I'm posting some recent pictures of the Business Department in action. They may bring back fond memories of great days...or not-so-fond memories of not-so-great days! :) Whatever image they conjure up in your mind, enjoy this little glimpse into the Business Department 2006! ~KerryJesse Schumacher spends most of his time helping students in the lab classes. In addtion to teaching some lecture courses, Jesse handles Spreadsheet Apps, Database Apps, and Web Design courses for the department.

A typical Linda Cantwell class has students seatedin a U-shape with their Strengths placards in front of them. Linda integrates Strengths learning into her curriculum in each class she teaches.

Randy and I had our adopted mod over for dinner one night...actually, they cooked for us! Natalie Regier, marketing major, is busy working on the cinnamon rolls for the evening. Yum!

Our mod is a combination of Business students and Education students. Adopting a mod is a great way to get to know our students in a more personal way!

Turning 50

I turned 50 this past Wednesday September 6. As I reflect on this harsh (well maybe not harsh) reality several thoughts come to mind.

Have I lived life well so far? Have I loved my wife well (have I cared honored and cherished her well) during our 27 - 28 years of marriage? Have I been the kind of father I should have been for my daughters? Have I made a difference in the lives of those I have been associated with? What will the future hold? How many more years will I have on earth?

I visited a web site this past week, www. Deathclock.com. Based on certain variables, it uses a mathematical algorithm to predict your demise date. Mine turned out to be July 10, 2054 assuming I am optimistic, May 11, 2007 assuming I am a pessimist and June 18, 2029 assuming I am normal. It strikes me that as I look at these different dates that attitude plays a big role in your life. It most certainly plays a role in the quality of your life, but it apparently, according to the death clock folks, plays a role in the length of your life. In my case some 47 added years.

One of our new faculty members, Longy Anyanwu, commented to me at lunch last week that the apostle Paul said in Philippians 3:9-14 that our concern should not be about the past but the future and that it is about knowing the power and grace of the resurrected Christ.

Being 50 or just being is about wanting to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. His comment gave me some perspective on what this 50th “milestone” means.

One last thought unrelated to aging. When I talk to students about our departmental philosophy of being a steward, I discuss the notion of what an artisan is. The example I typically use is Norm Abrams from the television show This Old House. Norm is a master carpenter who can make a beautiful article from just pieces of wood. Tables, chairs, cabinets, you name it Norm can make it. This analogy has been helpful in explaining how a manager must be so committed to quality that he puts not only his effort but his heart into working with people. I mention this because I think my analogy will change. You see, we have our own “Norm Abrams” on the Tabor College campus. His name is Wes Seibel. Wes is an artisan who not only puts his heart into creating and repairing campus stuff, he puts his heart into the people he comes in contact with. I have so come to appreciate his warmth, humor, and servant attitude. He went into the hospital this week with a brain tumor. His surgery was this past Monday September 11. The latest report we received was he was in intensive care and doing well. If you could take a few moments to remember Wes in prayer I would appreciate it.

Philippians 3: 13-14 13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

First week of school

Week one is complete and in the books at Tabor College. It appears that our classes are fuller than normal. Dave Kroker has 28 in Introduction to Business and 33 in Macro Economics. I have 33 students in Principles of Marketing, 21 in Financial Management, 9 in Intermediate Accounting, 5 in Auditing, and 9 in Consumer Behavior. These are good things but challenging things.

I have talked to the managers, of the Bean Counter, Shelby Miller and Jillian Brown. They are hoping to open sometime this next week. They are excited about what they can do with the coffee house. In addition, the class project for marketing is to come up with marketing plans / new product suggestions for the Bean Counter. It should be a practical exercise for the students in the class and should be fun. I guess we will get the experience of having a consultant and being a consultant.

Business Club will be starting this month. I am planning on meeting with the chairperson, Casey Jost, and scheduling a date for the first meeting. I am guessing that it will be sometime during the third or fourth week of September. It most likely will be an organizational meeting so we can find out from students just what they want to do and who is willing to help with the club. We are in the market for guest speakers, so if you have any suggestions, pass them on to us.

Shortly, we are going to be asking students to keep portfolios of their work. We will be assessing them using goals and objectives we as a department believe business students should achieve. I will be posting those goals and objectives to the web log in the near future so you can see what we will be expecting our students to be able to do.

Additionally, we are beginning the process of considering what to do with our department curriculum. We would be interested in getting feedback from you. We are particularly interested in knowing what kind of experiences you had while in the Tabor College or wish you would have had while in the department which would enhance the student’s educational experience. If you have any suggestions for us, please let us know at our e-mail addresses.

We said we would keep you informed about potential job openings; we received the following announcement from Lindburg & Vogel, Chartered CPA’s in Hutchinson, Kansas

Lindburg & Vogel, Chartered is a growing, regional accounting firm with locations in Hutchinson, Topeka, Dodge City, and Hays. We provide assurance, tax, accounting, and consulting services to a wide variety of clients in Kansas, Oklahoma, Colorado, Texas, and South Dakota. We currently have staff position openings in our Topeka and Hutchinson offices and are looking for accounting students who graduate in December 2006 or May 2007. The position will have an audit focus with some tax return preparation. We are looking for motivated students who have plans to sit for the exam after graduation. If any students are interested they can contact Ken Hamby by phone at 620-669-0461 or email at hamby@lv-cpa.com.

Ken Hamby
Lindburg & Vogel, Chartered

Thanks again for visiting the web log site, hope your having a great beginning to the fall.

NH

PS. When you see Linda and Rich Cantwell, ask them what they think about “Roy’s Pit.”