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The College of Charleston School of Business MBA program has ranked first in the country for job placement, according to U.S. News & World Report.
The College’s accelerated one-year MBA program tied for first place with Northern Arizona University for job placement three months after graduation. Every MBA graduate from the Class of 2017 from both institutions had jobs just three months after they earned their degrees.
The College’s 2017 MBA cohort had a 100 percent job placement rate — 16 percent higher than the average placement rate for ranked, full-time MBA programs that year.
U.S. News & World Report also recognized CofC’s MBA program as one of the best MBA programs in the United States, ranking the program No. 95 on its Best Grad School Rankings list. The College is just one of three institutions (including Drexel University and Northern Arizona University) ranked in the nation’s top 100 MBA programs with an annual enrollment of fewer than 50 students.
The exciting news comes on the heels of last year’s accolades, when the MBA program was ranked No. 8 in the nation for MBA programs with the most women.
Alan T. Shao, Dean of the School of Business
Alan Shao, dean of the School of Business and interim director of the MBA program, is not surprised by the latest rankings.
“Despite being a newer program, our MBA offers something many others do not — an immediate job network,” Shao says. “The school has an unparalleled relationship with local business leaders who offer their expertise not only as mentors and lecturers but as employers, often providing MBA students with career and internship opportunities.”
Michael Balke, President and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vans
One such leader, Michael Balke, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz Vans, has had many positive experiences working with and hiring College of Charleston MBAs.
“The College of Charleston’s MBA program has provided Mercedes-Benz Vans (MBV) with a valuable pipeline for emerging local talent in the business field,” says Balke. “MBV continues to foster a strong relationship with the College of Charleston and looks forward to bringing in more promising MBA alumni in the future.”
Last year, two College of Charleston MBA alumni were hired by Balke and currently work for the Mercedes-Benz Vans Charleston team — one as a product controller and the other as a financial analyst.
The College of Charleston MBA is a one-year, fulltime program for high-achieving students. Accredited by AACSB International, the program offers a personalized academic experience and positions students for careers in diverse fields and industries.
The College of Charleston School of Business recently hosted a fireside chat with local businessman Tommy Baker and retired vice president and general manager of Boeing South Carolina Jack Jones during the Fifth-Annual Tommy Baker Entrepreneurship Hour.
At this year’s event, hosted by the business school’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Carter Real Estate Center, Baker interviewed Jones in a sit-down that highlighted his professional journey, as well as his time at the Boeing South Carolina site.
The Tommy Baker Entrepreneurship Hour is named after the well-known Charleston philanthropist, owner and president of Baker Motor Company. The annual event seeks to connect budding and seasoned entrepreneurs alike on hot topics in the industry. A prominent figure at the School of Business, Baker taught a senior-level entrepreneurship class at the College for 22 years before retiring from instructing in 2013. He currently serves on the School’s Board of Governors where he’s been a member for more than 20 years.
“Here at the School of Business, our close ties to the business community allow us to host some of the most distinguished business leaders, such as Jack Jones,” says Alan T. Shao, dean of the School of Business. “During the span of his career, Jack has established himself as an outstanding global business leader, one that our students can look to as a source of inspiration.”
A retired VP and general manager of Boeing South Carolina, Jones oversaw Boeing’s operations and facilities in North Charleston before retiring in 2015.
Prior to joining the Boeing South Carolina team in March 2011, Jones served as vice president of its Everett Delivery Center, overseeing Airplane-on-Ground, Paint, Pre-Flight and Delivery operations for the Boeing wide-body models (747, 767, 777 and 787) assembled in Everett, Wash.
left to right: Tommy Baker; Chad Ross ’18; Jack Jones; and David Wyman, Ph.D.
Jones’ history with Boeing spanned many years. The ops expert began his career with the company as an industrial engineer in 1980 on the 757 Program. He spent time working on several commercial and military programs, including B-2 Stealth Bomber and Air Force One prior to his assignment in Everett.
The Entrepreneurship Hour also included its annual one-minute elevator pitch competition, featuring the finalists for the 2018 Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Biology major and entrepreneurship minor Chad Ross ’18 won the $1,000 prize for his business pitch on Chuck Waters Apparel—a clothing line dedicated to providing simple and comfortable clothing while donating proceeds to vulnerable communities everywhere.
How does the Cuban economy differ from the United States?
That was the question of the hour during the latest BB&T Free Market Speaker Series event put on by the Center for Public Choice and Market Process. The lecture featured Bill Trumbull, Ph.D., a professor of Economics at The Citadel and an authority on socialist and post-socialist economies.
The event, which dove into the complexities of the Cuban economy, incorporated Trumbull’s firsthand experiences in Cuba — where he takes his students on a 10-day fieldtrip each year.
Will McEwen ’20, one of the Center’s scholars, found the talk to be “thoroughly engaging” and pertinent to the discussion that is currently taking place about socialist economies.
Another scholar, Rachel Bradley ‘19, felt that the talk heightened her understanding of the Cuban economy and left her “more interested in the political factors behind the rise of [socialism] in Cuba and other nations.”
The BB&T lecture was hosted in conjunction with the College of Charleston’s Cuba on the Horizon program. An interdisciplinary initiative, Cuba on the Horizon investigates the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba and explores the rich history and culture of the Caribbean island nation.
About the Center for Public Choice & Market Process
The Center for Public Choice & Market Process was created in 2015 following the growth in programming of the Initiative for Public Choice and Market Process, which was founded in the fall of 2008. The Center advances the understanding of the economic, political and moral foundations of a free market society. The Center supports the growth and development of teaching and research at the College of Charleston School of Business while engaging students and the Charleston community. Visit the Center’s website or Facebook page, or contact Peter Calcagno, Center director, at ipcmp@cofc.edu or 843-953-4279 to learn more about events, programs, and funding opportunities.
The College of Charleston School of Business has partnered with local impact investment firm In Place Impact to host Impact Day, an educational event tailored for entrepreneurs who are interested in making a difference while making a profit.
The event will feature discussions around impact investing and corporate social responsibility from some of the biggest names in business, including Anita Zucker, CEO of The InterTech Group, and former Wall Street investment banker Darla Moore.
The CEO and financial industry leader are teaming up with In Place Impact founder and Impact Day organizer, Stuart Williams, to inspire other business leaders to think critically about how they invest their time and money.
But the day-long affair isn’t just for high-profile executives. A select group of CofC business students will participate in the event as well, showcasing the high-impact business models they have created through the School’s Interdisciplinary Center for Applied Technology (ICAT).
Williams, who serves as an ICAT instructor and School of Business Impact Entrepreneur-in-Residence, says his ultimate goal is to cultivate the next generation of impact entrepreneurs.
“By introducing impact entrepreneurship and investment curriculum into the classroom, we’re giving students the tools they need to build a more sustainable future for humanity and the environment that supports it,” says Williams. “Impact Day is purposed to expose Charleston to the incredible work being done on Impact at the School of Business, and to the exciting genre of impact investing in general.”
Dean of the School of Business, Alan Shao, is equally committed to fostering a culture of impact entrepreneurship at the College.
“Here at the business school, we strive to equip our students with the support they need to become successful and socially responsible business leaders,” says Shao. “Through initiatives like Impact Day, we are able to simultaneously reinforce that commitment and showcase the incredible, impactful work of our students.”
Impact Day will be held on Wednesday, March 28, 2018, and includes events at both the School of Business and the Gaillard Center. Platinum sponsors include Wells Fargo and Greystar; gold sponsors include The Montford Group; and participating sponsors include Be Earth Foundation Coastal Community Foundation, the College of Charleston Center for Entrepreneurship and the College of Charleston Carter Real Estate Center.
To learn more about this event, purchase tickets or become a sponsor, visit the Impact Day website. The deadline is March 14, 2018.
PVBLIC Foundation chairman and co-founder, Sergio Fernandez de Cordova will speak to the College of Charleston School of Business and members of the community on March 28 as a part of Impact Day.
De Cordova, an in
ternationally renowned entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist, will discuss the intersection between social impact and financial prosperity, highlighting successful business models that align with the 17 sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
De Cordova has led a variety of private-public, impact-driven partnerships with leaders across the globe and currently serves as a delegate in the U.S. State Department’s entrepreneurship program. He is also a member of the Global Entrepreneurs Council of the United Nations.
Among several notable achievements, De Cordova was recently honored by the United Nations with the Global Social Impact Award, and was named one of Dell’s #Inspired 100 leading global influencers in entrepreneurship in 2012. The entrepreneurial pioneer has served on more than 20 boards and has been featured on CNN, ABC, Bloomberg TV and several other major news networks.
His lecture will be a part of the School’s George G. Spaulding Distinguished Executive Speaker Series — one of the many events slated for the inaugural Impact Day, presented by In Place Impact and the College of Charleston School of Business.
A day-long affair, Impact Day seeks to challenge local entrepreneurs to make Charleston a hub for businesses purposed to make a difference while making a profit. Participants will gain an understanding of impact investing, as well as the role the College of Charleston School of Business plays in creating the next wave of impact entrepreneurs.
De Cordova’s talk will be held at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, March 28 in the School of Business Wells Fargo Auditorium. The lecture is free and open to the public. Seating is limited. Those interested in attending are required to RSVP here.
Studies show that companies do most of their hiring during the first two months of the year. With businesses eager to bring on new talent, there’s no better time to spruce up your resume than now. That’s why the College of Charleston School of Business Student Success Center (SSC) is launching Resume Month this February.
Enter SSC’s Cory Werkheiser: assistant director of career and professional development and the man who’s making Resume Month happen. Poised to take students’ professional skills to the next level, Werkheiser
wants to make sure all resumes from our business students are blunder-proof.
We sat down with the career guru to talk a little about the do’s (and don’ts) of a well-done resume.
Q: Being the assistant director of career and professional development, I’m sure you’ve seen a ton of resumes — the good and the bad. Is there anything you wish students would leave off of their resumes?
A: Coffee stains. Actually, most of the time I assist students with adding things they never thought of including — like volunteer experience or details about study abroad programs.
Q: What’s the best funky font to include on your resume?
A: If you are using the word funky to describe your resume font — you’ve already failed… Keep it simple — Calibri or Arial. Times New Roman if you insist on having letters with serifs.
Q: Some students are discouraged by the brevity of their resumes. What advice do you have for Cougars with less professional experience?
A: Get involved! Join clubs and professional organizations related to your major/minor. Volunteer with organizations that support your interests or hobbies. Look for opportunities to job shadow or intern to gain experience, and seek out leadership positions whenever possible. All of this enhances your resume and expands your professional network.
Q: We all want to secure our dream job. What’s a major resume DON’T? On the flip-side, what’s one thing students should never leave off of their resume?
A: Don’t add any kind of picture or clip art. Always include accurate, up-to-date contact information.
Q: Is it okay to include jobs and extracurricular activities from high school?
A: Rarely, but I review that with the student on a case-by-case basis.
Q: So, your killer resume just got you an interview. What should you never leave home without when meeting with a potential employer for the first time?
A: A hard copy list (don’t trust your phone!) of the following details: When you are meeting, where the interview is located, and with whom you are meeting. And a breath mint!
Q: Any last words?
A: Using statistical data that I just made up, 98.3% of resumes have something that needs to be corrected, added, or removed. Simple spelling or grammar errors can be the single factor that removes you from consideration. Get the resume reviewed, reviewed, and reviewed!
Stop by the Student Success Center (Beatty Center, Suite 100) anytime this month to have your resume revamped for success. And, be sure to follow the SSC on Instagram, at @cofc_sb_ssc!
The College’s former president, P. George Benson, Ph.D., who currently teaches supply chain classes at the College of Charleston School of Business, has been re-elected as chairman of the Foundation for the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award for the third consecutive year.
Hailing from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania — home of his alma mater Bucknell University — Benson has an impressive background in higher education.
During his tenure as the 21st president of the College of Charleston, Benson launched the R.E.A.C.H. program, hired a chief diversity officer and established a North Campus to accommodate the growing campus community, among several other achievements.
Ever caught a ride on the Cougar Shuttle or received a Cougar Alert on your phone? You can thank Benson for that. He also acquired state approval for our one-year MBA program, now playing a definitive role in taking business professionals to the next level.
In addition to serving on the board of directors of several companies, including the Baldrige Foundation, he has served as the dean of the University of Georgia Terry College of Business and Rutgers University Business School. Benson will also be the master of ceremonies for the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award Ceremony during the 2018 Quest for Excellence Conference in Baltimore, Maryland on April 8, 2018. This is his sixth and final year as chair of the Foundation and master of ceremonies of the award ceremony.
Benson currently serves on the board alongside William Troy, CEO of the American Society for Quality; Scott McIntyre, president and CEO of PwC Public Sector; and Tony Scott, former CIO of the United States government, among several other industry powerhouses.
The School of Business at the College of Charleston remains a top competitor in the world of higher education. The School’s international business undergraduate program earned the No. 2 spot on the Schools.com list, Best Colleges for International Business Degree Programs, preceding Georgetown University and the University of South Carolina.
The four-year colleges on the list were ranked based on a variety of factors including accessibility, graduation rate, size of program and student-to-faculty ratio. One of only a few international business degree programs in the Southeast, the nationally renowned program provides students with a multi-dimensional and applied-learning perspective. International business students at the College have one-of-a-kind resources available to them including the Global Resource Center and instruction from world-class faculty who helped the School rank No. 1 in the world for the most Certified Global Business Professionals.
“This recognition exemplifies the dynamic global learning programming we have here at the School of Business,” says Alan T Shao, dean of the School of Business. “It is also a culmination of our faculty’s dedication to preparing ready-to-work business leaders of tomorrow for a global market, and our students’ commitment to excellence.”
Students in the program must minor in a foreign language, regional or global area of study. Additionally, they must study abroad for some portion of their degree. Upon completing the program, graduates are able to successfully navigate a globally competitive business world.
The College of Charleston School of Business has more than 3,000 students enrolled in ready-to-work programs including nine undergraduate majors, 10 minors and six concentration areas, an Honors Program in Business, and master’s programs in business and accountancy. The School of Business is recognized among the top 30 colleges for studying business abroad by the Business Research Guide. It has several Centers of Excellence and initiatives that support specific industries, conduct research and help to strengthen ties with the global business community. The Centers and initiatives also advance the educational experience and understanding of business students in a variety of specialty areas, including real estate, entrepreneurship, global business, economics and tourism.
To learn more about our students’ achievements, undergraduate and graduate programs, faculty and Centers of Excellence, please visit sb.cofc.edu.
Renowned entrepreneur and South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce chairman, Stephen Gilchrist, stopped by the School of Business on Wednesday, Nov. 15 as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week.
Gilchrist, a Greenwood, South Carolina native, spoke with students about his journey to success as the founder and CEO of GSL Distributors and shared some advice with the aspiring young entrepreneurs. Here are his top tips:
- Find something you love and stick to it. Do something that excites you – something that makes it easy to wake up on a Monday morning.
- Always begin with the end in mind. It’s best to have a good idea of what your finished product will look like before you dive into a challenge.
- Forget about networking – make friends with everyone you meet. Friends will take you places networking can’t.
- Avoid setting “safe” goals. Challenge and push yourself beyond your wildest expectations.
- Pay attention in class. Last but not least – listen to your professors! The practical insight and experience your professors have to offer will save your life in the real world. Though sometimes, what you’re learning may only seem applicable in the classroom, that is often never the case.
Want to hear more from Gilchrist’s talk? Check out the video below!
Williams speaking to the Stuart M. Williams Impact Scholars
According to Stuart Williams, impact entrepreneur-in-residence at the College of Charleston School of Business, he doesn’t have an “off” switch.
“My brain never shuts down because I’m always thinking about the many things that need to be fixed in the world,” says Williams, founder of impact ecosystems architecture firm, In Place Impact.
But it’s not just the problems of the planet that keep his mind abuzz; it’s their potential solutions as well.
Williams has dedicated a large portion of his professional life to impact entrepreneurship — or, making a difference through profit-based initiatives — and has created a program at the School of Business to inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers.
The Stuart M. Williams Impact Scholars program, which officially launched this fall, is designed to provide seven exceptional undergraduate students with the guidance, resources and network to tackle some of the most pressing issues of the 21st century.
“There are so many young people who are truly passionate about affecting change in the best way possible,” says Williams. “I want to give as many students as I can the opportunity to make those dreams a reality.”
Participants in the program have the chance to sharpen their skills through professional development, roundtable dinners, internships and tours of local impact businesses. The Scholars also meet weekly with Williams as well as other mentors and advisors, including Professor David Wyman, Professor Lancie Affonso and MBA candidate Kelly Muxworthy to discuss their respective impact projects.
The 2017 Stuart M. Williams Impact Scholars are Latosha Andrade, Mya Belden, Carlie Christenson, Kionnie Epps, Catherine Hill, Sofia Troya and Brandon Williams.
The impressive inaugural cohort, which was selected after a rigorous application and 
interview process, is comprised of freshmen and juniors from a diverse range of disciplines, including business, public health, political science and criminal justice.
Some of the young innovators have already launched exceedingly successful businesses, says Williams. All of them have incredible personal stories and achievements: one student carried more than 50 credits into college from high school; one came all the way from Ecuador to learn how to solve the problems in her country; and, one spent more than five years serving in the military.
Students in the program are looking to take on various social and economic issues such as eradicating poverty, improving supply chain sustainability in the coffee industry and ensuring quality primary school education for children.
“It’s all about impacting in a way that is fulfilling for you,” Williams told students at one of their first meetings.
What seems to fulfill Williams is ensuring that the School of Business is properly positioned to become one of the nation’s leading academic institutions offering impact studies.
Williams is a noticeable presence at the school, not only through his new scholars program but also through the ICAT program and the Center for Entrepreneurship. He has also successfully helped the School integrate impact studies into many of its classes.
The business school was honored to have Williams join its board of governors this year. “We owe a great deal to Stuart here at the School of Business and are thrilled he has joined our Board,” says Alan T. Shao, dean of the School of Business. “His passion for impact studies paired with his commitment to further the strategic goals of this institution have paved the way for our students to become the socially and environmentally responsible business leaders of tomorrow.”
With no “off” switch in sight for Williams and the students he continues to inspire, it’s safe to say the biggest impact is yet to come.