School of Business

KU students participate in Case Competitions

KU MBA students recently represented the School of Business in major tests of their talent known as the Case Competitions.

The competitions challenge students to solve real-world business problems under short deadlines. The students devise and present a plan to five judges, who serve as a mock board of directors. The judges grade the students’ plan on the quality and feasibility of their recommendation and the clarity and organization of their presentation.

The first KU group, which traveled to the University of Oklahoma, included first-year MBA students Tim Burger, Corey Johnson and George Laurence and second-year student Amy Boomer. The KU team performed extremely well, placing second in what the judges described as an extremely close battle. The team was accompanied by Professor Chuck Krider.

A team of second-year students traveled to the University of Colorado in Boulder for competition and unfortunately failed to win a top honor. Members included Barbara Ballard, Joe Bush, Kevin Liu and Jason Rath. Bill Lewis, distinguished lecturer, traveled with the team as the faculty sponsor.

A third competing group wrote a business problem rather than solving a real-world case study. The team consisted of Erin McDonald, J.D. Crumpler and Chris Long. The results are not yet known. Krider worked with the team.

Bloomberg terminals provide valuable tool for students

Finding information about companies across the world just got easier for business students, and there’s no limit to what they can find: company descriptions, management profiles, income statements, balance sheets, debt distribution, stock price history, foreign exchange rates, bond prices, stock prices, and much more.

“It’s not that this information is impossible to find with other resources,” said business student Chris Allen, “but it’s the fact that it’s consolidated into one place.”

All of this information is found on two side-by-side computer monitors in room 313 E of Summerfield Hall. The monitors display information from a financial information network called the Bloomberg Professional Service. The school recently purchased the setup with differential tuition money, which will be used for student research.

With the terminal, students and faculty have 24-hour access to all financial markets. The school also has a laptop so faculty can take Bloomberg to the Edwards Campus or to the classroom for a demonstration.

In addition, students will be able to participate in Bloomberg certification programs. They can complete specific modules about equity, fixed income or foreign exchange, take an exam from Bloomberg and then receive a certificate stating that they have mastered that Bloomberg module.

Not many academic institutions have access to the Bloomberg service, and Allen said students should feel extremely fortunate. “Just the fact that students have the opportunity to use a Bloomberg terminal is great. It’s just a good business tool to know about.”

For more information visit the School of Business website.