Sustainable business practices continue to grow in importance to organizations across the country. Executive Education recognizes this and has partnered with the University of Arkansas Applied Sustainability Center to offer many new courses in this emerging field.
The mission of the Applied Sustainability Center is to lead organizations in the retail and consumer goods industries toward sustainable practices that support an economy built around people, planet, and profit. This is accomplished by solving complex problems, providing expert guidance, brokering problems and solutions, and by sponsoring research.
On September 30, we held our first sustainability course, the Wal-Mart Supplier Sustainability Assessment. This 90-minute program was available both in-person and online.
November will be a very green month at the Reynolds Center, with two sustainability courses on the schedule. They are the following:
Corporate Greenhouse Gas Inventory
This course is available in-person and online.
Stakeholders are beginning to expect companies to report their corporate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to publicly set reduction goals. This one-day course will give participants the knowledge and tools needed to compile their GHG inventory in accordance with generally accepted protocols and to publish information to the Carbon Disclosure Project. Participants will learn the basics of greenhouse-gas science, understand the GHG Protocol and Scope 1, Scope 2 and Scope 3 emissions, and review the Carbon Disclosure Project and other major sustainability reporting outlets. Students will also be trained on simple tools to help them collect data, calculate their footprint, and set achievable reduction targets.
Date and Time: November 12, 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM
Cost: $145
This course is limited to 60 in-person participants.
Life Cycle Assessment for Managers and Executives
This course is available in-person only.
Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is a powerful tool for understanding the impacts of a product or service across its entire life, from the extraction of a raw material to use and disposal. As LCA and product sustainability reporting become more mainstream, managers and executives across functional areas need to understand LCA so they can incorporate it in their decision making processes. This one-day course gives participants the ability to do just that. Participants will review LCA theory and work through LCA case studies to gain experience in interpreting and making decisions based on product sustainability information.
Date and Time: November 17, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Cost: $695
For more information on these and other sustainability programs, please visit our website.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Forecasting is About More than the Weather
Executive Education is excited to offer three new courses in November. Dr. Matthew Waller, the Garrison Endowed Chair in Supply Chain Management at the Sam M. Walton College of Business, will be teaching these classes focused on Retail Forecasting.
Each of these one-day courses will be taught in a computer lab with sample data sets to analyze. Participants will be given three-ring binders and copies of slides with areas for capturing notes.
Below are the highlights and dates of the programs.
Forecasting New Items or New Promotional Interventions
POS and Demand Forecasting
Each of these one-day courses will be taught in a computer lab with sample data sets to analyze. Participants will be given three-ring binders and copies of slides with areas for capturing notes.
Below are the highlights and dates of the programs.
Order Forecasting
November 6
In this course participants will learn how to use good information in shipment and order data and combine it with the information in POS. Each participant will be capable of explaining which forecast measure should be used and will be able to interpret the measure.
Forecasting New Items or New Promotional Interventions
November 13
Sometimes there is insufficient data or unusually large changes are expected. In those cases, the traditional approaches to forecasting are inappropriate. This is often true with new items. It is also true when new promotional interventions are used. In those cases, very uncommon forecasting techniques are required.
POS and Demand Forecasting
November 20
Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to determine the appropriate forecasting method and how to apply it. They will also be able to identify errors in existing forecasting approaches. The focus will be on replenished items and will include items with or without trend and seasonality, but we will also consider methods to incorporate promotional activity. Each participant will be capable of explaining which forecast error measure should be used and will be able to interpret the measure. They will also learn to compare forecast accuracies.
For more information, contact our office at (479) 575-2856 or visit our website.
No Wedding-Bell Blues at the Reynolds Center
Our Wedding Planner Showcase was a great success, and we'd like to thank the participating local vendors for their involvement. We'd also like to thank the representatives from the University's Panhellenic sororities who modeled for our She Said Yes! Bridal Fashion Show. We had a great turn out!To see more pictures from the Wedding Planner Showcase, visit our Facebook page.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Brides! Come One, Come All to the Reynolds Center!
On Tuesday, October 20, the Donald W. Reynolds Center will be host to a variety of local wedding and event planning services for a Wedding Planner Showcase! Cakes, flowers, dresses, and more! There will even be a fashion show featuring models from each Greek sorority on campus.
When: Tuesday, October 20 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm
The event will feature door-prizes and free samples. Admission is free! Whether your wedding is in ten weeks or ten years, you won't want to miss this bridal extravaganza.
When: Tuesday, October 20 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm
Where: Donald W. Reynolds Center for Enterprise Development, University of Arkansas
The event will feature door-prizes and free samples. Admission is free! Whether your wedding is in ten weeks or ten years, you won't want to miss this bridal extravaganza.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Help Us Help You
Executive Education is here to serve you. We want to offer the kind of professional development programs and training that will benefit you, your employees, and your organization. To serve you better, we'd like to know what you need. What kind of training would best help your organization? What professional development issues have you noticed in your workplace?
Help us create the programs and courses that will make your organization more successful. Tell us what you want by leaving a comment on this blog or on our Facebook page, or you can email our office.
Help us create the programs and courses that will make your organization more successful. Tell us what you want by leaving a comment on this blog or on our Facebook page, or you can email our office.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Experience the Business Behind the Magic
Disney Institute has trained tens of thousands of leaders from across the globe with its various professional development programs. Focusing on the areas of leadership, loyalty, management, service and creativity, Disney Institute utilizes the successful management principles and business philosophies of the Walt Disney World Resort. Disney Institute provides a unique and compelling opportunity to "experience the business behind the magic."
Executive Education, in conjunction with University of Arkansas Global Campus and Human Resources, is happy to welcome for the third year Disney Institute's Disney Keys to Business Excellence. This unique one-day event will challenge participants to look at their businesses in an entirely new light by showcasing the powerful strategies and business models that are the cornerstones of Disney's long-term success.
Disney Keys to Business Excellence contains four core topics:
Visit our website to learn more about this world-class program.
Executive Education, in conjunction with University of Arkansas Global Campus and Human Resources, is happy to welcome for the third year Disney Institute's Disney Keys to Business Excellence. This unique one-day event will challenge participants to look at their businesses in an entirely new light by showcasing the powerful strategies and business models that are the cornerstones of Disney's long-term success.
Disney Keys to Business Excellence contains four core topics:
- Leadership, Disney Style - how effective leadership can be the catalyst for employee satisfaction
- Loyalty, Disney Style - how improving an organization's culture means integrating selection, training and care
- Service, Disney Style - exploration of the world-renowned principles for service excellence
- Management, Disney Style - key practices and principles in building and sustaining staff
Visit our website to learn more about this world-class program.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Student is Source of Pride for Executive Education
Executive Education strives to provide not only world-class professional development programs for executives, but also priceless job experience for our student workers. We are proud that one of our former student workers, Kennon Largent, was featured in a student profile for the Walton College website. The story, written by Abby Hartz, is posted below.
A Sam M. Walton College of Business senior, Kennon Largent’s interest in financial markets at the age of 17 set him on the path to pursue a degree in Financial Management and Investments.
“When I was 17, I started to develop a strong curiosity for financial markets,” Largent said. “Everything from the mechanisms that drive them to the unlimited learning opportunities that are inherent within these markets.”
Largent said his dad sparked his interest in financial markets by explaining the financial world to him with great enthusiasm. “I had always wanted to find something that I was truly passionate about and do that for the rest of my life. I can honestly say that money was not the element that lured me towards finance. I simply found my passion.”
Largent was an intern at the Arkansas World Trade Center (ARWTC) in the Spring 2009 semester. He said the ARWTC seeks to promote trade between Arkansas companies and international companies. “Basically, I performed a lot of research and analytical assignments for Arkansas companies,” Largent said. “I assisted several companies that were interested in expanding their businesses internationally, both on the export and the import side. Since I lived in Brazil for a while and have a good understanding of that area, my primary focus at the ARWTC was on Latin America trade development.
“I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience working at ARWTC,” Largent said. “It was an amazing opportunity to work with and learn from people who really know what they are talking about in terms of the international business environment.”
Largent said while working at the ARWTC he was exposed to a range of business situations that forced him to improve upon his professionalism, analytical abilities, cultural awareness and networking skills.
“The thing I love most about the Walton College is its diversity,” Largent said. “From its students to its faculty, we are surrounded by a mix of cultures and ethnicities. This diversity helps to bring a multitude of different perspectives and insights into the classroom.”
Largent said another important aspect of the Walton College is being surrounded by people who share your same interests and who genuinely have a desire to learn. “This makes it so much easier to develop the skills we need to succeed in the real world,” Largent said.
Largent’s experience working at the Center for Management and Executive Education contributed to his professional development. He said this job gave him the opportunity to interact with everyone from CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies and foreign diplomats to the service workers who maintained the buildings and classrooms. “I learned so much about the service industry and how rewarding it can be to serve others,” Largent said.
Kevin Rose, assistant director of Executive Education, said of Largent: “Kennon is one of the most exceptional students I’ve come to know. Not only does he exhibit a professional demeanor when working with university faculty and staff, he is an exceptional representative of the University of Arkansas to external constituents. Kennon demonstrates a positive attitude at all times and welcomes any challenge that will allow him to learn, grow and steer others in a meaningful way. With his commitment to personal and professional excellence, I have no doubt that Kennon will accomplish great things.”
Largent said he initially plans to get his MBA after graduation and ultimately he said he would love to be an International Portfolio Manager. “I would like to be in a position that allowed me to interact with many different types of people and clients of different cultures on a daily basis.”
A Sam M. Walton College of Business senior, Kennon Largent’s interest in financial markets at the age of 17 set him on the path to pursue a degree in Financial Management and Investments.
“When I was 17, I started to develop a strong curiosity for financial markets,” Largent said. “Everything from the mechanisms that drive them to the unlimited learning opportunities that are inherent within these markets.”
Largent said his dad sparked his interest in financial markets by explaining the financial world to him with great enthusiasm. “I had always wanted to find something that I was truly passionate about and do that for the rest of my life. I can honestly say that money was not the element that lured me towards finance. I simply found my passion.”
Largent was an intern at the Arkansas World Trade Center (ARWTC) in the Spring 2009 semester. He said the ARWTC seeks to promote trade between Arkansas companies and international companies. “Basically, I performed a lot of research and analytical assignments for Arkansas companies,” Largent said. “I assisted several companies that were interested in expanding their businesses internationally, both on the export and the import side. Since I lived in Brazil for a while and have a good understanding of that area, my primary focus at the ARWTC was on Latin America trade development.
“I gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience working at ARWTC,” Largent said. “It was an amazing opportunity to work with and learn from people who really know what they are talking about in terms of the international business environment.”
Largent said while working at the ARWTC he was exposed to a range of business situations that forced him to improve upon his professionalism, analytical abilities, cultural awareness and networking skills.
“The thing I love most about the Walton College is its diversity,” Largent said. “From its students to its faculty, we are surrounded by a mix of cultures and ethnicities. This diversity helps to bring a multitude of different perspectives and insights into the classroom.”
Largent said another important aspect of the Walton College is being surrounded by people who share your same interests and who genuinely have a desire to learn. “This makes it so much easier to develop the skills we need to succeed in the real world,” Largent said.
Largent’s experience working at the Center for Management and Executive Education contributed to his professional development. He said this job gave him the opportunity to interact with everyone from CEO’s of Fortune 500 companies and foreign diplomats to the service workers who maintained the buildings and classrooms. “I learned so much about the service industry and how rewarding it can be to serve others,” Largent said.
Kevin Rose, assistant director of Executive Education, said of Largent: “Kennon is one of the most exceptional students I’ve come to know. Not only does he exhibit a professional demeanor when working with university faculty and staff, he is an exceptional representative of the University of Arkansas to external constituents. Kennon demonstrates a positive attitude at all times and welcomes any challenge that will allow him to learn, grow and steer others in a meaningful way. With his commitment to personal and professional excellence, I have no doubt that Kennon will accomplish great things.”
Largent said he initially plans to get his MBA after graduation and ultimately he said he would love to be an International Portfolio Manager. “I would like to be in a position that allowed me to interact with many different types of people and clients of different cultures on a daily basis.”
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