University of Michigan - Flint

SOM Dean Jack Helmuth (2nd from left) and donors Dr. I. Douglas Moon and Sheila Smith (’96 MBA) (4th & 3rd from right) pose with international students during a donor reception Tuesday, November 13, 2007.


On Tuesday, November 13, the School of Management celebrated two endowed gifts made by two special friends, former dean Dr. I. Douglas Moon, Ph.D., and alumna Sheila Smith (’96 MBA). More than 40 guests were in attendance to thank Dr. Moon and Ms. Smith for their generosity.

Susmitha Obulareddy, who was out of the country at the time of the reception, felt compelled to compose a speech of her experiences and gratification of the assistance the scholarships will provide other international students:

I really enjoyed my time at the (School of Management). The difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson. My life at this University has completely changed my outlook and perspective on the world. I am a better person now and this School has played a major part in my transformation. The School gave me a free reign many times to come up with imaginary situations and at the same time try and relate to the real world out there. As E.C. McKenzie put it, "Nothing grieves a child more than learning the wrong lesson and learning something that he is not supposed to." I believe that the School and the system here have allowed me to pursue my field of interest and that paved way for me to pursue my passion for finance.

The faculty and the staff members were always kind and helpful and would never refuse help when needed. I read once that there are always two educations, where one should teach us how to earn a living and another to teach how to live. This School has done both in my case and my perspective horizon has broadened widely due to this School and the experience I have acquired from this education. For an international student, sometimes life would be difficult to adapt to the new place, but the faculty and all the people in the School of Management have made me feel very comfortable and helped me out in whatever way possible. Their support and guidance was crucial for me in adapting to the different environment at a very quick pace.


To learn more about giving opportunities at SOM, please contact Nicole Borcherding, Major Gift Officer, at (810) 767-2156 or by e-mail at nborcher@umflint.edu.

Click here for more photos.

posted: Nov 20, 2007
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The University of Michigan-Flint Interim Chancellor Jack Kay and Wenchang Fang, Professor and Dean, College of Business, National Taipei University (NTPU), Taiwan, recently signed an agreement establishing a dual Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. UM-Flint School of Management (SOM) Dean Jack Helmuth (center in photo) also signed. NTPU is ranked one of the top public universities in Taiwan. The SOM MBA Program is fully accredited by AACSB—International, the premier accreditation agency for business programs worldwide.

“We are extremely pleased to have such a prominent partner at NTPU,” said Dean Helmuth. “With this new agreement, students will broaden their perspectives so they can approach problems not only from multiple functional viewpoints, but from global and ethical perspectives as well. SOM will continue its efforts to assist with internationalizing the UM-Flint campus.”

Students who successfully complete the graduation requirements of this program are awarded two degrees: MBA degree from the University of Michigan-Flint and an MBA degree awarded by National Taipei University.

The dual MBA program consists of an initial study period on the NTPU campus and approximately 12 months on the UM-Flint campus for a general MBA, and longer for an MBA with a concentration. To reduce the duration of study, some of the graduate coursework on the Flint campus may be taken in mixed online and residency format in the highly acclaimed NetPlus! program.

posted: Oct 24, 2007
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The School of Management is pleased to congratulate Dr. Keith Moreland, Professor of Accounting, on his recent nomination for the Presidents Council – Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year award.

A central mission of all 15 Michigan public universities is the provision of undergraduate education of the highest quality. The Michigan Distinguished Professor of the Year recognition program recognizes the outstanding contributions made by the faculty from Michigan’s public universities to the education of undergraduate students. Dr. Moreland was also the recipient of the Teaching Excellence Award which recognizes outstanding faculty performance at the University of Michigan-Flint.

posted: Oct 15, 2007
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The University of Michigan-Flint’s School of Management (SOM) is an outstanding business school, according to The Princeton Review. The New York-based education services company features the school in the just-published 2008 edition of its “Best 290 Business Schools” (Random House / Princeton Review, Oct. 9, 2007, $22.95).

In the profile on the University of Michigan-Flint’s SOM, the Princeton Review editors describe the school as offering an MBA program designed with the needs of working students in mind with a winning combination of convenience, excellent professors, and the name recognition that comes with a University of Michigan degree. They quote from students attending it who say "the mixed media NetPlus! program available at the University of Michigan-Flint is unsurpassed by any other program. It offers the best of both worlds for my busy life. Professors are exceptional. One cannot say enough about their knowledge in terms of course work and their real world application. Administration is outstanding. Although I live over an hour from campus, I have never had a problem getting help from someone in the MBA office, with everything from financial aid to contacting a professor in an emergency."

“We are proud of the high quality of both our faculty and students,” said SOM Dean Jack Helmuth. “We constantly strive for excellence by putting our students first, and their response in this survey indicates they recognize those efforts.”

According to Robert Franek, Princeton Review VP-Publishing, "We select schools for this book based on our high regard for their academic programs and offerings, institutional data we collect from the schools, and the candid opinions of students attending them who rate and report on their campus experiences at the schools. We are pleased to recommend the Univeristy of Michigan-Flint School of Management to readers of our book and users of our website as one of the best institutions they could attend to earn an MBA."

In a "Survey Says. . ." sidebar in the profile, The Princeton Review lists topics that the University of Michigan-Flint’s School of Management students it surveyed for the book were in most agreement about. The list includes: "cutting-edge classes," and "solid preparation in communication/interpersonal skills, presentation skills, and quantitative skills."

The University of Michigan-Flint’s School of Management has earned the prestigious AACSB-International accreditation, which is considered the hallmark of excellence in management education. The school delivers AACSB-accredited business programs to a diverse group of graduate and undergraduate students primarily in Michigan and the surrounding region, as well as national and international communities, using a variety of learning/teaching approaches that focus on skills, abilities, technology and knowledge vital to organizations.

Media Contact:
Mel Serow
University Relations
810-767-2158

for Princeton Review Books: Jeanne Krier, 212-539-1350

posted: Oct 9, 2007
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Four new members have been added to the Advisor Board of the School of Management (SOM) at the University of Michigan-Flint. The Advisory Board provides an added dimension to SOM in its ongoing efforts to maintain and develop forward looking programs of teaching, research, and service.

“The Board assists the School in building relationships with community business, cultural and governmental leaders,” said SOM Dean Jack Helmuth. “The board members provide a mechanism through which key issues can be anticipated, explored, analyzed, and evaluated from a variety of differing viewpoints.”

New Board Members:

William R. Hartman is Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Citizens Republic Bankcorp. He joined Citizens in February 2002. Prior to joining Citizens, Hartman served in various CEO roles at the state and regional levels for a large financial institution. Citizens is the largest bank holding company headquartered in Michigan with roots back to 1871. Citizens serves communities in Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin and in Iowa as F&M Bank.

Phil D. Bahr is the managing principal of the 130-person Troy office of The Rehmann Group. Established in 1941, The Rehmann Group, LLC, has grown to become one of the largest CPA and business-consulting firms in the Midwest with more than 550 professionals in 12 offices throughout Michigan.

Mark J. Antakli is the Vice President of Business Development for Intraco Corporation a company providing sales, marketing, distribution, logistics, and financial services for their automotive suppliers in over 80 countries. Intraco focuses on four different business units: construction materials, vehicle distribution, aftermarket automotive parts, and automotive chemicals.

Samuel J. Cox is a regional entrepreneur and the owner of three McDonald franchises. Originally from Kansas, he opened his first McDonald’s restaurant in the early 1990s. Over the years he has successfully operated multiple locations, employing over 200 people in Genesee County. Prior to his McDonald’s career, Mr. Cox was the Detroit’s leading sales executive for Purina Mills LLC, a Fortune 500 company.

The School of Management has over 800 undergraduates, nearly 200 MBA students both in a traditional format and a mixed delivery NetPlus program mode. The school has been AACSB-International accredited for three decades. The faculty are acclaimed for their excellence in the classroom, research, and interaction with the business community.

posted: Oct 15, 2007
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On September 12, ten SOM MBA students attended the Detroit Economic Club luncheon featuring guest speaker Mr. Raman Roy (6th from the left), Chairman & CEO of Quatrro BPO Solutions, headquartered in India. Mr. Roy is known at the “Father of India Outsourcing,” and addressed the audience of Detroit area business professionals Detroit on “Harnessing Global Intellectual Capital to Create Corporate Value.”
Before the luncheon, Mr. Roy met privately with the MBA students at a student-only reception for about 30 minutes, and students were able to meet Mr. Roy and ask him questions about his views on outsourcing, globalization, the India economy, and his impressive corporate experience at companies like GE, American Express and Wipro. Of the ten SOM students, 8 were from India and they mentioned that they probably would not have had the opportunity to personally meet a busy CEO like Mr. Roy in their home country of India, and were very thankful for the opportunity to meet him in Detroit, interact with him at the reception and hear him deliver a timely talk on contemporary global business issues.
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Pictured are some of the 138 international students attending UM-Flint, including 30 School of Management students. We have 12 undergraduates and 6 MBA students from Tamkang University in Taiwan, 6 undergraduates from Kwangwoon University in South Korea, one MBA student from East China University of Science and Technology, and 5 students from Alliance Business School in India.
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All undergraduate and graduate SOM students will receive an online subscription to the Online WSJ for the 2007-2008 academic year, and 400 copies of the print edition will be delivered daily to the WSW Building.

WSJ is a tremendous resource for business students to keep up with the real world events and news related to finance, business, economics, and national and international business trends. The Wall Street Journal Academic Partner Program will help SOM students become successful in both their classes and careers.
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