Posts Tagged ‘Principled Leadership’
Pride & Stress
Tuesday, September 25th, 2012
There is a general feeling of stress amongst our students at the moment. Career fairs have started. Recruiters are in the building. Midterms just finished for Mod 1, and the end of the Mod is creeping closer. Projects, presentation, papers and quizzes are occurring each day. As one 2nd year told me this morning, “ I have 4 classes, 4 teams, 2 first-year teams to facilitate, a job search, a GA, a wife and 2 kids. There just isn’t enough time in the day right now.” I think everyone can relate to the “not enough time” problem, but until you are in an MBA program you can’t really understand.
The good news is that our students will get through it all, and do it well. How do I know? Well, I’m sure because it has all been done before. All of the hard work pays off and at the end of the day our students can be proud of all they have accomplished. As the Penn State Smeal MBA Program and the Smeal College of Business, we have lots to be proud of as well. Just a few of these things are mentioned on signs hanging in the Atrium. The #1 ranking by corporate recruiters, top 10 in public business schools (undergraduate and MBA), and our loyalty to our honor code are all indicators of how hard our students work, and the success that brings to them.
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, business school, Community, job search, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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Service Immersion
Thursday, March 22nd, 2012
Often when we speak about our Penn State Smeal MBA Program we include the word community. A few weeks ago, the 2nd year MBA students took that sense of community beyond campus and engaged in a week of Service Immersion. The concept is simple. The week before Spring Break each year, our 2nd year students are asked to find a service project and dedicate some time to helping others. Each year it amazes me how passionate our students are to reach out around the world, and lend a hand to those in need. From State College, PA to New Orleans, LA to Guatemala, this year was no exception. I am honored to be a part of this program, where we practice values of not only leadership, but Principled Leadership.
More about the various Service Immersion projects can be found here: http://blogs.smeal.psu.edu/mba/
-Ann Mallison
Tags: admissions, business school, Community, leadership, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Principled Leadership, Service, service immersion, Smeal, Smeal MBA
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Our Community – THON
Thursday, January 19th, 2012
Today at the Smeal MBA coffee BUZZ, the philanthropy committee kicked off another THON fundraiser. Once again this year, students, faculty and staff will be participating in JAR WARS. The rules are easy. Drop your spare change into your jar (there is one for 1st years, one for 2nd years and a third for faculty & staff). Each cent is worth a point. The jar with the most points at the end wins. However, the catch is that paper money is worth negative points. Thus if you have a dollar, you put it in someone else’s jar and it deducts 100 points from their total. JAR WARS have been a traditional fundraiser in the SMEAL MBA program, and is always lots of fun! Winning gives one of the groups bragging rights for the year, but of course the real winners are the kids.
THON began in 1973 and raised $2,000 that year. Last year THON raised over $9 million to aid in the fight against pediatric cancer. This year, the two day dance marathon will be held February 17th-19th at the Bryce Jordan Center on campus. For more information click here: http://www.thon.org/home. We wish our dancers and the philanthropy committee the best of luck with their fundraising efforts; and we are thankful for the opportunity to participate in such an incredible, community event! – Ann Mallison
Tags: business school, Community, experience, faculty, MBA, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal, Smeal MBA, THON
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Smeal MBA & Penn State Buzz Words
Wednesday, October 5th, 2011
An Explanation of Smeal MBA & Penn State Buzz Words
Occasionally we use terminology that is specific to the Penn State &/or MBA community. Thus, I thought it might be helpful to share some of our buzz words, and explain a little about them.
“Sssssmmmmmeal” not “Sccchhhhhmeal” –This is how we pronounce Smeal in the Smeal College of Business.
“We are!” – The proper response anytime you hear this is “Penn State!” This cheer is heard during football games and other sporting events, as well as in greeting to any fellow Penn Stater. (i.e. – You are walking in the streets of Paris and see someone in a Penn State t-shirt. You yell, “We are.” They respond “Penn State.” Try it)
“Mod” – Our academic semesters are broken into seven week mods with a one week immersion in between. Most classes run for one mod.
“For the Kids” – This is the motto for THON. The Penn State Dance Marathon is the largest student-run philanthropy in the world, and raises money for children fighting pediatric cancer.
“For the Glory” – The Penn State Alma Mater was written by Fred Lewis Pattee, a Professor of American Literature in 1901. The first line begins, “For the glory of old State.” Around here we do things, “For the Glory.”
“Buzz” – Two or three days a week, the MBAA, other associations and sometimes corporate recruiters sponsor our “Buzz.” It is a coffee break between classes that allows for some great networking.
“JoePa” – Joe Paterno has been the head coach of the Penn State Football team since 1966. He is a living legend around here, and is known with affection as JoePa.
“Honor (Code)” – Smeal’s Honor Code was established a few years ago by MBA students who wanted to hold each other accountable for the pride, honor and integrity of the Smeal College of Business. Since then it has grown into a College-wide movement and something that our community truly values.
“Smeal Pro” – is a group of students who work to promote professionalism in the Smeal MBA program.
“220” – The office suite where the MBA Program offices reside. Admissions, Career & Corporate Relations, Student Services, EMBA and the Managing Director all have offices in 220.
-Ann Mallison, Sr. Admissions & Career Services Adviser
Tags: admissions, alumni, business school, Buzz, buzz words, Community, Ethics, For the Glory, For the Kids, JoePa, MBA, network, Penn State, Penn State MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal, Smeal MBA, SmealPro
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Recipe for an MBA
Monday, May 9th, 2011
Recipe for an MBA:
1 cup of Academic Integrity
2 cups of Principled Leadership (no substitutions)
3-4 cups of Communication Skills (evenly divide into written and oral)
Mix thoroughly and sprinkle in patience, understanding, management skills, and teamwork as needed to taste. Bake for 21 months and check in the middle to see if internship is done.
If only it were that simple! As admissions officers, we know that people can take the same recipe and mix it many different ways and still have a great end product. We know our MBAs are driven, work hard, hold themselves and others to the highest standards and rabidly pursue their future with honor and integrity. This serves them quite well throughout their time in the program—and well beyond. And all find their own path to success by mixing these basic ingredients and tailoring their skill set to the goals they wish to reach. The “ingredients” that make a successful MBA also serve students well in “real life”. Beyond graduation, and beyond the culmination of 2 years of hard work that result in a full-time job, the skills Smeal MBAs acquire during their time at Penn State serve them in all aspects of their lives both professionally AND personally.
Courses such as Managing People, Team Processes and Performance, Leadership Communications and Risk and Decisions teach fundamentals of not only being a successful business professional—but also lay the fundamental groundwork for being a good global citizen, an upstanding family member, a reliable teammate, and a friend and mentor.
If you have ever had even one family member, one co-worker, or one friend, you know that negotiation and being able to navigate tricky situations to gain a desired outcome is a fundamental skill. What are the benefits of your actions and decisions? What are the risks? Who wins? Will it be worth it? How do families navigate events like weddings, birthdays, and major holidays? How is it possible that more marriages don’t end in divorce over which set of parents see them for Christmas or Thanksgiving? How is it possible that more children don’t wind up duct taped to their chairs by frustrated elementary (or high school!) teachers? Why is it people still adopt a 2nd puppy (or kitten) after the first one has eaten or clawed the entire living room set? A useful and wise application of the skills above is at play—and serving the bearer of these skills well outside of the boardroom as well as inside of it!
So, when you begin looking at how a Smeal MBA can serve you, think beyond learning corporate finance and B2B marketing (those are a given). Think beyond having a Fortune 500 company on your resume, and remember Smeal for Life—and know that we really mean it!
–Stacey Dorang
Tags: Integrity, MBA, Principled Leadership, Smeal
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