CBA's Think Again campaign reaffirms excellence of its graduates, faculty, services

'We're not just good, we're great.'

Central Michigan University's College of Business Administration recently launched its Think Again promotional campaign, and it's got people thinking - and talking.

The campaign, which promotes CBA's extraordinary graduates, highly accomplished faculty, and growing reputation for services and innovation, is geared toward alumni, business leaders, and big companies, especially those in the Detroit metropolitan area, like General Motors, Delphi, and Ford.  

"We want everybody to know that CBA is not just vanilla ice cream," said   Amy Silk, director of development. "We are beyond that. We're not just good. We're great. And the response has been very positive."

Preparing students to hit the ground running

Students and graduates play a large part in the Think Again message.

Christina Bouchey, 2004 CBA Outstanding Student of the Year, received several job offers two months before graduation.

"Christina is a perfect example of our truly outstanding students," said interim dean Dan Vetter. "They are well-rounded, prepared for the workplace, and mature."

Last year 90 percent of CBA students surveyed reported finding employment or entering graduate school within three months of graduation. And in a recent marketing survey conducted by CMU business students under the direction of marketing professor Holt Wilson, numbers showed that CMU is competitive compared to other major Michigan universities in terms of graduates hired.

"Historically, we've been very successful in placing students," Vetter said. "That's a tribute to our faculty and their business connections, our career services, and our business-connected activities."

CBA faculty consultants
share expertise with business community

The Think Again campaign wants businesses to know: CBA can fill their business needs.

Many CBA faculty members have strong business connections and are able to create opportunities for students, from bringing the real world into the classroom to finding them excellent internships and jobs.

"We offer faculty and student consulting services, which adds value to our graduates who have gained hands-on skills and who have developed a strong work ethic, which is something we hear so much about from employers," Vetter said.

Marketing and logistics professor Robert L. Cook has provided expert consultation to more than a dozen Fortune 500 companies and has co-authored more than 60 academic and professional publications, including Securing the Supply Chain - the current manual on how to move materials in a national emergency.

"Cook is a key faculty member," Vetter said. "He has built the logistics program. He's nationally recognized, and he has very strong connections with professionals in that industry."

In the past five years, CBA has made substantial growth in its overall connection with the business community by offering more activities that bring professionals to campus, supporting faculty by providing up-to-date resources and incentives, and making critical additions to the staff, for instance the development director and corporate relations director.

The growing ranks
of successful CBA alumni

Many CBA graduates have risen to the top of their game, like these three "stars":

Kristen Holt, '94, is the senior vice president and chief financial officer of NSF International, a world leader in public health and safety standards.

Jerry Campbell, '62, is chairman of the board of Republic Bancorp Inc., which he founded in 1986 and turned into the 82nd largest company in America, with $5.2 billion in assets. Fortune magazine included Republic Bancorp Inc. in its "100 Best Places to Work in America," ranking it 5th in 2003 and 2004.

Ira Kreft, '77, is executive vice president for Bank of America Business Capital in Chicago, responsible for a business unit that covers a 13-state area in the Midwest as well as parts of Canada. His group has a managed portfolio with gross credit commitments of more than $4 billion.

"Our goal with the Think Again campaign and with any future marketing plans is to improve the already positive image about the college," Vetter said.

Thinking again about
CBA's innovative approach

CBA's innovative approach has given it a clear edge over other business colleges.   

Entrepreneur Magazine recently ranked its entrepreneurship program as among the top 100 in the country.

Greg Boehmer, '03, began learning SAP, a sophisticated business software product that is growing in popularity worldwide, in 2000. Today he works for Deloitte & Touche, where 90 percent of his work involves SAP.

Also, CBA recently revised its B.S.B.A. degree program after gathering input from advisory boards, alumni, business connections, and students about the ongoing changes and efforts to develop an improved business curriculum.

"We have an excellent track record developing new programs," Vetter said. "The degree program will be key for the college over the next three or four years. It's going to add value to students to make them even more marketable."

In fact, capitalizing on the new degree program and aggressively promoting it to high school students and counselors will be CBA's next step toward raising awareness of what the college has to offer.

"In the meantime, we want to continue to get the word out to businesses that our students, faculty, and services could be valuable assets for them," Vetter said.

Dr. Robert L. Cook, CBA professor of logistics and marketing