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SOM ranked top public business school in Northeast(Comtex Community Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge) Mar 13, 2007 (Daily Collegian - McClatchy-Tribune Business News via COMTEX) --It may not take a business major to know the value of getting the most bang for one's buck, but the 3,131 undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Massachusetts' Isenberg School of Management are doing just that, as the school has been ranked highest overall among undergraduate, public business schools in the Northeast. In BusinessWeek magazine's annual survey, "The Best Undergraduate Business Schools," the Isenberg School of Management was listed above all northeastern public business schools and 58th in a comprehensive, nationwide poll. The college's Web site, www.isenberg.umass.edu, makes known that the school has issued more than 30,000 degrees since its first graduating class in 1949 and offers these degrees in concentrations from six departments. These include accounting and information systems, finance and operations management, hospitality and tourism management, management and sport management. According to Isenberg School of Management Communications Director Lou Wigdor, the survey was not only based on statistical data, but also responses from the graduating seniors of each respective school and answers from corporate recruiters. Students answered questions about but not limited to quality of faculty, curriculum and extracurricular activities, which accounted for 30 percent of the rating process. Twenty percent was aimed at corporate recruiters who answered inquiries pertaining to quality of graduates, curricula innovation and career services. "This milestone reflects our concerted efforts to prepare our students for success in the global economy," says Dean Soren Bisgaard. "I am extremely proud of our faculty, staff and especially our students". "A major part of my decision to come here was the high ranking of the business school," senior Adam Lohnes adds. BusinessWeek based much of its statistical data on class size, starting median salary of recently graduated alumni [$46,500], and faculty/student ratio [29:5]. The survey also graded the quality of the school's students in categories such as average SAT [1186], ACT and average time spent on school work. The magazine commented that it holds the sports management program in especially high regard, yet critiques, "internships outside of accounting and finance are difficult to find." Senior sports management major Eric Whisman agrees with this assessment. "We get e-mails about internships, but most seem to be in finance. The sports management program is great, but it's hard to find internships or get valuable advising," Whisman says. Undergraduate Dean Carol Barr says, "Our achievement represents a total team effort by an exceptionally talented and engaged faculty, staff and student body. Our undergraduates are exceptional both academically and as leaders in a vibrant learning community. "The BusinessWeek survey is a welcome acknowledgement of the many things that we are doing well, but is also valuable because it gives us strategic information that will allow us to continue our quest for continuous improvement," Barr says. Will McGuinness can be reached at [email protected]. Copyright (c) 2007, Daily Collegian, Amherst, Mass. |