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WITHOUT ADVANCES IN BUSI
NESS, society as we know it cannot sur
vive. A free market system demands prog
ress, and the College of Business Adminis
tration wants to step into the forefront in
helping achieve that progress.
The week of April 11-18 has been desig
nated as BUSINESS WEEK at Texas A&M
University and a number of events have
been scheduled to emphasize the College
of Business Administration and the role of
business in society. A schedule of all the
events is located on the back page of this
publication.
One of the objectives of BUSINESS
WEEK is to further the relationship be
tween the College of Business Administra
tion and the business community. Many of
the week's events provide opportunities
for our students and faculty to interact with
business executives who will be on campus
as speakers or participants in conferences
or other activities.
Why is an interaction with the business
community important for the College of
Business Administration? The answer is
simple. The reputation or stature of a Col
lege is a critical factor in its ability to attract
capable students and to provide job oppor
tunities for its graduates. This interaction is
also highly influencial in the consulting
opportunities available to faculty and in the
financial support that the business com
munity is willing to contribute to the
school.
How then is a reputation established?
One of the most significant ways is by the
performance of a school's graduates in the
business community. As graduates of the
school do well in their jobs and advance in
their organizations, the reputation of the
school is enhanced. But potential em
ployers must be aware of the school and
have a positive impression of its programs
in order to recruit its graduates and to give
them the opportunity to perform.
The College of Business Administration,
therefore, conducts a number of events
and engages in numerous activities and
programs to increase the business com
munity's level of awareness of the College.
We feel that Texas A&M has an outstand
ing student body and an excellent faculty
and that interaction between A&M and
business executives will raise our visibility
and enhance our reputation.
Business executives are invited to the
campus to speak to classes and student
organizations as visiting executives. About
600 managers come to the campus each
year to participate in the Executive De
velopment Programs. Nearly 5,000 execu
tives receive The Texas Business Executive, a
quarterly magazine published by the Col
lege. And faculty members interact with
recruiters of various firms when they visit
the campus.
Futhermore, students are placed with
firms through the cooperative education
program for work experience. Other stu
dents also serve as consultants to small
businesses through the Small Business
Assistance Program.
In short, BUSINESS WEEK is only one of
the many activities we've established to
increase the interaction with the business
community and thereby increase the visa-
bility and enhance the reputation of the
College of Business Administration.
Your participation in the events of BUSI
NESS WEEK is encouraged. You'll be help
ing both the College and yourself.
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The Business Page 2
The Editor's
Note
Welcome to this special edition of The
Business]
Our intent with this special issue is two
fold: To help bring into focus the events
that will shape the first BUSINESS WEEK
observance at Texas A&M University.
And, to show the efforts of the College of
Business Administration to deal with ma
jor issues concerning business and indus
try today.
A tabloid of this scope requires the
efforts of many people behind the scenes.
While appropriate credit is given to those
students who have written articles or
helped out editorially, there are still others
whose efforts have made this special issue
of The Business possible.
Consulting Editor Lynn Zimmermann
deserves a special note of thanks for his
advice and help in all stages of the publica
tion from concept to completion.
The Department of Communications has
been a valuable resource in getting this pro
ject off the ground, too. Bonny Wolf, Don
Johnson and Bob Rogers deserve special
mention for their guidance and assistance
in numerous details.
Many students have also contributed
their thoughts and impressions to the be
nefit of this issue. While there are far too
many to mention all by name, there are
several who do deserve thanks: Rhonda
Watters, editor of Focus, for her much
needed help in design and layout; Scott
Sherman for his help in typesetting, and
D.J. Mulholland, Virginia Poznecki, Bland
Crowder, Phyllis Washburn and Glenda
Johnson for their willingness to listen to the
rantings of an often frustrated managing
editor.
To all those who have helped make this
project possible — thanks!
— KDH
The Business Vol. 2, No. 3
Published by the undergraduate Student Council in the
College of Business Administration, Texas A&M Univer
sity, College Station, Texas, 77843, (713) 845-4711
Willie Langston II, 1979-80 Council President.
Executive Publisher:
Consulting Editor:
Managing Editor:
Editor:
Assistant Editor:
Advertising:
William V. Muse, Dean
Lynn Zimmermann
Kevin D. Higginbotham
Denise Johnson
Phillip DuPree
Anne Sherbert
Many of the articles appearing in The Business were writ
ten by undergraduate students from the College of Busi
ness Administration and the Department of Communica
tions at Texas A&M University.
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J
Business
in
Brief
Officially designated a College in September 1968,
the College of Business Administration still had fewer
than 2,000 students in 1974 — now there are over 4,500
students majoring in business at Texas A&M and the
College's Spring 1980 undergraduate enrollment sur
passed that of the College of Agriculture.
The following is a brief description of the various
operating units of the College.
Academic
Departments
The Department of Accounting,
with 1,440 students, is presently the
largest undergraduate academic de
partment at Texas A&M.
The thrust of the accounting prog
ram is toward fulfilling the ever-
increasing requirements for taking the
Certified Public Accountant's exam.
Although not all accounting graduates
enter public accounting, the depart
ment' s aim is to provide the necessary
training so that students can make
their own decisions on the future direc
tion of their careers.
In the department's graduate prog
ram, a student can specialize in areas
such as taxation, managerial account
ing, and financial reporting.
The Department of Business Analy
sis and Research has no undergradu
ate degree program but serves a valu
able support function to other depart
ments of the College and University.
The thrust of the department's
coursework is to provide instruction in
using the computer and business sta
tistical methods as decisionmaking
tools.
At the graduate level, the depart
ment offers specialization in business
computing science, physical distribu
tion management, and management
decision science.
The Department of Finance has a
current enrollment of 724 students.
The thrust of the department's prog
ram is in the areas of real estate finance,
banking, financial management, in
vestment analysis, and corporate fi
nance. The department maintains a
strong emphasis in accounting at both
the graduate and undergraduate
levels.
Major recruiters of finance graduates
include financial institutions and a
variety of public and private organiza
tions.
The Department of Management
has over 1,200 students currently en
rolled.
The department divides its thrust
into three major areas: organization be
havior and personnel; policy and
strategy; and business, public policy
and the law.
At the graduate level, a student can
concentrate in general management,
personnel and labor relations, organi
zational behavior and theory, and
marine resources management.
The Department of Marketing has
an enrollment of 1,050.
The department relies heavily on
economics, finance, management, and
other disciplines in order to provide
students with a broad-based under
standing of business.
Students can specialize in areas such
as industrial sales, retailing, interna
tional marketing, and small business
marketing.
Continuing
Education
Education doesn't end when a per
son receives a college degree. Many
corporations are realizing the import
ance of management development and
have established programs specifically
designed for this training, other com
panies rely on programs offered by
business schools and private consult
ing firms.
The Executive Development Prog
rams were established in 1953 in the
College of Business Administration to
meet the development needs of indus
try in the state.
"We do not receive any state funding
so we have to respond effectively to
genuine business and industry needs
or we don't stay in business," said Dr.
B. J. Adams, director of the programs.
"We continually review and update
our programs in order to stay abreast of
developments in business.
"In a sense, our success has been a
reflection of the American free enter
prise system — we've grown because
we do meet a need."
The Executive Development Prog
rams office currently offers eight diffe
rent types of seminar courses each year
ranging from the three-week Executive
Development Course to the two-day
Labor Relations in Non-Union Com
panies seminar. Fees paid by partici
pants range from $1,000 to $225 per
person.
The most popular courses offered
are the Management Seminars begun
in 1964, the Financial Analysis for De
cisionmaking Seminars begun in 1972,
and the Executive Development
Course established in 1953. A variety of
other courses and conferences are held
each year to meet the diverse needs of
the business community, Adams said.
Participants generally liold positions in
middle levels of management and rep
resent a variety of businesses, includ
ing manufacturing companies, utility
companies, oil companies, and finan
cial institutions.
In addition to seminars, the Execu
tive Development Programs office
publishes The Texas Business Executive,
a quarterly magazine now in its sixth
year. The magazine reaches about
4,500 mid-to-upper level executives
and is supported solely from seminar
revenues.
"Through the magazine, we invite
executives to address the important
concerns facing their businesses and
industry as a whole," said Adams
stressing that the magazine is not an
academic journal.
"Most of the articles that appear in
the publication are written by top ex
ecutives — so the thinking behind
them reflects how today's executives
view the important business concerns
we all face," he said.
Student
Organizations
The MBA Association is a student
organization for MBA, MS and PhD
candidates in the College of Business
Administration. The objectives of the
MBA Association include aiding gra
duate students in job placement; im
proving communications within the
College between students, faculty and
administration; improving the image
of the College and providing students
contact with industry.
These objectives are met through a
resume book sent to large firms in the
Southwest once a year, field trips,
guest speakers from industry and the
TAMU Invitational Case Competition.
Guest speakers this year have in
cluded business representatives from
IBM, Conoco, Arthur Andersen, City
National Bank and a successful entrep
reneur who recently formed his own
company.
Last fall, the MBA Association spon
sored a field trip to Dallas' World Trade
Center and Playboy Club. More recent
ly, Anderson Clayton and the Galleria
were visited in Houston.
The agenda for the remainder of this
school year includes the Case Competi
tion on April 11 - 12, election of new
officers in April, a picnic at Lake Som-
merville on April 26 for graduate stu
dents and graduate faculty and
another picnic to get summer school off
to a good start.
All graduate business students are
welcome to join the Association. Dues
are $4 a semester and can be paid to any
of the officers or to Diana Cargill in the
Dean's Office.
The MBA Association office is lo
cated on the second floor of the Old
Engineering Building in the Dean's
Office complex (Rm. 214DA). In
terested students are invited to stop in
to learn more about the Association or
about the MBA program in general.
Cindi Weaver
1979-80 Vice President
The College of Business Adminis
tration Undergraduate Student Coun
cil is an organization that acts as a
liason between business students and
the Dean's office, and as a unifying
body of the College's four undergradu
ate departments.
The Council is made up of at least
four representatives from each depart
ment and one representative from the
Data Processing Management Associa
tion (Representing the Department of
Business Analysis and Research). Each
along 'witlx tlxe society president to
council meetings.
The Accounting Society currently
has two freshmen representatives and
next year every society will have fresh
men representatives.
During the past year, the Council
has nominated College of Business
Administrarion faculty members for
awards given by the University each
Spring; it has appointed a committee
that studied the feasibility of bringing
Delta Sigma Pi, a business honor socie
ty, to Texas A&M; and it has nomin
ated students to represent the College
in various events such as SCONA.
Additionally, the Council created
the first College-wide newsletter. The
Business, and developed a T-shirt with
the caption, "Texas A&M Means Busi
ness." And recently the Council set-up
and funded a scholarship for incoming
freshmen business students.
Currently, the Council has been
planning and organizing the upcoming
"Career Fair." To date, this has been
the most demanding project under
taken by the Council, and it also stands
to be the most rewarding in terms of
benefit to the overall student body of
the College of Business Administra
tion.
The Council eagerly solicits com
ments and suggestions from the stu
dent body. To be effective, the Council
must reflect the feelings of business
students and this requires open com
munication between students and the
Council. Ideas for future projects and
activities can be directed to Mr. Zim
mermann, Room 209 Old Engineering
Bldg., 845-4711, or any council
member.
Willie Langston II
Council President
The Accounting Society is a profes
sional society specifically directed to
ward students with an interest in
accounting. However, you don't have
to be an accounting major to join —
interest and desire are all that's re
quired.
Traditionally, the Accounting Socie
ty has sponsored monthly meetings to
discuss current topics of interest to its
members. This past year's agenda in
cluded meetings on interviewing and
recruiting, internships, dressing for
success, and a seminar on choosing an
accounting career. Social activities
rounded out a hectic year.
Among the monthly events were
dances, cookouts, a wine and cheese
tasting party, and a luau. The culmina
tion of the two semesters comes in
April when everyone gets out their golf
clubs, tennis rackets, and shorts in
anticipation of the Greater Annual
Accountant's Playday (GAAP). The day
is filled with athletic competition and
comes to a close with a banquet and
dance.
All in all, the Accounting Society is
filled with students who are serious
about accounting and in having a good
time. We believe that the two are not
mutually exclusive.
The next year holds much in store for
interested individuals. New officers
have been elected and will be looking
ahead to plan the Society's future.
Ursula Schom
1979-80 President
The Finance Association is a student
organization that provides an oppor
tunity for finance majors to meet each
other and Finance Department faculty
members.
Membership in the club is open to all
classes. Students wishing to join may
sign up at the Finance Department
office on the second floor of Francis
Hall.
clxance to leam ak»o«t jot> opportunities
in the field of finance.
Each year several companies host
meetings in an effort to meet students
in the finance department and to de
scribe the job opportunities available in
their companies.
Each semester the club plans a field
trip to either Houston or Dallas where
the club usually visits one company in
the morning and another in the after
noon. The trips are an excellent oppor-
tunity for students to see what finance
graduates are doing one to five years
out of school.
Elections for officers are held each
Spring around the first or second week
of April. Officers may come from any
class and their terms are for one year.
The end of each semester is wrapped
up with a barbeque for Association
members and faculty.
Howard Akin
1979-80 President
The Management Society is a pro
fessional association that is open to any
student who is interested in learning
more about business from the mana
ger's point of view.
During the year, we bring numerous
businessmen from various organiza
tions to speak to the group on campus.
We also have a field trip, a banquet and
several parties each semester.
Through the Society, students can
become affiliated with The American
Society for Personnel Administration,
a national organization for personnel
managers.
There are six officers elected each
year to lead the Society. Anyone who is
a management major and will be at
A&M the Fall of 1980 and the Spring of
1981 can run for office. Elections are
usually held at the beginning of April
each year.
Dues to join the Society are $15 a year
or $8 a semester. ASPA membership
dues are $10 a year.
The following activities are planned
for the remainder of the semester:
— April 10 — Management Society
Banquet.
— April 24 — Last party of the
semester.
Ruth Lundquist,
1979-80 President
The Marketing Society is a profession
al organization devoted to helping its
members learn about their field
through interaction with various
businesses and industries.
The Society's goals are met through a
blending of social and professional
activities. Therefore, many of the Soci
ety's functions are linked with barbe-
ques, banquets, potluck dinners and
other parties.
The Texas A&M Marketing Society,
with over 350 members, is one of the
largest collegiate chapters of the Amer
ican Marketing Association, a national
organization of marketers.
Our size gives us added working
capital through yearly dues which
allows us to take overnight field trips,
have catered barbeques and bring va
rious speakers to campus.
Upcoming events include new offic
er elections, a field trip to Houston and
a Spring Barbeque and Awards Presen
tation.
Joining the Marketing Society is
more than attending our various func
tions, however. It gives students a
chance to meet professors outside the
classroom, an opportunity to make
contacts in the job market and a chance
to learn about all aspects of marketing
and make new friends.
Steve Hensel
1979-80 President
The Business Page 7