in the news Executive Educators Unite
Foster Rising U.S. News, BusinessWeek rank Foster School programs in top 10 of public institutions
Executive Education hosts the first UNICON Conference in the Pacific Northwest The International University Consortium for Executive Education (UNICON) is an organization of leading business schools with a commitment to executive education development. Established in 1972, it now has 90 members consisting of top business schools from around the world. Since joining the consortium, UW Executive Education has continued to help raise the visibility of Foster among other leading business schools. This increased visibility led the UNICON board to ask the Foster School to host the 2008 annual conference—the first time it would be held in the Northwest.
Taking Shape PACCAR Hall is on budget, on time, and online Despite the challenges of a long, inclement Seattle winter, construction of PACCAR Hall is progressing according to schedule. When completed in 2010, the new $95 million home of the Foster School of Business will encompass more than 135,000 square feet of state-ofthe-art classrooms, breakout rooms, offices, computer labs, community areas, a 250-seat auditorium, a café, and atrium. Can’t wait until PACCAR Hall opens its doors in fall of 2010? Go to the PACCAR Hall Web site to view a live construction cam, video clips explaining every step of the process, and a virtual video “fly-through” to get a stylized preview of the finished product. Visit www.foster.washington.edu/about/Pages/PACCARHall.aspx. n
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The conference was a tremendous success, attracting 175 executive education providers representing 70 schools from 18 different countries—one of the most diverse and well attended UNICON gatherings ever. The Foster School was able to showcase its new brand and provide a working case study for reputation building initiatives that include getting faculty and local corporate leaders integrated into the program. Conference feedback was overwhelmingly positive. n
Shifting Standards CFO Forum assesses the move to international financial reporting standards On March 4th, the Foster School hosted the Winter 2009 CFO Forum Meeting, convening more than 50 of Seattle’s top CFOs and senior financial executives and 25 business school faculty to discuss the impact of the transition from US to international financial reporting standards (IFRS) on American businesses. Three panelists led the discussion: Mary Barth, a member of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and professor of accounting at Stanford University; Paul Munter, a lead partner in KPMG’s IFRS practice; and Sue Sallee, vice president and controller at T-Mobile. While Barth provided insight into the IASB’s standard setting process, Munter and Sallee shared their personal experiences with helping firms transition from US to international reporting standards. The audience asked panelists a variety of questions, including how the current credit crisis and the Obama Administration’s priorities are expected to impact the US transition to international standards. Audience members were also interested in how US firms that have already transitioned to IFRS are dealing with the revenue recognition and asset valuation differences these new standards bring. The CFO Forum sessions, which began in 2001, are sponsored by the Foster School, Cushman & Wakefield, KPMG, and Foster Pepper. The Foster School’s own Mark Soliman, associate professor of accounting and CFO Forum faculty director, served as the session’s panel moderator. n
In April, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Foster School of Business full-time MBA Program 26th in the United States, and 8th among public institutions. Earlier, the magazine listed the Foster School Undergraduate Program 21st in the nation overall, 9th in international business, and 12th in accounting. In February, BusinessWeek ranked the Foster School MBA Program 27th among American business schools, and 9th among public institutions. In addition, the magazine found the Foster MBA to have the 10th most innovative curriculum and to be the 10th most improved program overall, according to its poll of corporate recruiters. BusinessWeek also ranked the Foster Undergraduate Program 25th in the nation overall and 9th among US public universities. n
Let me in! Dubs, the new Husky mascot, peers into Balmer Hall.
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