LETTER FROM DEAN
We are pleased to share with you this recent edition of the Price College e-newsletter. You will find an article providing you a glimpse into the First Fidelity Integrated Business Core. This unique curriculum combines the advantages of a co-taught three course curricula of business law, management and marketing principles with a business application experience. Students, since the inception of this program, have identified products to sell, built business plans, checked on licensing requirements (many of the products are tied to OU in some way), secured a business loan from our partner bank in this class - First Fidelity, placed product orders with vendors, marketed and sold their merchandise, paid off the loan and donated the net proceeds to charity. In addition they have donated volunteer time to local charities. This program over the past 12 years has donated over $820,000 dollars to charities and over 36,000 hours of volunteer time. The impact of this program on our students and the local community has been truly amazing.
You will also find an article on John Carrig, COO and president of ConocoPhillips. Carrig visited campus as part of the college's Distinguished Speaker series. This event provided students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends of the Price College an opportunity to hear from one of the leading executives in the energy industry. Carrig's insights into the economics of the energy industry marketplace and projections for the future were warmly received.
Eight students along with the Management Information Systems division head and W.P. Wood Professor in MIS, Dr. Laku Chidambaram, traveled to Chennai, India over the semester break. Along with lecture material, students learned first hand about the India business environment. Among the firms they visited were InfoSys and Dell Computers. Cultural exposure was a big part of this experience as well. As you might imagine, the student response was extremely positive.
As we close in on the end of another semester, this year has been unlike any other in my career as a business academic. The economic environment challenges confronting the domestic and financial communities have been at the forefront of our classroom instruction. Now, more than ever, the qualities of our OU Price College graduates are being judged not only on the merits of their technical preparation but also on their professional and ethical values. We are proud of the commitments the college has made over the past few years in elevating the role that ethics instruction plays across our curriculum. Our active involvement in various community service projects such as the IBC program prepare our students with not only outstanding business skills but also an awareness of the responsibilities of being leaders in the communities in which they reside. There are many reasons to be proud of being a Sooner. Certainly one of which is the outstanding graduates of the Price College of Business. The excellent quality of our students is made possible by an exceptional faculty and staff who are dedicated to the preparation of the next generation of business leaders.
As always, we welcome your feedback and hope you find this edition of the Price College e-newsletter informative.