WINTER 2016 Volume 1 Issue 1
College of Business 1
Why I Chose Business?
“The major I chose is the Bachelor of Business Administration-General Business (BBA). I chose this major with the impression that after completion, I would pursue a Master of Business Administration (MBA). I researched thoroughly which major would best suit the career I would want in life. I remember reading an article in Forbes that stated “40 of the top 100 best paid CEOs have an MBA degree:” This had really piqued my interest. I really didn’t want to limit myself to only one aspect of business, so I chose the general business degree” - Ezekiel Riojas, class of 2016 “I have always been interested in becoming a business own so I thought courses in business would help me to achieve that goal”. Paula Garcia, BBA 2008
Welcome
Jaguars 2
Chair’s Welcome Warm thanks to all of you who have made me feel welcome as I joined the Department of Management & Marketing at Texas A&M San Antonio. These last six months have been a whirlwind, and I am glad to be a member of a vibrant, growing school with a deep service mission. As you probably know, our program growth recently resulted in splitting the College into two departments. The Department of Management and Marketing houses the Management degree plans (with concentrations in Human Resource Management, Supply Change Management, and Entrepreneurship), as well as the Marketing, International Business, Fire and Emergency Management, and General Business majors. Additionally, we house the courses in Business Communication, Business Administration, and Business Law, as well as courses supporting the Masters of Business Administration degree. The department’s undergraduate head count for Spring 2016 is up 18% over Spring 2015. Matching our growth in students, our faculty is also growing. In August, we welcomed our newest Marketing faculty member, Dr. Arne Baruca, and in this newsletter you will find more information about him and the courses he teaches. We also have brought in several talented new adjunct instructors this academic year: Professors Bories, Huth, Mangum, Rhodes, Sattler, Staples, and Stubblefield all bring impressive work experience and industry contacts that they share with our students. Additionally, Mr. Douglas Carter now joins our faculty in a full time capacity, and we continue to grow. In this newsletter, you will find more information about the changes to the marketing degree plan. As we develop future issues of this newsletter, I urge students and alumni to keep in touch. We want to celebrate your successes, as well as keep you informed about student, faculty and staff accomplishments and upcoming events. What an exciting time to be a Jaguar!
Dr. Amy Lewis Chair, Department of Management & Marketing Amy.Lewis@tamusa.edu
3
New Faculty Profile
there for three years, and although I really liked the working environment, I never really fit into living in Connecticut. Being very close to New York City was amazing, but the culture in Connecticut and the weather there were just not for us as a family. Especially after we already lived in South Texas. So the new goal was to come to a big city in Texas, with San Antonio on top of the list, as soon as possible. Luckily, a position opened at TAMUSA, a school whose development I followed since I was a PhD student in South Texas. So I applied and I got lucky! And here I am now and loving it ever since. What are you most passionate about professionally? What most excites you about your work and the contribution you can make?
Introducing Dr. Arne Baruca How did you arrive at teaching marketing for Texas A&M San Antonio? What path brought you here? I was working in the industry back home in Slovenia and never really thought about teaching. I flirted with the idea of it, but never thought I would actually do it. Then suddenly, I had enough of the corporate environment, and I’ve decided that I need to at least try to get into a foreign PhD program. I took it as a fun project. And I knew that I would never be able to finish it at home, so I decided to do it abroad. And so I started to apply and eventually got into a PhD program at the University of Texas, Pan American (now UT Rio Grande Valley). I really loved it there. After I finished my PhD, I got a job offer from the Jack Welch College of Business at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. I stayed
I love marketing in general. I love what marketing can do, with its good, its bad and its ugly. Unfortunately, the majority of people just see the bad and the ugly. I like to change people’s perspective of marketing in general, by showing them how beneficial and needed it is and most importantly how influential it is in today’s society. But, as I mentioned, people are pre-conditioned with the notion that marketing is manipulative, that marketing is pushy and so on. I’m not saying it is not. I am also a “victim” of that at times, but there are also many positive things about it and that is why I like it and also what I like for others to know. It is great if it is applied properly. And all businesses need it, whether they admit it or not. There is no business without good marketing. That’s my focus – I want my students to understand that. Many still think of marketing as a side joke of business and consequently, they are not taking it seriously. What are you passionate about personally? What do you really enjoy? What can’t you stop talking about? Well, I can’t stop talking. Period. I think I am a social person, so sometimes I need to be stopped. Professionally though, I like many things; I like the entertainment industry, the sport industry and tourism. These are the fields my research is focused in and I like to discuss about them as much as I can. Generally speaking, , I just like to have fun, either with my family or my friends, possibly both. I like soccer. It is been part of my life since I was 9 years old and now after 31 years into it, I just can’t be without it. I am still playing it, although it would be
4
better if I’d stop. I also like to enjoy a nice beach, staring at the ocean and relax. If there is one thing that is missing here in San Antonio is the ocean. However, it would be too perfect and it probably wouldn‘t be such a nice and still well hidden gem to live in anymore. How long have you been doing what you do? I started to teach when I was in my PhD program. My advisor, Dr. Michael Minor literally threw me into a classroom in my second month into the program and told me to teach his class for one week. He gave me the textbook and said: “It’s chapter 6. Good luck!” I still remember the walk to that class as it was yesterday. Many thoughts were running through my head: I have never taught in my life. I still didn’t even know if that’s the profession I should be in. I hated talking in public at first; and as a foreign student, I was still getting used to living on the other side of the globe. I remember saying to myself: “Do I have to teach in college so soon?!” Those 10 minutes between my apartment and the classroom were one of the most terrifying 10 minutes in my life. As you can tell I survived, and so he did it again in a couple of weeks. I got my first class as an official instructor in Fall 2010 and I have been teaching ever since. I must admit that those “trials” from my advisor in my PhD program were actually very beneficial for me. They prepared to learn to improvise, as you cannot be prepared for everything. It really helped me to be a better college professor later on. Where did you grow up and why aren’t you there now? I grew up in Slovenia, in a town called Koper. It is a lovely town in the coastal part of Slovenia, located at the upper coast of the Adriatic Sea. It’s about two hours from Venice, Italy. Sorry, but I am always very detailed with the description, as Slovenia gets confused with many other places, so I want to avoid this. As I mentioned earlier, I’ve wanted a change. I’ve been there all my life. I got my education, played soccer semi-professionally, bought an apartment, had a steady job…but I wanted a new challenge. I hated the idea of having no more new things coming my way – except the expected; i.e. get married, have kids and move to a bigger house. I honestly wanted to experience more. I didn’t want to settle and go with the routine as many other people around me did. I just wanted to go out. Don’t get me
wrong, I love my town, love the people there. Eventually I may return, but I live my life with no future plans. We are here now, we are enjoying it, and San Antonio is our new home now. We still go visit our other home every year though. How do you want to be remembered at this institution? I never really thought about that. I would probably want to be remembered as someone who did his job very well. I want my lectures to be interesting and my classrooms to be a fun learning experience. I would like to be remembered as one of the professors who helped our marketing program reach its highest academic level, in order to compete with other leading schools in the nation. I believe our university, Texas A&M-San Antonio, has the true potential of becoming a leading institution in the region. I want to make sure I can help the marketing department achieve its highest standard of teaching by providing our current and future students the best learning experience in this amazing field called “Marketing!”.
Spring Courses Internet as a Marketing tool: MKTG 3370 Sport Marketing: MKTG 4396 Foundation of Marketing: MKTG 5150 International Marketing: MKTG 5363
Fall Courses Principle of Marketing: MKTG 3311 (formerly MKTG 3361) Branding MKTG 3361 NEW CLASS! Seminar in Marketing: MKTG 5361
Arne Baruca, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Management & Marketing Dpt Ph: (210) 784-2312 Email: arne.baruca@tamusa.edu
5
Sensational New Courses Being a Marketing major at Texas A&M San Antonio has never been easier. Starting from this upcoming semester, upon the successful completion of the course Principles of Marketing (MKTG 3311), you have access to several marketing upper level courses. The pre-requisites system has changed to allow more flexibility for our students, and to improve course sequencing and timely degree completion. We want to offer the best selection for our students. That’s why we now offer four new sensational marketing courses: Digital marketing, Branding, Sport marketing, Services Marketing. This new lineup offers a variety of knowledge in the world of marketing. As a Jaguar, we want to make sure you can select a course that you are passionate about and that will help you in your future career. Thanks to these new courses you can follow your dreams! Digital Marketing MKTG 3370 The internet is a dynamic marketplace if there ever was one. This class will give you the theoretical understanding of the internet marketplace necessary to adapt to its many changes, while also equipping you with the skills you’ll need to perform vital daily functions. By the end of the course, you
will be able to walk into any company with an online presence and improve their use of the internet. Branding MKTG 3361 This course is designed to provide an understanding of how to manage a brand or product, with a focus on understanding the concepts underlying brands and branding. Understanding begins with the idea that even the most skillful marketer cannot make customers buy things that they don’t need or want. Hence, we will focus on issues related to customer behavior and customer decision making, especially as it relates to building relevant products and services, and developing product and/or service adjustments or extensions. This course is designed to build on and apply the conceptual tools obtained in the core marketing courses. Sport Marketing MKTG 3367 Sport Marketing presents an overview of the various techniques and strategies used in meeting the wants and needs of consumers in the sport industry as well as understanding how sport can be used to assist in the marketing of other companies and products. Areas to be addressed are the uniqueness of sport marketing in comparison with traditional marketing, an overview of the segments of the sport industry, the importance of market research and segmentation in identifying the right sport consumer, the use of data-based marketing in reaching the sport consumer, an overview of the marketing mix as individual units and the 6
relationship between those units, and the development of sponsorship and endorsement packages.
working in service industries and will address the distinct needs and problems of service firms in the area of marketing.
Service Marketing MKTG 3366 The U.S., as well as much of the world economy, is dominated by services. In the U.S. approximately 75% of the labor force, 70% of the GNP, 45% of an average family’s budget, and 32% of exports are accounted for by services. Yet, business school courses traditionally have focused on the manufacturing sector of the economy. This course is designed for students who may be interested in
Looking forward, the University will welcome first and second year students to campus in August 2016. In preparation for this comprehensive expansion to a full 4-year institution, the department made changes to all degree plans effective for the 2016-17 incoming class. These changes include increasing our emphasis on and opportunities for engaged-learning. New, 1 credit hour, courses have been developed which will include topics such as team-work, service learning, internships, and public speaking. We will roll out the first of these classes in Fall 2016: MGMT 3105, Professionalism in Business. This class will strengthen skills that local employers are seeking in new graduates, and also will serve as the pre-requisite to the COB co-op experience (BUAD 4129), which will launch in Spring 2017. Another upcoming curriculum change is an increased emphasis on globalization in the supply chain management concentration. Students will be able to pursue a bachelor of applied arts and sciences in homeland security.
7
Saving the Lighthouse “A Story of Strategic Leadership and Employee Engagement" is the topic of the Spring 2016 Learning Event. The April 5th program will feature President and CEO, Mike Gilliam who will discuss his journey in leading the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind from the brink of bankruptcy to prosperity, returning the organization to its mission of "Empowering the blind and visually impaired." For over 82 years, the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind has provided rehabilitation services as well as employment for the blind in its light manufacturing assembly plant. The Spring Learning Event is a project of the SHRM@A&MSA student chapter in partnership with the College of Business. The free event is open to the University community and the general public, and is scheduled for Tuesday, April 5th, 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm, room 196 (large auditorium), at the Brooks City-Base campus, 2406 Louis Bauer Road. Startup San Antonio: Tools in Town for Starting a Business Want to start your own business? Come listen to representatives from local organizations geared towards helping entrepreneurs get their businesses up and running! Presenters will include representatives from the San Antonio District Office of the Small Business Administration, the Women's Business Center (WBC), the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Cafe Commerce and SCORE. The discussion will take place in the large auditorium (room 196) at the Brooks City-Base Campus from 5 to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 26. Refreshments will be provided What are You Worth? Tips for Salary Negotiation This three part series sponsored by Career Services will help you determine your expenses, discover salaries in your career field and give you tips for salary negotiation. Wednesday, April 27, Noon- 1 p.m. (Main Campus). Each portion of the presentation is only fifteen minutes long, so come for one, two or all three sessions: • Noon to 12:15 p.m. Determining Your Expenses and Income • 12:20 to 12:35 p.m. What's the Usual Salary for My Career? • 12:40 to 12:55 p.m. Top Tips for Negotiating Your Salary Wednesday, April 27, 5:30-6:30 p.m. (Brooks City-Base Campus) T-shirts will be given away to attendees while supplies last! 8
Full-Time Faculty Management Sandra W. DeGrassi Douglas Carter Daniel Glaser Adrian Guardia Tracy A. Hurley Dean, College of Business
Richard Jenkins Chin-Yen "Alice" Liu Leonard Love Amy Lewis Enrique "Henry" Ramirez Josephine Sosa-Fey Gary Krause Kathleen Voges Irvin "Butch" Miller
Marketing Arne Baruca Weixing M. Ford Lisa Siegal
9
The College of Business hosted their annual career night sponsored by H-E-B on February 18th. Nearly 250 business students attended career-building workshops with H-E-B representatives. The most talented students were chosen by faculty to attend a special invitation-only pre-event with the H-E-B recruiting team. Texas A&M-San Antonio thanks H-E-B for a successful evening of student enrichment and opening doors to new career opportunities!
10
We are Marketing Heroes! Professors Baruca, Ford, Huth, and Siegal took students from international marketing and officers of the TAMU-SA American Marketing Association chapter to the 2016 San Antonio American Advertising Awards on February 20. At this super-hero themed event, students were introduced to advertising and marketing leaders.
11
“The beginning is the most important part of the work” – Plato
Edited by Gian Michele Carta
12