School of Business

KU makes Barron’s honor roll

Barron’s Magazine, the Dow Jones Business and Financial Weekly, issued a challenge: a stock-picking competition for college and graduate students and their professors. In its Nov. 22 issue, Barron’s reported, “Although a number of the 1,154 students and 69 professors participating in the contest hail from such venerable schools as Harvard, Yale and Princeton, not a one of them is in the top 15 in either [the student or professor] category.” But KU School of Business professor Mark Hirschey is.

Announcing the results in its Jan. 3 issue, Barron’s Honor Roll included Hirschey near the top, listed fourth among professors. Each portfolio began with $100,000. During the timeframe of the Barron’s Challenge, Oct. 1 to Dec. 15, the Dow was up 6.1 percent the Nasdaq climbed 14 percent, and the S&P rose 8.2 percent. Hirschey’s account value of 132,113.87 changed 32.1 percent. The account of the winner, from Globe College in Oakdale, Minn, rose 48.3 percent.

“Wall Street, take note,” Barron’s article stated. “An Ivy League education does not necessarily a successful stock picker make.”

“By encouraging my students to participate in the Barron's Investment Challenge, I'm trying to do two things,” Hirschey said. “Most importantly, I want to impress upon them the difficulty of picking top performing stocks over a very short time frame. That's a game professional money managers are forced to play, and it is a really, really tough game. Solid investment strategies can under-perform for a time, and silly stock picking ideas can look smart over brief time periods.

“Another obvious reason for asking my students to participate in the Barron's Investment Challenge is that experiential learning is more fun than merely attending lectures. They also get a chance to ‘beat’ the professor, and what student doesn't like that?”

Leadership Challenge 2005

“Encouraging Excellence in Leadership”

The University of Kansas Business and Engineering Leadership Challenge 2005 will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 18-19 at the Kansas Union. Developed primarily for sophomores and juniors, Leadership Challenge is the fourth corporate-sponsored seminar focusing on leadership early in a student's academic career.

The seminar grew from a shared vision of the Business and Engineering Career Services Advisory Councils according to Jolene Byer, assistant director of Business Career Services. These councils, made up of industry representatives, faculty, and career services staff, believe that students, business partners, and career services centers should each play a proactive role in the effective development and placement of Jayhawks in the global work force.

The goal is to create an environment where students are aware and understand the value and need for leadership in industry. It also stresses a student's ownership and responsibility in the career development process.

Students will have the opportunity to meet representatives from a variety of corporate sponsors. Gold level sponsors include Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, Flint Hills Resources/Koch Industries, KPMG LLP, Philip Morris USA, and Raytheon. Philip Morris USA Aid to Education also provided an educational grant in support of the program, as did Target.

The two day workshop is free to selected students and students must apply in advance.

Kim File, a KU business student and 2004 Leadership Challenge participant, said "I found Leadership Challenge to be a wonderful opportunity for anyone who is interested in networking with employers and also with other KU students. I would highly recommend this program to anyone."

Leadership Challenge 2005 will give students the opportunity to recognize characteristics of successful leadership and to utilize those characteristics to unlock the doors to their success. The event includes exercises in recognizing and developing leadership potential, as well as networking opportunities for students and industry representatives.

For more information visit the School of Business website.