Spring 2013
Volume 4, Issue 1
DoB Newsletter
Division of Business
Xavier University of Louisiana
The Division of Business Receives Accreditation Reaffirmation
Inside this issue:
Awards Banquet
2
Teen Academy
2
Volleyball
3
Google
3
Business Week
3
Highlights
4
Dr. Joe Ricks, Dr. Annette Craven, Dr. Norman C. Francis, Dr. Ronald Pressley, and Mr. William Venable pose
for a picture during the Division’s reaffirmation site visit reception.
The Division of Business has received reaffirmation of its accreditation from the Accreditation Council of Business
Schools and Programs (ACBSP). The accreditation reaffirmation confirms the division met or exceeds ACBSP’s standards in six
critical areas: leadership, strategic planning, student and stakeholder focus, measurement and analysis of student learning and
performance, faculty and staff focus, and educational and business process management. The Division of Business was initially
accredited in 2003; this reaffirmation is effective till 2023. During the ten year cycle the division has to submit a Quality Assurance (QA) report every two years to show it is executing it plans and assessments outlined in the self-study document. The QA
reports are made available on the homepage of the division’s website.
According to Dr. Joe Ricks, Chair of the Division of Business “Going through the entire process from self-study to site
visit was really a great experience; we learned a great deal about ourselves as a division.” The division gathered all the data for
the reaffirmation self-study during the 2011/2012 academic year, wrote the self-study over the summer and fall of 2012, and
had a site visit during the spring of 2013. The site visit team consisted of Dr. Annette Craven of the University of the Incarnate
Word, Dr. Ronald D. Pressley of Mount Olive College, and Mr. William R. Venable Park University. The team was led by Dr. Craven who is the immediate past president of ACBSP. The site visit team spent two full days combing through documents and
interviewing university faculty, staff, students, and administrators to complete their evaluation of division operations and provide valuable feedback.
Dr. Norman C. Francis and Dr. Annette Craven
share insight into the Division Accreditation.
Business students interact with Dr. Pressley,
one of the site visit team members.
http://www.xula.edu/business
Mr. Venable of the site visit team talks to
division faculty members.
Page 2
DoB Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 1
Awards Banquet
The Division honored its graduates and awarded its top-performing students
during the annual awards banquet. Guest speaker Rita Reed, ’02, delivered a motivating message to the Division’s faculty, staff, students and guests.
The Division’s top graduating seniors receive
highest GPA certificates during this years’
annual awards Banquet, (l) Dr. Joe Ricks,
Nnenia Clark, Whitney White, and Peter Baham.
The other honorees of the evening were winners of the Teen Academy Business Plan Competition and student awards. Student awards included the Division’s top
award the ACBSP Student Leadership. The recipient is a graduating senior who is either
self, peer, or faculty-nominated and selected by the Division Faculty Selection Committee. This year’s winner was Business Management and Finance major, Nnenia Clark,
who exhibited all the qualities for outstanding leadership, both academically and outside the class room. Other student awards included: Who’s Who Among Students in
American Universities and Colleges, Dean’s Honor Roll, Highest GPA, Delta Mu Delta
Honor Society, Outstanding Student Athlete, and Outstanding Division Service Award.
Additionally, the Division’s students organizations recognized their 2012-2013 officers.
This year’s outstanding research award for the faculty member with the most
impactful journal publication as voted by the division faculty and Senior Administrators
was awarded to Dr. Cary Caro.
Rita M. Reed a 2002 business graduate delivered the keynote address to students at the
award Banquet. Rita is currently President of
FFC Capital Management, a New Orleans
based investment bank.
Local High School Students Win XU
Business Idea Competition
Three area students took home top honors in The Entrepreneurship Institute of Xavier University of Louisiana’s 2nd Annual Business Idea Competition.
Lusher Charter School student, Andreanna
Atkins, (c) poses with member of the
Entrepreneurship Institute as she receives her
award. (l) Mr. Mark Quinn, Dr. Joe Ricks,
and junior Sales & Marketing major, William
Haana.
Winning participants poses for a group photo. (l) Andreanna Atkins, Jordan Harris,
Daren Scioneaux, and Brandon LeBlanc.
Andreanna Atkins, a junior at Lusher Charter School, was declared the winner
for her business concept entitled “Educate the World”. Runners-up were Jordan Harris
and Daren Scioneaux of St. Augustine High School with their idea of “UNICO/UTV”, and
Brandon LeBlanc of St. Augustine High School for “Ultimate Cuts”. The winner received
$400 and the runners-up each received $150.
“We’ve seen a 70 percent increase in applications, and students from more high
schools participated in the competition this year,” says Mark Quinn, Director of Xavier’s
Entrepreneurship Institute. “We’re hoping to see even more students participate next
year.”
The goal of the competition is to expose New Orleans area high school students to
entrepreneurship as a viable career option, and to inform them about the support that is
available to them.
Sponsors of the competition are the Xavier University Entrepreneurship Institute; Xavier’s Enactus Team; Capital One Bank; and the Louisiana Small Business Development Centers. The applications were judged by Xavier students and faculty, as well as
representatives of the Small Business Administration, Capital One Bank and the Louisiana
Small Business Development Centers.
Plans are under way for next year’s competition. Teachers, high school students,
parents and interested parties are encouraged to contact Xavier’s Entrepreneurship Institute at mquinn@xula.edu for information on how to participate.
http://www.xula.edu/business
Page 3
DoB Newsletter
Volume 4, Issue 1
3rd Annual Students VS. Faculty & Staff Volleyball Game
The Division of Business relaxes while maintaining their competitive edge at the third annual Students versus Faculty and Staff
Volleyball game held in the university Convocation Center. Everyone had a great time as the faculty and staff won the match
( best 3 out of 5) 3-0
Google Internship
Xavier students Kyle McClue, Accounting ‘14, Nadine Bizimana, Accounting ‘14, and Jasmine M. Lewis, Computer Information Systems ‘15 are excelling at providing services to local businesses in Google’s Community Leaders Program (CLP). CLP
provides extensive training on tools and programs for entrepreneurs, small businesses, non-profits, students, and social entrepreneurs, and the students are then paired with local community mentors in order to form a team that works for one year to
empower businesses, build community, and bridge the web literacy gap that exists in New Orleans.
As a result of CLP, 113 local businesses are now educated and equipped with an online presence, exposing them for the
first time to the 97% of consumers that conduct online research before making an offline purchase. The Xavier students were
educated about small business development, the neighborhood trust deficit, the existing ecosystem of support, and the best
practices for local outreach from five mentors, whose professional careers span 64 years of small business experience. Also, each
student was trained in Google online tools, given 1:1 mentorship opportunities, career conversations, recommendations for
Google applications, and advisement from Google specialists across various departments.
“Kyle, Nadine, and Jasmine have been nothing short of brilliant since our launch. Their individual passions, motivations,
and unique perspectives have enabled success for the CLP in its first semester” says Samuel Bowler, Google’s Leader of the CLP in
New Orleans.
Business Week 2013
The Division of Business sponsors a Business Week in the fall and spring semesters. Spring Business Week 2013 had an international theme as the Division of Business
partnered with Xavier University’s Confucius Institute, which co-sponsored the kickoff featuring Chinese cuisine and music as well as a presentation by former Division of Business
Chair Karl Turner entitled, “Road to Beijing—Key Lessons On Doing Business With China“.
Joe Ricks, Chair of the Division of Business commented, “China is a major economic force and market and we believe that it is important for the New Orleans business community to be informed about how to approach it successfully”. Student groups including
the American Marketing Association, Enactus, Business Achievers and the National Association of Black Accountants conducted a China Trivia Quiz engaging the campus in a friendly
competition including prizes and gift cards. The event filled week also featured speaker
Ted Daniels from the Society of Professional Education and Professional Development who
gave an informative presentation regarding personal finance. “Mr. Daniels message to our
community was clear and on point—budget wisely, save and protect your credit,” said Dr.
Wolfson Assistant Professor of Economics.
Confucius Institute director, (l) Yu Jiang
and CIIP director, Torian Lee at the Road to
Beijing seminar
Mr. Ted Daniels captivates his audience
during the Business Week financial management seminar.
http://www.xula.edu/business
Poster for the Spring 2013 Business Week
Students stand in line waiting at the kickoff
picnic for the Entrepreneurship Institute
Business Students participate in a demonstration
with Mr. Ted Daniels during a financial literacy
seminar during Business Week
2013 Graduating seniors receive certificates from the
Division Honor society Delta Mu Delta
Business Students at the 2012- 2013 Awards
Banquet
William S. Parrish, author of Making Bold Moves:
Creating Multimillion-Dollar Success in 500 Days
or Less! and President and CEO of Noble Strategy,
LLC.
For more information on the programs offered by the Division of Business,
please email us at business@xula.edu or call us at 504-520-7505.
Or visit us in building 40 (Xavier South) room 325
Xavier University
Division of Business
1 Drexel Drive
New Orleans, LA 70125-1098
http://www.xula.edu/business