Business School Switches to Online Advising System

Business students are now using a new online advising system to register for classes and many do not see the benefits.

Deciding which classes to take is a headache for any student and it may be an even bigger hassle for business students now due to a new advising system.

Unlike the traditional advising system most of the schools at Ole Miss utilize, the School of Business recently implemented a new online advising system and many students are expressing concerns that it may actually hinder progress rather than help.

The OAS was put in place three years ago to allow students the option to create their own schedules without making an appointment with an advisor. Now, however, students are being required to first complete an OAS application before registration can begin. This application outlines the student’s proposed schedule and is sent to an advisor to await approval. Business school officials believed making the online advising system a requirement would alleviate wasted time and pointless face-to-face meetings. Instead they found themselves backlogged with too many OAS applications to process.

“We had a whole pile of these applications and we simply couldn’t handle it,” said Dr. Tony Ammeter, Associate Dean of the School of Business. “There was no way we could get them done in time before the first priority registration windows opened.”

Ammeter said the problem they ran into was that students weren’t familiar with the process and therefore didn’t complete their OAS applications in a time. This resulted in students facing delays when it came time for them to register.

“My window opened for me to register but I didn’t actually get to until almost a week later,” said Scott Brady, a business student. “By the time I got to register I had to be waitlisted in all the classes I needed. I still might not get in them.”

Other students are upset because they weren’t allowed to schedule an appointment with advisors until it was too late.

“I was considering changing my major,” Amber Goodwin said. She didn’t know what classes she would need or if changing was even possible. “It’s too late now. I could have done it had I known then, but classes are already full now.”

Ammeter says he believes this new system will work if they can convince the students that it’s a good thing. Getting the students motivated to turn in their applications on time might be difficult; however, Ammeter says that if they can pull it off everything will run a lot smoother. 

Is the Royal Wedding really News?

The entire world is anxiously awaiting the royal wedding of the Prince of Wales and his commoner fiance which will occur tomorrow morning. Tons of special features have hit all sorts of news publications and movies about the couple have already been release. Prince William's and Kate's picture can be found on literally EVERYTHING.

But is this really news? Specifically, is this really news for America?

I realize the fairy tale fantasy aspect for girls across the world. Someone is literally becoming a princess and everyone wants to see that. And to be honest, I have no problem with the broadcasting of the actual wedding. But this has been the focus in the news for the past month.

I just think there are more important things to be talking about.

Marriage Without the Wedding

According to the cover story in the USA Today this morning more than 60% of couples who marry today live together first. For an even greater percentage the goal may be marriage, but those wedding bells never ring. Sharon Jayson's article focused on the aftermath of these cohabitations when they end before the marriage license.

So what's the big deal? Why shouldn't you be able to "test run" a relationship? After all, doesn't everyone say you can't know someone until you've lived with them? Well, it's actually a really big deal. Apart from religion, lovey-dovey wedding plans, and family pressures believe it or not marriage has a real purpose as an institution.

Most mistakenly think marriage is solely about making a commitment, and while that is indeed the main component it's not the only benefit. Any relationship, especially moving in with your partner, requires a commitment of some sort so marriage is not alone in that aspect. The same kind of emotional attachments are made in serious dating relationship. So the real benefits of marriage are other things: protection - legal rights - public commitments (definitely different from private commitments).

Consider it this way. Assuming a lack of a prenuptial agreement, when a couple gets divorced everything is split down the middle according to the circumstances. But what happens if there was no marriage? There's no surefire legal way of sorting things out because chances are both sides weren't keeping itemized records of joint purchases nor were they signing promisory notes for small loans.

In short, this article brought to light what I believe to be a serious miscalculation on the parts of many. Marriage isn't something to be "test driven." You're either ready, or you're not.

Marriage in College

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=marriage+in+college+brittylea&aq=f




MARRIAGE IN COLLEGE

[Brittni Ward]


(Shots 1-2) The American Council on Education
reports that nearly 77% of all undergraduate students
are single.

(Shot 3) The remaining 23% are married. But is there really a
difference between the two?

(Shot 4-5) Think of it this way. Imagine your regular to-do list for
school. You’ve got your homework, group projects,
tests, and social life to worry about.

(Shots 5-9) Now add a wedding, an added to-do list, family taxes,
and don’t forget the monthly budgeting. So with all the
added stress, why not just wait to get married?

[SOT: Brittni Ward]

(shot 10) WE JUST DIDN’T REALLY FEEL
LIKE….THERE’S REALLY NO REASON

[Brittni Ward]

(Shots 11) After classes are done the typical college student finds
himself hanging out with friends, sometimes enjoying a
party or two. Our nights are a little quieter.

[SOT: Brittni Ward]

(Shot 12) WE DON’T PARTY….CLEAN THE
APARTMENT PARTIES

[Brittni Ward]

(Shots 13-17) Since finding time for each other is one of the main
challenges married, or soon to be married, students
face our relaxed evenings are important. We try to
cook together every night and then we share our days
over a meal. Even doing mundane tasks together like
dishes is important so that we’re able give our
relationship the attention it needs.

But what about school? Where does that fit in?

[SOT: Brittni Ward]

(Shot 18) HAVING THAT BALANCE….CAN’T LET
EITHER ONE SUFFER

[SOT: Jarred Hancock]

(Shot 19) I WORK UNTIL 6…..SPEND TIME WITH HER

[Brittni Ward]

(Shots 20-21) Some experts say that married students actually do
better in college than unmarried students. Unmarried
students are typically more likely to be indecisive,
changing their majors several times before settling on
one direction.

[SOT: Jarred Hancock]

(Shot 22) I THINK THE DIFFERENCE IS….MOSTLY EACH
OTHER

[Brittni Ward]

(Shot 23) Marriage in college isn’t for everyone. There’s a lot of
stress involved. However, for some it works – for better
or worse.

Blacks Are Moving South

Yes, you read the title right. If you're thinking to yourself that it sounds a little racially insensitive you're right on board with me.

This is a story that ran in the USA Today a couple of weeks ago. It's about the migratory patterns of African Americans, making them seem almost like a flock of geese.

Read the story here

It's not that I don't think the information is newsworthy. I can certainly see how it might be interesting that the majority of African Americans are choosing to live in the once segregated South. However, it seems racist to point it out - especially like this. Furthermore, following the habits of a particular race and reporting on things like this is, in a sense, segregating that race.

Campus United Way Campaign a Success

The University of Mississippi’s campus United Way campaign has been extremely successful this school year, according to the campaign co-chair Dr. Lucile McCook.

Through several different fundraising events and donations the campus campaign was able to give $148,000 to the United Way, a 4% increase from last year.

Kathy Sukanek, executive director for the United Way, said UM’s donation came at a critical time this year. “A number of our current partner agencies are facing the very real possibility of reduced funding due to economic conditions,” Sukanek said. “Unfortunately when funding is tight, that is when the need for help is often the greatest.”

One particular way the university campaign met that need this year was through the Fair Share gift. A Fair Share gift is an opportunity for faculty and staff to donate through payroll deductions. It is the equivalent of one hour’s pay per month. Those who participated were entered into a community-wide raffle for a chance to receive a $100 gift certificate donated by Barnes and Nobles. Project Manager of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute Ken Sleeper was the winner of this year’s raffle.

“I take great pleasure in contributing to United Way because it is such a broad gift to the community,” Sleeper said. “I feel confident that when I give to United Way it is going to a good cause.”

The funding will be used in various ways but three areas of focus will be education, health, and income programs. McCook said that she appreciates the United Way’s efforts to assure that all funding is utilized in the most efficient way. “One of the reasons I’ve been co-chair of this campaign for so long and the thing I really like about the United Way is that when you give money through the United Way, you know that your money is going where there is an immediate need,” McCook said.

Sukanek greatly appreciates all that the UM faculty, staff and students do to support the United Way. “The University is a great partner to United Way and most, if not all, of our partner agencies. The UM students who volunteer enable our agencies to offer services and programs that greatly benefit the community,” Sukanek said. “Together we can make a difference; together we are creating opportunities for change in the lives of many in our community.”

Story Idea

I'm going to be doing a story about the UM campus United Way Campaign. This year the campaign has been very successful and co-chair Dr. Lucile McCook is hoping to increase awareness and thank donators through a story. I will talk to her, Ken Sleeper (who won a United Way raffle), Cathy Sukanek (United Way director), and possibly a few others.

Business Journalism: Pros and Cons of Niche Majors

In response to an increasing demand for niche journalism, several universities have decided to introduce Business Journalism as a new major.

Most journalists tend to have a general liberal arts degree and it's not often that they specialize in any one subject. Their reports about in-depth business news, such as stock market fluctuations or the reasons behind increased gas prices, tend to be more generalized and somewhat slanted to their own understanding. Because of this many business professionals reject general news publications, instead looking to more specialized sources like the Wall Street Journal.

Dr. Ken Cyree, dean of the School of Business, said he collects his news from a variety of sources to get a breadth of coverage, but generally avoids sources that aren't business publications. “I rarely get news from general news publications,” Cyree said. “I could be unusual in that regard, but I bet I am not.”

Business Journalism is designed to provide a solution to this issue. The program allows for an opportunity to specialize in covering business news. The goal is to provide students with the skills to write a good story about business and the knowledge to back it up – all in one major.

Dr. Will Norton, dean of the Meek School of Journalism, said the University of Mississippi currently doesn’t offer Business Journalism as a major. Norton doesn't agree with the idea of having niche journalism majors. Instead, he believes that good journalists will seek additional degrees in specific areas to give them their own specialization. “If you're going to be a good business journalist, first you're going to be a good journalist,” Norton said. “Then you're going to get at least a minor in business and probably more than that.” Norton stressed that the most important thing a good journalist needs is basic journalism skills. “The ones that really thrive are the ones that know how to write,” Norton said. “A lot of people know business really well; but if you can't write about it, what good is it to you?”

Deb Wenger, assistant professor of journalism and director of undergraduate studies, said she believes that specialization is important; however, it's just not the focus for the journalism school at Ole Miss. “Our focus in on new ways to capitalize on technology to create new forms of journalism business – not how to cover business,” Wenger said.

For those interested in one major that offers a mix of journalism and business courses, however, Ole Miss does offer Marketing Communications and will soon offer Integrated Marketing Communications.

Both degrees combine a mix of journalism courses to hone students' writing skills and business core classes to give students a better understanding of business. Marketing Communication students also study advertising, consumer behavior, and additional marketing courses. “Graduates will be able to understand business while possessing the writing, broadcasting, or public relations skills necessary to compete effectively in the marketplace,” Dr. Ken Cyree said.

Opinions of Reporters: Should they Share?

My initial reaction to Rem Reider's "Reporting the Conclusions" was that reporters shouldn't be allowed to insert their own viewpoints. After all, that's what being free from bias is all about, right? News organizations, especially broadcast recently, have been accused too often of "concluding" things that aren't necssarily accurate just for the sake of a good story. Fox News is said to draw conclusions favoring the conservatives, and NBC and CNN are said to do the exact opposite.

After thinking about the article some, however, I'm not sure that my initial response is correct. I don't have a problem at all with Anderson Cooper concluding that Hosni Mubarak has given the public nothing but false information in the past few weeks. It was backed up by facts - Mubarak DID lie. Cooper wasn't totally wrong for saying what he said. The question, though, is should he have said it. After thinking about it, I believe he should have. Sometimes reporters try so hard to keep their opinions out that it makes the facts seem unclear. The truth? Mubarak lied. There's your story.

In conclusion (it's my blog so concluding is completely cool), it should be alright to make a personal conclusion in news reporting if it's backed up by facts. If you can't prove your conclusion, however, keep it to yourself.

Who Killed Jack Wheeler?

I was browsing through the USA Today as I always do on Tuesdays (too much down time between classes) and I came across a story that completely captured my attention. Peter Eisler's "Who Killed Jack Wheeler?" reads more like a suspense novel than a news story. Several reporters have covered the mysterious death of the former Pentagon official but none have been this riveting. Eisler has perfected the art of telling an interesting, informative story. 

Aside from the story itself, the visual aids were extremely useful. The story that ran in the paper was accompanied by a map showing the whereabouts of Wheeler during his last days on earth. The online version is even better! It's interactive and allows you to follow Wheeler day by day through his seemingly random journey. 

The story in itself is interesting; however, I have to admit that I haven't read a single article about Wheeler all the way through until this one. Hats off to you, Mr. Eisler. 

Introduction

This is the blog of a third year college student majoring in Marketing Communications. My name is Brittni and my focus for this blog will be on my reactions and thoughts to various articles and other information I come across in the course of my studies. My goal is to a) keep it updated, and b) keep it interesting!