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October 2017 DICKINSON STATE UNIVERSITY ANNOUNCES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP The North Dakota State Board of Higher Education recently granted approval for the Department of Business and Management at Dickinson State University to form the School of Business and Entrepreneurship (SoBE). The move comes after the department succeeded in completing the objectives listed in its five-year strategic plan developed in 2012, which included teaching and advising initiatives aimed at attracting and retaining the highest quality students and faculty as well as reaching enrollment and retention goals.
SCHOOL OF
Business & Entrepreneurship The department also completed its plan to open a Small Business Development Center (SBDC). The SBDC will allow the University and the School of Business and Entrepreneurship to work more closely with the community toward common goals that foster economic growth and development. “With the addition of the Small Business Development Center, we are able to tap into the demands of our majors who would like to understand what it takes to start a business,” said Holly Gruhlke, chair of the SoBE. “Students will be able to intern with the SBDC and work with entrepreneurs, witnessing the process firsthand.” Business education has a long history on the campus of Dickinson State University. Launched in 1927 as the Commerce Division of Dickinson Normal School, the academic unit consisted of the business administration, secretarial arts and commerce. Now as the School of Business and Entrepreneurship, there are five bachelor fields of study accredited by the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education: accounting, administration, finance, human resource management and international business, in addition to an associate degree in office administration and three certificate programs.
D I C K I N S O N S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y
BOO
6th annual
hawks
2017
Tuesday, October 31
4-7pm Wienbergen Hall 205 Delong Place
TRICK-or-TREAT INDOORS
coloring contest
coloring sheets available at dickinsonstate.edu/boohawks
AGE GROUPS: 0 -5 & 6 -1 2
2017 LOCATION/PARKING
ENTRANCE Dickinson State University will be hosting the sixth annual Boo Hawks event. Bring the whole family and don’t forget to wear your costumes! Boo Hawks is intended for families with children in the sixth grade or younger, but all are welcome to attend and admission is free. Parking will be available in the lot West of Scott and Wienbergen gymnasiums along Second Street West. If you are interested in sponsoring this event or have questions, please contact Holly Gruhlke at (701) 483-2333 or holly.gruhlke@dickinsonstate.edu. Those who would like to donate candy or promotional items can drop them off on campus on or before Oct. 26 in May Hall room 318.
As the largest field of study, at approximately a quarter of the total campus enrollment per year, the School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s mission is to educate and prepare skilled, principled, and entrepreneurial graduates who will have a positive impact in their professions, their companies and their communities. Recent surveys detail that area employers are pleased with the business professionals who graduate from DSU, citing that they are satisfied with their new hires’ ability to plan, organize, lead, control and communicate in professional business settings. Gruhlke shared, “Our ability to maintain and grow enrollment is due to our focus on offering high quality business programs for our students that prepare them for the dynamic business environments they are sure to encounter throughout their careers.” In addition to employers’ praise, SoBE graduates have performed well on national tests and at business events and competitions. This spring, two senior business majors scored in the top 99th percentile in the nation on the ETS major field test in business, a required exam that measures student’s ability to apply fundamental business concepts. Approximately 9 percent of senior DSU business majors per year score in the top 10 percent in the nation on the exam, an impressive feat considering their scores are compared against students from much larger institutions like Penn State, Xavier University and Texas A&M. Additionally, the School of Business and Entrepreneurship’s Professional Business Leaders (PBL) chapter performed well at PBL competitions in events that tested student knowledge in topics like business ethics, human resource management, marketing and finance. Dickinson State University’s chapter is led by assistant professor of accounting, Amy Kass, who earned the North Dakota PBL Advisor of the Year Award in 2017. In its second year as a chapter, the group advanced 14 students to nationals and had member, Allisha Dworshak, selected as the North Dakota Professional Business Leaders vice president of operations for the state officer team. “We are proud of our history and excited about the opportunities having a School of Business and Entrepreneurship will provide for our campus, our students and our community,” Gruhlke said.
MEET HOLLY GRUHLKE, CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP Tell me a little bit about yourself. I am the youngest of four children and was raised on an organic farm and ranch in Northeast Montana. The closest town to my home, Oswego, Montana, was about six miles away. My official hometown had 40 residents – and a church and a bar. We had to do a lot of traveling to get essentials and planning was important. Growing up on a farm, I learned the values of responsibility, hard work and integrity. These are lessons I still use to this day. I went to school in Wolf Point from kindergarten through 12th grade. There were not a lot things going on around town, so most of my free time was spent reading, playing sports and riding horses. My favorite sports were volleyball and basketball. I am happily married to my husband, Daniel, and we have an amazing son, Jaxen. Our family loves adventures. During the summer, you will usually find us camping at the lake. This fall, I will be completing my Doctorate in Business Administration. My family really has been my support system through this rigorous program. Daniel and I talk about how he has only known me as a student, and is used to me always having to study. We have decided once I am done with my program that it is probably his turn to get an advanced degree, just to maintain our balance. Why did you chose to study at Dickinson State University? My sister convinced me to visit DSU while she was attending. I was playing basketball for a school in Minnesota, and was having a tough time being so far away from family. It took me 12 hours one way to drive home, which meant that I only visited during long breaks. During spring break, I came to visit campus and went to classes with her. Right away, I had a different feeling here than at the other schools I had visited. I met with a few other instructors, and reviewed my academic options. Besides the location, the amazing faculty I met, and the fact DSU had the majors I was interested in, it was the affordability. I was very worried about my student loan debt, even with my scholarships at the institution I was attending. At DSU, I could afford to focus on my education without digging myself into a huge financial hole. My sister and I graduated with our bachelor’s degrees in business on the same day. This was a big deal because we were the first in our family to graduate from college. I will never forget graduation day. We were so excited that we had planned a big outdoor party, and had invited all of our friends and family. We were a little anxious when we woke up graduation morning to snow where the green grass had been. Luckily, in true North Dakota fashion, it was 70 degrees by the time commencement released and everything worked out. GRUHLKE: Page 2