NEWS BRIEFS - DECEMBER 2007

Dr. Glenn Gilbreath, Management Department Chair, Dr. Marianne Miller, professor of Human Resources and Jennifer Slate, graduate assistant Master of Science in Global Marketing Management, helped fill boxes for donation to charity.

PREPARING FOR THE MOVE - BUSINESS FACULTY DONATE 47 BOXES OF TEXTBOOKS

Dr. Jon Ackley, associate professor of Management, sent an email to the faculty last month: “As we begin to pack up our offices, many of us will decide that moving textbooks that are years old (and several editions earlier) is not the best approach. Perhaps these older texts could be donated.”

Over the course of a month faculty and graduate students gathered hundreds of used business textbooks - filling 47 boxes. The Virginia Book Company will see that the books are distributed through the “Books for Africa” charitable program.

“We especially want to thank Christian Campbell at the Virginia Book Company for taking the time and making the effort to come to pick up the books and Angela Waite, School of Business Foundation accountant, for making the initial contact with him. We can all appreciate not having a book burning prior to our move,” said Dr. Ackley.

Faculty will be in the new building, located at 301 West Main Street, in time for classes to start in January.

PUERTO RICO TIP-OFF TOURNEY BRINGS ALUMNI AND STUDENTS TOGETHER

Many School of Business alumni and students gathered early on the morning of November 15th at the Home Team Grill on Main Street in Richmond to watch the VCU Rams beat Houston in the opening game of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip-Off Tournament.  "Breakfast & Basketball" was co-sponsored by the Home Team Grill, the School of Business Alumni Board and the School of Business Office of Development and Alumni Affairs.  A big thank you to The Home Team Grill for hosting and providing to all fans free continental breakfast and coffee supplied by Rostov's Coffee & Tea Company.  

The outcome of the tournament had VCU losing to Arkansas 70-60.  Access more event photos: http://www.bus.vcu.edu/news/break_basket.html

SHANGHAI ENTREPRENEURIAL SEMINAR INTRODUCES
ENTREPRENEURIAL PROGRAM TO ASIAN BUSINESS LEADERS

A program to engage business leaders in strategic thinking, business planning and brand awareness was designed by Richard Chvala of the School of Business Center for Corporate Education as an introduction for  27 Asian business leaders who came to spend two days studying Western business styles at VCU. 

More on this story...

Dr. Ruth Epps, professor of Accounting (foreground) and doctoral student Cynthia Gutherie

DR. RUTH EPPS RECEIVES ONE OF 13 NATIONALLY
AWARDED RESEARCH GRANTS

In May 2007, PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) awarded $24,500 to Ruth W. Epps, Ph.D., CPA, professor of Accounting in the VCU School of Business, and second year doctoral student, Cynthia Guthrie to investigate “Internal Control Deficiencies and Discretionary Accruals: Do Material Weaknesses in Internal Control Impact Discretionary Accruals?” The research focused on a sample of 436 companies.  They examined the discretionary accruals (management’s manipulation of earnings) of companies with material weaknesses and compared these companies to a matched pair of companies with no material weaknesses. They find that companies with material weaknesses in financial reporting controls generally have higher negative discretionary accruals compared to other companies. The results indicate that the presence of material weaknesses has a moderately significant affect on discretionary accruals, the greater the number of material weaknesses, the greater the upward manipulation of earnings.  Additionally, the researchers found that the behavior effects of discretionary accruals and the disclosure of material weaknesses are not significantly associated with whether a company is audited by a “Big 4” firm.   Moreover, the research indicates that following the required disclosure by Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404, material weaknesses significantly decreased in the next fiscal period.  This finding adds support to the important role of the effectiveness of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act over financial reporting.

Orn Ny

ACCOUNTING STUDENT ORN NY HONORED

At a recent meeting of the Richmond Chapter of the Virginia Society of CPAs, accounting student Orn Ny was presented with a $500 scholarship.  Orn is a senior accounting major at VCU with a GPA of 3.9  (out of a possible 4.0).  She will graduate at the end of the fall 2007 semester.  “Orn is a first generation Cambodian American and will be the first in her family to graduate from college.  She is an active member of Beta Alpha Psi, the professional and honorary accounting organization” said Dr. Edward Coffman, Accounting Department Chair.

Orn interned at Philip Morris USA this past summer and she has accepted a full-time position with the firm as a Financial Analyst starting in January 2008.  She also plans to pursue the Master of Accountancy at VCU and to sit for the CPA exam. 

DR. JEFFREY KRUG CO-EDITS INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS BOOK

Sage Publications published a three-volume scholarly summary and collection of articles edited by Dr. Jeffrey A. Krug, Associate Professor of Strategic Management and Dr. John D. Daniels, University of Miami, entitled International Business and Globalization.  The three volumes are entitled The Growth, Consequences, and Future of Globalization; Globalization and National Cultures; and Effects of Globalization on the Firm.  The volumes are intended for reference, primarily in libraries.

“International  Business and Globalization is a very diverse and comprehensive collection of readings dealing with globalization in general and its impact on the MNC.  Its value comes from both the breadth of disciplines included and the fact that it includes both the classics and up to date articles and book chapters, allowing the reader to trace the historical development of the field.  The selections reflect a lot of thought on the part of the editors and these volumes should be of value to anyone interested in this critically important topic,” said Dr. Stephen J. Kobrin, William Wurster Professor of Multinational Management in the Department of Management, The Wharton School
University of Pennsylvania.

Professor James Holland

PROFESSOR HOLLAND ELECTED SUPERVISOR

Professor James Holland, CPA, a professional accounting adjunct , was elected November 6 as a supervisor to the Chesterfield County Board for the Dale District. He teaches Accounting 203, 204, 205 and serves as the advisor for the Post Baccalaureate Certificate In Accounting Program.

Dr. Michael Sesnowitz thanks Tasha Owens, president, Central Virginia Chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors for the Institute's gift.

INTERNAL AUDITORS PRESENT BELL SCHOLARSHIP

Members of the board of the Central Virginia chapter of the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) gathered to remember their colleague Theron Bell and to present The Theron P. Bell, III Endowment Trust to the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Business, his alma mater.  The endowment will be used to fund scholarships for accounting students. MORE...

REGISTRATIONS OPEN FOR SHRM AND FINANCIAL PLANNERS

SHRM Professional HR Certification Program Accepting applications for the PHR and SPHR Winter Program.  Classes start January 22, 2008.  Call 804-828-3165 for more information or visit the Center for Corporate Education website:  http://www.bus.vcu.edu/cce/SHRM_Main.htm

Certified Financial Planning Program
New Enrollees begin Program - February, 2008.  Call 804-828-3165 for more information or visit the Center for Corporate Education website: http://www.bus.vcu.edu/cce/CFP.htm

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