me to expand my thought process, analyze problems with a different mindset, communicate more effectively and understand the greater relationships which form business practice and theory,” said Boyum. Boyum graduated summa cum laude with a B.B.A. in accounting as a university thesis scholar with high distinction. She is currently pursuing a joint juris doctor and Master of Professional Accountancy degree at USD. “The aspect of the Honors Program I enjoyed the most was the attentiveness of the professors and Honors staff who continually encouraged and pushed students academically and personally to achieve their goals and ambitions,” said Boyum. “They had a personal interest in the success and well-being of the students.”

USD’s Honors Program Prepares Business Students for Future

FALL/WINTER 2013 13

Sara Boyum of West Point, Neb. was the recipient of the Outstanding Senior Award. Boyum graduated summa cum laude from USD in May 2012 with a B.B.A. in accounting. A highly accomplished student in the Honors Program, she was selected in 2011 to present her honors thesis in Pierre on the effects of the Robinson-Patman Act on small business in the Midwest. Currently, Boyum is pursuing USD’s School of Law joint J.D./M.P.A program and anticipates graduating in 2015.

The Outstanding Graduate Student Award was presented to Corey Backer of Sioux Falls, S.D., who received a joint B.B.A./M.P.A. from USD in May of 2012. Backer was on the dean’s list every semester and graduated with a cumulative GPA of 4.0. He is currently a full-time audit associate with KPMG in Omaha, Neb., after serving as an assurance intern there for a few months.

Doyle Knudson was presented the honor of Distinguished Service Award: Alumnus–Service to USD. A member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Knudson graduated from USD in 1974 with a B.B.A. Afterwards, he began a 27-year career with C.H. Robinson Co., from which he retired in 2002. Knudson resides in Paradise Valley, Ariz., with wife, Rachel, and son, Tony. His eldest son Jace attends the University

of Texas at Austin. Currently, Knudson is a board member of Woven Digital Media and is also chairman of the board for the University of South Dakota Foundation.

The Distinguished Service Award: Alumnus–Service to South Dakota Business was presented to Lt. Gov. Matt Michels, a Vermillion native who attended USD and earned a nursing degree in 1980, his B.S. in Health Services Administration in 1982 and a law degree in 1985. He worked his way through school as an orderly, EMT and a nurse. Michels represented District 18 as a member of the House of Representatives from 1999-2006 before becoming South Dakota’s 38th lieutenant governor on Jan. 8, 2011.

Scott O. Jones of Pierre, S.D. was honored with the Distinguished Service Award: Alumnus – South Dakota Business Person of the Year. He is the president and CEO of Delta Dental of South Dakota and is a member of the Bank West board. Jones attended USD and paid for his education through scholarships, a residential assistant job in Julian Hall and by selling books door-to-door. He graduated from the business school in 1975. Jones has been described as humble and a self-made financial success.

students and alumni Honored at business sCHool’s 65tH annual awards lunCHeon

The University of South Dakota’s Beacom School of Business recognized students and distinguished alumni for their outstanding service and support at the

65th annual Beacom School of Business Award Luncheon held in September 2012.

USD’s Honors Program Prepares Business Students for Future

L–R: Knudson, Backer, Boyum, Michels and Jones

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In April, the Beacom School of Business’s Arthur A. Volk Symposium collaborated with IdeaFest, USD’s signature student research and engagement program, to bring Cpt. Mark Kelly to campus for a presentation entitled “Endeavour to Succeed.” Kelly, an American astronaut, is a retired U.S. Navy Captain and best-selling author who became the center of international attention after the January 2011 assassination attempt on his wife, former U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In their best-selling memoir, Gabby, the couple shares their story of hope and resilience with the world. Kelly was selected as an astronaut in 1996 and flew his first of four missions in 2001 aboard Space Shuttle Endeavour. He has also commanded Space Shuttle Discovery and is one of only two individuals who have visited the International Space Station on four different occasions. Kelly has won many awards, including the Legion of Merit, two Defense Superior Service Medals and two Distinguished Flying Crosses.

VOLk SyMPOSIUM, IDEAFEST FEATURES

astronaut Mark kelly