The College of Business started out strong last fall, with another record enrollment of over 3,200 students. We launched a comprehensive undergraduate BBA degree which has gotten some great traction. One of our start-up companies, Rocketing, competed in the SEC Entrepreneurship competition against all SEC schools and swept every category, taking home first place.
The Richard C. Adkerson School of Accountancy and the Distance MBA program continue to rank highly on the national level. The School of Accountancy held an open house for its newly renovated, state-of-the-art facility, which was funded by our wonderful donors.
As the Spring semester rolled around, we learned of the departure of longtime PGM program director, Jeff Adkerson for a new and exciting regional position in Kentucky. However, I was thrilled to know the program was still in good hands, as Adam Scott agreed to take over the reign of the program.
We were heavy into the recruiting year for our incoming class for Fall 2020 when MSU and the country were hit with the COVID-19 pandemic. This spring and summer are unprecedented. All classes went fully online, and faculty, staff and students had to get used to a “new normal” for this University. We survived the Spring semester, ending with a virtual graduation in May.
Throughout the summer we have been teaching online and preparing for the reopening of the University to students in August. As we prepare, classrooms will have a lower occupancy to allow for social distancing. Faculty, staff, students, and visitors to campus are now required to wear masks throughout Fall semester. We have changed the academic schedule to begin August 16 and end with graduation on the Wednesday of Thanksgiving week.
While the MSU Golf Course was closed for several weeks, we were able to reopen the course, adhering to social distancing. The golf course was able to provide fresh air and a much-needed release for people stuck at home teleworking.
Although the country is deep into a pandemic, the College of Business still has a lot to brag about. A great team of finance students, led by advisor Dr. Matthew Whitledge, won the national CSBS 2020 Community Bank Case Study Competition. MSU’s team was among 37 teams from 33 colleges competing for the championship and received attention from the Governor of Mississippi as no Mississippi team has ever come in first in this prestigious competition.
COB student Jacob Mlsna was selected as the 2020 Orrin H. Swayze Scholar by the Mississippi Bankers Association Education Foundation and the Mississippi Young Bankers section of the MBA. Mlsna was chosen from applicants across Mississippi to receive the $5,000 scholarship, which is given annually to Mississippi's most outstanding banking and finance student. Mlsna competed against students from all Mississippi Universities.
The COB is helping to vet applications for the non-profit Mississippi 30-Day Fund, which provides forgivable loans for Mississippi-based small businesses. COB graduate students and the Entrepreneurship Center’s Peer Review Panel have pitched in to lead this effort.
At the University level, while the Infinite Impact capital campaign is winding down, you still contribute to the PGA Golf Management program through a designated gift. It is never too early or too late to support this great program.
It has been an interesting year, but with a great faculty and staff we are weathering the storm. As always, next time you are in town, please stop by and visit me in the Dean’s office!
Go Dawgs!
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