Upcoming Events and Deadlines
       Study Abroad in Guatemala

   Why Business Matters to God

Advising & Registration
       Advising for Minors

       Winter Spirituality and Business sections 

       BUS 3682 Social Venture Planning

       CSC 1123 Spreadsheets for Winter & Spring

       Advising Notes from Elizabeth Gordon

Upcoming Events

New Study Abroad Option in Guatemala

Dear students,

Just to give you an early head’s up that you will soon see campus information about a fall 2011 SPU program in Central America called “Go Guatemala!”.  It will offer credits in that country for general education in either Social Science B (for GEO 2000) or Natural Science B (PHY 1142) with Prof. Braden or Prof. Lindberg, respectively.  The program will work with the Christian organization, Students International, to place you in an internship in Guatemala.  Finally, the program will include Spanish language credits (and, if you demonstrate appropriate mastery) could satisfy SPU’s language proficiency requirement.  For people who already have their language requirement fulfilled and speak Spanish, the institute there will place you appropriate to your abilities.

Go Guatemala! will be centered in the gorgeous city of Antigua (watch out for those volcanoes) and will start students down there early in September and get them back to the U.S. before Thanksgiving, so you would not be knocked out-of-synch for winter quarter, or the holidays with your families. It also will place students in home-stays with local people and include excursions around the country.  And, because it is an SPU program, you can apply your financial aid package to Go Guatemala!  The program will have a capacity of twenty students and you should watch for announcements about the application process. 

Dr. Denise Daniels of SBE, who recently returned from an extended stay in Guatemala, also has information, and our study abroad coordinator, Gail DeBell (second floor Marston, gdebell@spu.edu) would be a good contact person if you think you would like to track emerging details about the program.  I am really excited about this opportunity for SPU students!!!  Hola!  Go, Guatemala!  For more information, visit the Guatemala Study Abroad page.

— Dr. Kathleen Braden, Professor of Geography

Why Business Matters to God, Jeff Van Duzer's New Book

"If law furthers God's interest in justice and medicine furthers God's interest in healing, what aspect of God's work will a business career further?  Or, put differently, from God's perspective, what is the purpose of business?"  -- from the opening of Jeff's new book.

OK, truth in advertising compels me to state that Jeff Van Duzer is my boss.  And as such, I've heard him speak on the topics found in his new book for much of the past ten years.  And Jeff is a great speaker, no fault to his originally being a Rhetoric major and a gifted lawyer.  But here I find that Jeff is a good writer and clear thinker, at which I'm not at all surprised.  What I find in his new book is the careful synthesis of the biggest ideas we've tossed around here in the School of Business and Economics in recent years.  This is a great book for Christian business people, but above all it is important for the future business professionals being minted here in SBE at SPU.  Take a look at this book at Amazon.com.  You can read the introduction and much of the first chapter there.  You may find you'll want to read it through.  And if your parents ever wonder if the cost of an SPU accounting, business, or economics education is worth it, get them a copy for Christmas. — Dr. Dick Sleight, eNews editor

 
Advising and Registration
   

Advising for Minors

From the SBE Academic Advisor for Minors:  I recently started looking for a new job.  Oh, I'm happily employed here in SBE.  I was searching for openings for a 2010 SPU graduate with an English major.  What I found were jobs in health care, technology and business.  Truck driving jobs were in there too, as I recall.  In this and future uncertain economic times, an added business-related credential may make the difference in your getting hired. 

Admission to one of the three SBE minors requires a 2.70 GPA from all institutions attended, and at least sophomore standing.  These standards are similar to those for the SBE majors, since SBE minors take some of the same classes as SBE majors.  Unlike majors, qualified students may apply online to a minor at any time. If you've got questions about the Business Administration, Economics, or Entrepreneurship minor, contact the minor advisor, Dr. Dick Sleight, at SL8@spu.edu, 281-2265, or visit 206 McKenna Hall.

 

BUS 3950 Spirituality in Business: Three sections in Winter 2011

All of these one-credit winter sections are offered on single weekends, 6:00-9:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.

25541	Dr. Bruce Baker Dr. Randy Franz	January 28-29	Finding Grace & Building Soul at Work
25542	Dr. Al Erisman	February 4-5	A Calling to For-Profit Business?
27814	Jeff Van Duzer, J.D.	January 14-15	Exploring “Another Way of Doing Business”

  

Drs. Randy Franz and Bruce Baker  —  Finding Grace & Building Soul at Work

We will explore two central Christian ideas—grace and soul—to see how they might inform and shape our thinking about work and business.  You’ll read a few short theological chapters/sermons, some selected scripture passages and a recent business book called: “Small Giants: Companies that choose to be great instead of big.”  The author profiles a dozen companies that have figured out how to connect in profound ways with customers, employees and communities. While most of them are highly profitable, they have learned that there’s more to business than profit.  We’ll spend our time together exploring how the theological ideas are related to business practices.

Dr. Al Erisman  —  A Calling to For-Profit Business?

Can you be serious about your faith, seeking to walk in the calling God has given you, and be employed in the for-profit business world?  Is there a legitimate opportunity to serve God at Boeing, Microsoft, or Fed Ex?  Is there meaning and purpose in this kind of work, or is it only instrumental toward some other objective?  We will pursue these questions together through looking at the life and work of Joseph in the last section of Genesis, supplementing this with modern day illustrations of business people called to their work.

Jeff Van Duzer, J.D.  —  Exploring “Another Way of Doing Business”

This class will allow us to explore the implications of the "grand narrative" of Scripture on business. Tracing themes through creation, fall, redemption and new creation, we will explore what the Bible has to say about business. In particular we will look at God's perspective on the purpose of business, the practice of business and the role business should play in society as a partner of other institutions.

 

BUS 3682: Social Venture Planning

Are you thinking about entering the Social Venture Plan Competition? If so, BUS 3682 will help you develop an outstanding plan. Many of the former winners of SVPC were in this course. BUS 3682 (2 credits) is  non-technical, workshop-style and designed for business and non-business students. It presents the basics of business planning for social venture. Each class session concentrates on a specific element of the SVPC plan template, and is designed to accomplish the following:

• Provide students with the knowledge and skills to compete effectively in SVPC. 
• Connect students to resources from the SPU faculty and community partners, experts in business and social venture.
• Give hands-on direction for formulating the components of a social venture plan.

BUS 3682: Social Venture Planning (2 credits)

Winter   CRN: 26640         Dr. Don Summers      Wednesdays       6:00 p.m. — 7:40 p.m.     beginning January 12, 2011

   

CSC 1123 and the SBE Spreadsheet Competency Requirement

It's been three years since CSC 1123 superseded BUS 1700 as the designation for the Spreadsheets course.  While a few students manage to waive the SBE Spreadsheets Competency Requirement, most need to take CSC 1123 early in their college career. This one-credit course meets for two hours each week for either the first or second half of each quarter.  Here are the offerings for Winter and Spring 2011.  Remember, this requirement must be fulfilled before taking ACCT 2362 or MAT 2700.  Get it done.

Winter	25425	Elaine Weltz	Mon,Wed	12:30 PM-1:20 PM	01/04-02/07
Winter	25440	Mike Tindall	Mon,Wed	3:00 PM-3:50 PM	01/04-02/07
Winter	25441	Elaine Weltz	Mon,Wed	12:30 PM-1:20 PM	02/09-03/14
Spring	44203	Phil Prins	Mon,Wed	12:30 PM-1:20 PM	03/30-04/27
Spring	44204	Phil Prins	Mon,Wed	12:30 PM-1:20 PM	05/02-06/03

Monthly Donuts with the Dean Thursday events continue on December 2nd. Visit the AUSBE web site.

And find your AUSBE friends on FACEBOOK.

 

 
Center for Applied Learning
 

5th Annual Social Venture Plan Competition Schedule Announced

2011 Social Venture Plan Competition dates to remember

• Intent to Participate forms due                      Tuesday, February 8th, 2011
• Written Plans and Submission Forms due     Friday, March 11th, 2011
• Coaching Sessions                                      Wednesday, April 6th, 2011
• Showcase Round                                         Wednesday, April 13th, 2011

           We will be updating the information on the SVPC web site for the 2010-11 competition later this week.

Students from across SPU are hearing about the incredible value of being matched with a mentor professional and many are signing up ahead of SBE majors.  This program is open to everyone, so don't let "your mentor" get away.  We have met our capacity for the Mentor Program for autumn quarter.  Students can fill out an application for the Mentor Program and save it for future use, but Banner will not allow them to submit their application at this time (an announcement to this effect has been posted on the application page in Banner).  We will begin accepting new applications for winter quarter consideration after finals are over, December 10. 

    Beginning with this edition of the SBE Undergraduate eNews, we will introduce one of the SBE staff members.
   First up is yours truly, Dick Sleight.

Meet the SBE Staff:  Dr. Dick Sleight, Manager of Information Systems / Instructor
 
Dr. Dick Sleight is the longest serving staff member in the School of Business and Economics, having come to SPU in 1989, and moving from Demaray Hall to McKenna Hall in 1991.  Prior to SPU, Dick taught in the University of Washington College of Engineering from 1978 to 1989, (although his bachelors degree was earned in Economics.) 
 
Initially, Dr. Sleight served as the coordinator of the MBA program here.  But when the Internet arrived on campus, former SBE dean Alec Hill asked Dick to take on a new role as the school's technology manager.  He designed and setup the McKenna computer lab and the computer classroom with a grant from USWEST.  He also created the school's first web site, and continues to serve as the school's webmaster.  Other duties here include serving as the building manager, photographer, "chief information officer," lab manager, eNews editor, advisor, technology trainer, and more. The courtesy title of Instructor was given to Dr. Sleight in 2000, in recognition of his heavy teaching load at that time.  He taught all the Spreadsheets classes from 1997 to 2007 and also taught Business Statistics regularly. 

When SBE faculty take sabbaticals, Dick becomes the faculty advisor for their students, and he was recently assigned the role as advisor to all of the SBE minors.  Advising is not an afterthought to Dick.  His first two years at SPU were spent in the former Academic Advising Center and he also worked in the big central advising center at the University of Washington and served as acting director of the UW's College of Engineering advising center. 

Away from SPU, Dick leads a weekly men's Bible study on Saturday mornings at First Presbyterian Church of Bellevue. He's an accomplished sports photographer and he's hooked on reading -- especially British naval fiction. He married high school friend and SPU alumna Nancy Rutherford in 1981 and, this year enjoyed watching his first daughter Annie graduate from SPU summa cum laude. His son, Nathanael, is a junior Physics/Chemistry major here and is a standout on the Cross Country and Track teams.  Dick's one big anxiety these days is that his youngest daughter Jean is waffling between SPU and George Fox for next year. Go Falcons!