GEM Program cited in University Business magazine

The College's Global eCommerce Master's program was featured in the February 2000 issue of University Business magazine. The magazine noted that the Robinson College was the "one U.S. school" to collaborate with an international consortium for the recently launched executive MBA program. Dr. Richard Welke, GEM director and director of the eCommerce Institute, was quoted as saying that there is a real need for "boundary spanners between the dot-commers, who talk New Economy-speak" and those whose roots are in the old economy.

Curriculum changes intended to fill IT gap

The Internet and technology are causing a revolution in business models and curricula, resulting in changes in many of the nation's top business schools in an effort to meet the increasing demand for employees skilled in both business and information technology (IT). "There will be very few non-e-businesses five years from now, so the content is changing across our entire curriculum," Dr. Richard Baskerville, chair of the Department of Information Systems, told eWeek magazine. Most notably, the changes, he said, involve giving graduate students with under-graduate technical degrees a solid foundation in business management skills aimed at producing IT professionals whose breadth of business knowledge will make them valuable employees. The magazine noted that students in the Robinson College's Master of International Business program must take courses in technology and global competition and in international IT issues and policy.

Number of Uninsured Expected to Increase

As Congress plans its budget proposals, some experts predict that the number of people without health care coverage will increase given a slowing economy and increases in health care costs. In a March 27 article in The New York Times, Dr. William Custer, associate professor of risk management and insurance and a widely quoted source on the number of uninsured in America, said he thought little had changed in the number of uninsured from 1999 to 2000 but that "from now onŠwe would expect to see some changes."

Business Hall of Fame shines bright in area media

The 17th Annual Business Hall of Fame Awards received mentions in area media in early April. The induction of Pat Mitchell, president and chief executive officer of the Public Broadcasting Service; Duane Ackerman, chairman and chief executive officer of BellSouth Telecommunica-tions; and J. B. Fuqua, chairman of The Fuqua Companies, was covered by the Atlanta Business Chronicle and the "Atlanta Business Chronicle (television) Report," The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, WXIA-Channel 11 (Atlanta's NBC affiliate), "Georgia Business Report" (GPTV), Business to Business magazine and Competitive Edge magazine.

Limited Partnership IPO more attractive in volatile market

The number of initial public offerings may be fewer in the first quarter of the year given all of the volatility in the stock market. A chance for investors to purchase limited partnerships rather than common stock may be more attractive and profitable than a traditional offering that focuses on the short term rather than the long term. "In a no-confidence market, this is what people want," Dr. Conrad Ciccotello, associate professor of finance, told The Wall Street Journal on April 9. "They don't want intangibles like technology. They want cash tomorrow."