Spring Break
Texas university launches class, consulting firm
MBA student's proposal to use 'NCAA Football' to brand national award will be seen in next game
Sandra Baker - Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Issue date: 3/7/07 Section: Career Fair
(FORT WORTH, Texas) - MCT - Nearly two dozen MBA students are enrolled in a new "experiential learning" course at Texas Christian University's Neeley School of Business that has them spending more time outside the classroom than in.
This semester, the school launched Neeley & Associates Consultants. It's really a class, but the course work includes service in a consulting project for an outside company or nonprofit group. There are some classroom sessions, but those mostly address topics to help the students with their work.
"You need to get them out of the classroom," said Bill Cron, an associate dean at the business school. "They need to gain experience and gain insight to dealing with complex, messy problems. This is a great opportunity for companies to identify talent."
Cron wanted the business school to formalize what its students have been informally doing for years _ working with companies and nonprofits on projects. Those assignments typically came through a professor and were sometimes included as part of the coursework. Those ad hoc projects will continue. For now, Neeley & Associates Consultants will be offered only in the spring semester.
This semester, 22 mostly first-year MBA students have been divided into six teams. Students are required to put in about 50 hours on their projects. The students have access to faculty members with expertise in the area.
T he students also recently met with consultants from Accenture _ all TCU alumni _ who spent a couple of hours going over the students' plans, easing their concerns and answering questions.
Ed Riefenstahl serves as director of Neeley & Associates Consultants, which is patterned after similar services at Emory, Rice and Pepperdine universities and the University of Texas. Larry Peters, a TCU management professor, conducts most of the classroom sessions.
"We wanted to take the best of what's out there and put it together into a program here," Riefenstahl said.
This semester, the school launched Neeley & Associates Consultants. It's really a class, but the course work includes service in a consulting project for an outside company or nonprofit group. There are some classroom sessions, but those mostly address topics to help the students with their work.
"You need to get them out of the classroom," said Bill Cron, an associate dean at the business school. "They need to gain experience and gain insight to dealing with complex, messy problems. This is a great opportunity for companies to identify talent."
Cron wanted the business school to formalize what its students have been informally doing for years _ working with companies and nonprofits on projects. Those assignments typically came through a professor and were sometimes included as part of the coursework. Those ad hoc projects will continue. For now, Neeley & Associates Consultants will be offered only in the spring semester.
This semester, 22 mostly first-year MBA students have been divided into six teams. Students are required to put in about 50 hours on their projects. The students have access to faculty members with expertise in the area.
T he students also recently met with consultants from Accenture _ all TCU alumni _ who spent a couple of hours going over the students' plans, easing their concerns and answering questions.
Ed Riefenstahl serves as director of Neeley & Associates Consultants, which is patterned after similar services at Emory, Rice and Pepperdine universities and the University of Texas. Larry Peters, a TCU management professor, conducts most of the classroom sessions.
"We wanted to take the best of what's out there and put it together into a program here," Riefenstahl said.
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