December 6th, 2007

 

 


Headings marked in MAROON represent previously posted information; those marked in BLUE represent new information.

 

 

The mission of the Simmons School of Management is to educate women for power and principled leadership. We are committed to the advancement of knowledge and practice in management through excellence in education and research. Our academic programs offer rigorous, applied, management education designed for women. We focus on leadership, and our programs integrate the strategic, functional, and behavioral aspects of management. SOM students gain the knowledge, analytical skills, and confidence that they need to manage successfully in dynamic and global environments. We are invested in our students’ success and support them as they launch, advance, and change their careers.

New Information This Week

Note from Mary D.
Quote of the Week
Schedule Updates for Week of 12/08 - 12/14

Schedule Changes For Spring 08 Term

Reminders About Course Taping

Message from the Dean That Went To Alums
Simmons Students in the News
Forte Foundation Field Study

MBA Office Updates

Note From Mary D.

We are down to one more week in the MBA office and many courses are wrapping up. I do realize that there is lots to get done between now and next Friday for all of you!! You have one more weekend to really concentrate and know that next weekend you will have absolutely no school work to do!! That should motivate you to do everything you need to do!!



Quotes of the Week

“When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.”

~~Franklin D. Roosevelt

“Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did.”
~~Newt Gingrich

 

Schedule Updates for Week of 12/08-12/14

Economics Review Saturday December 8th, 10a.m.-12p.m. CR2

Finance Review (optional) Saturday December 8th, 9a.m.-12p.m. CR1
Financial R&A Review Saturday December 8th, 12:30p.m. - 2:30p.m. CR2

Financial R&A (A) Final Exam Monday December 10th, 9a.m. – 11p.m. CR2

Finance (B) Final Exam Monday December 10th, 6p.m. – 9p.m. CR1

Financial R&A (B) Final Exam Monday December 10th, 6p.m. – 9p.m. CR2

Marketing Presentations and Plans Due December 11th 12p.m. – 3p.m. CR2

Leading (B) Individuals and Groups Final Exam December 11th 6p.m.- 9p.m. CR2

Leading (A) Individuals and Groups Final Exam December 12th 1p.m.- 4p.m. CR2

Economics (B) Final Exam December 12th 6p.m.- 9p.m. CR2

Marketing Presentations December 13th 12p.m. – 3p.m. CR2

 


Schedule Changes For Spring 08 Term

Tech and Ops-day section. Moving 2/8 class time from 10-12noon to 9-11am

Managerial Accounting-day section-moving 1/28 class time from 1-3pm to 9-11am

Orgs-day section-moving 1/28 class time from 9-noon to 12-3pm

 

 

Reminders About Course Taping

In the MBA program, we have a policy where the quantitative courses are taped for podcasting and student use. As a general rule, students who have a need to individually tape a class should make sure that they clear it in advance with their faculty. Often this need arises because someone is not going to be able to make class, wants to relearn the material a different way, etc. But, your faculty should be aware of it and give permission that it is ok. They may decide to inform the class as well, just so there is no perception of a privacy violation within a classroom.



Message From The Dean That Went To Alums

Giving Back: Business and climate change

 

As I write this letter, government representatives from around the world are congregating in Bali for the UN Conference on Climate Change.  We are at a tipping point where governments, citizens, and business are all beginning to comprehend the stark implications of global warming for the health of our global economy and society.  Al Gore’s Academy Award winning movie Inconvenient Truth and the conferral of the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize to Gore and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change raised public awareness and catalyzed a powerful global call to action. 

 

Perhaps no other issue reveals more starkly the interdependence between business, society, and the environment.  The final report of the International Panel on Climate Change, released in November 2007, forecasts “irreversible changes” in our climate with devastating impact on our global economy and society if we do not take immediate and bold steps to reduce carbon emissions in the next three years.[i]  If business does not take the lead, its asset base of natural resources will be severely degraded and economic growth will be compromised. 

 

Recognizing this challenge, 150 global companies, worth nearly US$4 trillion in market capitalization, signed a petition to be presented in Bali.[ii]  The petition calls for the creation of a "an ambitious, international and comprehensive, legally-binding United Nations agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.” This framework would provide business with the certainty it needs to cut carbon emissions and “scale up global investment in low-carbon technologies."   The petition calls for a minimum of a 50 per cent cut in emissions by 2050 in order to prevent catastrophic global warming. Signatory companies, representing a wide range of sectors, include Ambro Bank, AIG, British Airways, BP, Coca-Cola, E-Bay, Gap, GE, Johnson & Johnson, L’Oreal, Nokia, Pacific Gas & Electric, Shell, Sun Microsystems, and Swiss Re.

 

One of our tenets of Principled Leadership, as we have framed this concept at the School of Management, is that we need to hold ourselves accountable for the long-term impact of our leadership decisions on society and the environment.  The issue of mitigating climate change puts this tenet to the test. 

 

As organizational leaders and responsible citizens, the single most important action that we can all take today to “give back” to society and future generations is to reduce our individual and our organization’s use of carbon-based sources of energy and the products of forests that sequester CO2.

 

We need to be systematic and strategic, instituting actions from the simple to the more complex.[iii]  And we need to start today.  Examples include:

  • Simple:  replacing incandescent with compact florescent bulbs; buying only Energy Star compliant office equipment;[iv] using only recycled paper; reducing heat and air-conditioning use; and promoting comprehensive on-site recycling.
  • Moderate:  enabling commuting employees to work 1 day a week from home to reduce fuel use; providing incentives to employees who commute in hybrid cars or carpool; purchasing carbon offsets for air travel. 
  • Complex:  ensuring that our buildings are well insulated, highly energy efficient, and meet the standards of LEED certification; purchasing energy from renewable sources;[v]; establishing metrics to assess carbon footprint.
  • Strategic:  using commitment to environmental sustainability as a criterion for selecting vendors and suppliers; investing in new business opportunities and technologies that will result in reduced consumption of carbon-based energy and forest products; investing in clean tech funds. (The percentage of venture capital invested in clean tech funds and renewable energy technology has grown from 5% to 9.5% of total VC investment since 2004.)[vi]

 

At the School of Management we are beginning this process.  We are building a “green building” which will reduce energy use by 30% and use renewable forest products in its construction.  We are addressing the business implications of environmental sustainability in our curriculum – both the constraints and the strategic opportunities. We sponsor a chapter of Net Impact, a national MBA student club designed to prepare leaders to use business to improve the world.  We have been ranked in the top 100 business schools globally for our attention to the social and environmental impact of business in our teaching and research.  We are joining many other business schools by signing the Principles for Responsible Management Education sponsored by the UN Global Compact and the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Business Education.  And we are now taking a hard look at our operational practices to ensure that we are doing everything we can to reduce consumption of carbon-based energy and forest products. 

 

Please join me in this New Year in committing to giving back as principled organizational and community leaders to raise awareness and catalyze action to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases and mitigate the negative consequences of climate change. 

 

 “Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”  Margaret Mead, anthropologist

 

As always, I welcome your feedback and comments at somdean@simmons.edu


[i] Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, Fourth Assessment Report, http://www.ipcc.ch/ipccreports/ar4-syr.htm

[ii] P. Spotts, “In Bali, new urgency for a climate change accord,” Christian Science Monitor, December 3, 2007; http://www.balicommunique.com/communique.html

[iii] A. Hoffman, Carbon Strategies: How Leading Companies Are Reducing Their Climate Change Footprint, University of Michigan press, 2007

[iv] http://www.energystar.gov/

[v] Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), http://www.usgbc.org/

[vi] D. Esty and A. Winston, Green to Gold: How smart companies use environmental strategy to innovate, create value, and build competitive advantage.  New Haven: Yale University Press, 2006.



Simmons Students In The News

 

Delia Pollack, one of our evening students was featured in the State Street Global Newsletter about all her work with kids and teens promoting financial literacy. This newsletter goes to all 28,000 employees in State Street!!



Forte Foundation Field Study

Marybeth Williams, a current HBS student, is conducting a focus group that seeks to better understand what influences women to pursue careers in business and in order to do that she is collecting data from a variety of sources, including surveys and focus groups. She would like to conduct a focus group at Simmons with 5-10 graduate students to discuss their personal experiences with the decision to enter business.

 

Times we are available in the next week are:

Friday, December 7 from 1-5pm

Saturday, December 8 after 12pm

Monday, December 10 after 5pm

Tuesday, December 11 after 3pm

 

Please let Marybeth know if any of those times work best for you.  Alternatively, if someone is interested in participating, but unable to attend, she would be happy to speak 1:1 with students.  You can contact Marybeth at mwilliams@mba2008.hbs.edu or 317-442-4114.

 

 

School Closings During Hazardous Weather Conditions

In the event Simmons College needs to be closed due to hazardous weather conditions, we will inform you through the following two methods:

 

WBZ 1030 (AM) Radio and WBZ-TV Channel 4 Television - WBZ NewsRadio will read the list of school cancellations twice per hour (:05 and :35 past) during Storm Center operation and also during the local news updates on the CBS The Early Show Program.  Every effort will be made to ensure that a Simmons College closure is made beginning with the 6:35 A.M. newscast.  Members of the community who commute from long distances are advised to delay their departure from home until complete cancellation information is available.

 

Voice Mail Message - A voice mail message will also be broadcast over the College's telephone system.  You can call 1-617-521-3463 and select the menu choice for school closing information.

 

If possible, we will inform you about storm and other emergencies through the following additional methods:

 

Email Message – An email message will be released to the Simmons community announcing if school is closed.

 

Web Posting – We will post a message on my.simmons.edu.

 

Every effort will be made to keep the College open during a snowstorm including making use of delayed openings.  If appropriate, the broadcast and voicemail announcement will specify delayed opening time for day classes.  Most closings will be for day closings ONLY.  In the event that evening classes must be canceled, a separate announcement will be made by mid-afternoon.  If public transportation is readily accessible from where you live, it is strongly suggested that this option be utilized to get to and from the College during snowy and icy weather.

 

Please do not call the Department of Public Safety to ask whether or not the College is open.  During snow, storm, and other emergencies the Public Safety Dispatcher is extremely busy, and calls of this nature may impede the handling of serious problems.


SOM Alumnae Holiday Party

The SOM Office of Development and the SOM Alumnae Association invite you to the

2007 SOM Alumnae Holiday Celebration
Thursday, December 6, 2007
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Simmons School of Management
Green & Gold Rooms
409 Commonwealth Avenue
Boston, MA

Come to the Simmons SOM for an evening of celebration and holiday cheer with Simmons School of Management alumnae, students, faculty, staff, and friends. Co-sponsored by the SOM Alumnae Association Board, this evening will be filled with food, fun, and wonderful company!

Kindly respond by November 30, 2007. Online registration is available at: https://www.alumnet.simmons.edu/olc/pub/SNS/events/SNS2103406.html

For more information, contact somalum@simmons.edu or phone 617.521.3825

Extended Building Hours (12/2 & 12/9)

So that Students have extra time to prepare for finals, the SOM will be open on Sunday December 2nd and Sunday December 9th from 12-5pm.  Students will have access to the SOM via the front door of 409 Comm Ave only.
 

 

News & Events

 

End Of Semester/Year Party For All Students

 

Please Join Us for Our End of Year/Semester Party!

Saturday, December 15th

409 Commonwealth Avenue, Green and Gold Room

7:00 - 9:30pm

 

Come spend time with your fellow classmates and enjoy some good conversation, food and drinks!

 

Save the date! Please contact Crystal if you have further questions at crystal.daugherty@simmons.edu


CGO Speaker Series

Date: December 11, 2007
Time and Location: 12pm -1:30pm in the Green Room. This is a brown bag, cookies and beverages will be provided.
Speaker and Topic: Hannah Riley Bowles, Associate Professor of Public Policy at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, "Sometimes It Does Hurt to Ask".                                                                                      
Deficiency models suggest that women are reticent about negotiating for higher compensation because they lack confidence or training.   Research by Hannah Riley Bowles and colleagues suggests otherwise.  They found that women's reticence to negotiate for higher pay to be based not on so called 'deficiencies' but rather on an accurate assessment of the social costs that accrue to women who "ask". That is, women are less inclined to negotiate when they face a higher social risk from doing so. In this provocative presentation we will hear why women hold back and discuss how to approach compensation negotiations in a way that minimizes the social risks of asking and can lead to more positive outcomes.

>>>> Please RSVP by December 4 for “Sometimes It Does Hurt to Ask” to CGO@simmons.edu

 


Career Services Updates

MBA Rotational and Management Development Programs

DETAILS AND APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS CAN BE FOUND ON CAREER CONNECT (https://www.myinterfase.com/simmons/student/)

 

KeyBank – DEADLINE 12/8/07

Associate Program - Investment Banking, Corporate Banking

 

College to Career – The Partnership Inc. – DEADLINE EXTENDED 12/18/07

 

EMC – DEADLINE 12/31/07

Marketing Development Leadership Program

Finance Training Program

Human Resources

 

 

Recent Job Postings – Visit Career Connect

 

~ Senior Accountant – Manufacturing Firm

~ Vice President/Management Information Support – State Street

~ Science and Technology Director – Workmaze Limited

~ Associate Project Director-Graduate School of Social Work-Boston spacerCollege

~ Business Analyst - Partners Healthcare System Inc.

 

 

Recent Internship Postings – Visit Career Connect

 

~ Equity Research Analyst Intern – Fidelity Investments (DEADLINE JAN 4, 2008)

~ Research Internship - Forest Capital Partners, LLC

~ Sustainable Investing Internship - Trillium Asset Management Corporation

 

As a reminder, please keep your Career Connect profile up to date. If you forgot your username and password, please contact julie.barenholtz@simmons.edu or 617-521-3857. Please do not re-register yourself as past information about you will be lost. Any questions about Career Connect? Please do not hesitate to contact Julie.

 

 

Outside Networking & Career Events

 

Outside networking and career events will be posted in detail on Career Connect in the Events and Conferences folder located in the Resource Library. Below serves as a brief reminder of upcoming events. You can register for Career Connect at: https://www.myinterfase.com/simmons/student/home.aspx

 

MA Conference for Women - Tuesday, December 11, 2007 7:30am – 5:00pm

For more information and to register: http://www.maconferenceforwomen.org/

 

HBA Boston Chapter Annual Business Meeting and Holiday Party – Wednesday, Dec 12, 2007 5:30 pm

For more information and to register: http://preview.cramereventmedia.com/HBA/events.aspx

 

 

Interesting Career Articles

 

Interviewing Authentically

The goal of the interview is to showcase your accomplishments while developing a relationship with the hiring manager. The quality of the relationship hinges on the job seeker’s ability to construct credibility for their candidacy and, therefore, effectively gain the hiring manager’s trust.

 

Despite this relationship-building goal, many job seekers continue to "spin" their responses to interview questions. This tactic is often used when job seekers are asked questions with a negative slant such as "What is your greatest weakness?" or "Tell me about a mistake you made."

 

Perhaps candidates spin their answers in an effort to downplay any blemishes in their background or to stick with the strategy that so many interview preparation books teach. Either way, candidates that lack authenticity are easy to spot, and the outcome of the interview is severely compromised when job seekers chose to use this falsified approach.

 

For entire article, please log into Career Connect and find the Article Folder in the Resource Library on the Career Connect homepage. (https://www.myinterfase.com/simmons/student/)

 

Mixed Messages, New Skills

Dealing with changes in the nature of business, work, and recruiting

 

We hear all sorts of conflicting messages these days. For example, we hear that virtual recruiting works best, but then we learn that people are really seeking personal contact and want old fashioned face-to-face contact.

 

Read Entire Article at: http://www.ere.net/articles/db/4D932F6C05824163ABFA8B5DE03386C7.asp?ARSRC=FTOF

Library Updates

Students – Good Luck with your final exams and deliverables. As you work on your final deliverables, please email Linda (linda.wolf@simmons.edu ) or Kathy (kathleen.berger@simmons.edu) to schedule an appointment for research help or stop by the library to see us. We have resources that will help you with your final deliverables.

 

Recommended Reading from the SOM Library…

 

Take a look at “The 2008 Social Capitalist Awards” in the most recent issue of Fast Company magazine.

 

Need Help with Citing Your Sources:

The library has an online guide to creating a bibliography and using citation styles: http://my.simmons.edu/library/bibliography/. This guide includes examples from citation styles such APA, Chicago and MLA.

 

Reminder: Please remember to use your cell phones outside of the library.

 

Reminder: Please be respectful of students using the quiet study space.

 

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