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BLAW615 - Business, Law and Ethics in the European Union (NOTE: Space is LIMITED!)
http://www.cebcglobal.org/Services/StudyAbroad2009.htm

Application materials should be submitted immediately.

Experience the challenge of negotiating an international contract while exploring the dynamics of global business in the European Union. This course focuses on globalization and its impact on business with a particular emphasis on EU and U.S. business and legal perspectives, ethics and culture. The classroom component of the course begins in Minneapolis, MN and ends in Trier, Germany. In Minneapolis, you will meet German business students via e-mail and begin the process of negotiating a contract.

You will then travel to the heart of the EU - Brussels, Belgium - where you will meet with the German students and learn through on-site interactive visits, cultural immersion, discussion and reflection. This adventure includes meetings with executives from multi-national companies, government officials and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and will address business, legal, business ethics and corporate social responsibility issues as well as economic, socioeconomic, political and cultural issues within the European Union and their impact on conducting business in a global economy. The course ends in Trier, Germany, where you will attend classes and finalize your contracts.

The University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business and the Center for Ethical Business Cultures (CEBC) jointly offer this 3-credit MBA course.

Three classroom sessions in Mpls prior to your departure for Europe:
o Session 1: 3 hours (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM) February 14, 2009
o Session 2: 6 hours (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM/1:00 PM – 4:00 PM) March 14, 2009
o Session 3: 6 hours (9:00 AM – 12:00 PM/1:00 – 4:00 PM) April 18, 2009

May 25 – June 6, 2009 - Study in Belgium, Luxembourg and Germany.

MKTG707 - Retail Management
Mpls, Tues, 6-9 pm

WHO SHOULD TAKE THIS CLASS? The course provides a comprehensive management perspective necessary for those employed in retailing, vendors who supply retailers with products or services, and those who have an interest in starting their own retail or service business.

WHAT WILL WE LEARN? This course focuses on retail strategy in store concept and format, identifying market segments, understanding retail industry structure, the interrelation between marketing and financial strategies, merchandising management, site/location strategies, non-store and ecommerce, service delivery and international expansion and sourcing.

WHAT LEARNING TECHNIQUEST WILL BE USED? The course will include lectures, cases (many written by the instructor and former students), numerous speakers (most that the VP and presidential level), and a research project that will culminate in the development of a case study that may be published.

WHO IS THE INSTRUCTOR? Dave Brennan is a Professor of Marketing and co-director of the Institute for Retailing Excellence at St. Thomas. He has 12 years of business experience with Target Corporation, General Tire and The Travelers. His research focuses on discounting, shopping centers (especially the Mall of America), retail industry structure and holiday spending behavior. He is a consultant to retailers, suppliers and cities as well as a frequent media interviewee on retailing here and nationally.

NEED MORE INFORMATION? Email Dave Brennan at: dpbrennan@stthomas.edu

MKTG714 - Nonprofit Marketing
Thursdays 6-9 pm
Instructor: Christine M. Bennett, Ph.D., Benn3352@stthomas.edu

Course Description:
This course will cover fundamental marketing theories and their application in the nonprofit sector. Key topics include understanding the relationship between marketing and the mission of the organization, positioning the organization, identifying marketing problems, recognizing legal and ethical issues, evaluating and improving the marketing strategies of current nonprofit organizations and designing and managing the marketing mix. Emphasis will be placed on understanding the marketing process and applying marketing principles to real organizational settings.

Objectives:
- To describe the latest trends and issues in nonprofit marketing, relating to technology, ethics and business and government partnerships.
- To gain experience working on marketing problems in nonprofit organizations.
- To demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of marketing and the distinctive applications to the nonprofit sector through preparation of a marketing plan for a non-profit organization.

FINC717 - Aristotle Fund
Application Deadline for 2009-2010 Academic Year: To be determined (probably March 2009)

This class of graduate finance students in the Opus College of Business at the University of St. Thomas manages an investment fund. The class was made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor to the University. The donor made a monetary gift to the University with the intention of this money being actively managed by graduate students. The students are Investment Managers for this designated piece of the University’s endowment fund (now called the Aristotle Fund).

This fund provides students with “real” money to manage and requires a serious commitment. The students selected for this course will inherit an investment portfolio from the current year's class on September 1, 2009. The student managers will be responsible for the performance of the fund from September 1, 2009 until May 31, 2010. Students registered for this course will be invited to observe the current year's class to prepare for ownership of the portfolio. The student managers as a group will invest the fund in whatever investments they choose as a result of research, visit with corporate management and the use of various investment-management services.

Before they are selected to join the investment team, students must first complete core courses in finance and investment theory. At a minimum, the student should have completed FINC 600 and have completed or be concurrently registered in FINC 713 in the fall of 2009. While the students will not take home any portfolio profits, they will gain strong credentials for their résumés and will have had the chance to work directly with leaders in the investment community.

If you are interested in participating in this fund, send your resume, a letter establishing your personal objectives in working with this fund, two letters of recommendation (one must be from a UST faculty member) and a copy of your transcript to the address below. The course is limited to twelve students and admission to the program is competitive. Historically, select students will be asked to attend a personal interview in April and those students selected for this class will be notified in early May. Please send your application materials to:

Attn: Dr. Mary S. Daugherty
The Aristotle Fund
University of St. Thomas
2115 Summit Ave., MCH 350
St. Paul, Minnesota 55105
Email – msdaugherty@stthomas.edu
651-962-5122

You are invited to attend a class if you are interested in applying. Please contact Dr. Daugherty for dates and times to visit.

MGMT733 - Funding the Health Care System
Gain an overall understanding of managed care organizations, how they function and their relationships with other providers. Topics include managed care definitions; attributes of managed care models; history of managed care; health plan perspective, including underwriting, rate setting, payment methodologies and new product design; contracting issues for providers; the economics of managed care; and the future of managed care.

This course will be taught using a Web-enhanced pedagogy. Some class sessions will be conducted using Web-based discussion media. Permission required. Contact Dr. Jack Militello at jfmilitello@stthomas.edu or (651) 962-4146.

Instructor: Mark Fisher
Time: Wednesdays 6-9pm.
Location: Mpls campus

FINC714 – Wealth Management
Course Description: This course will focus on the key areas of institutional wealth management: financial and retirement planning, risk management, investing and investment advisory services, estate planning and tax planning, with a particular emphasis on the products and services offered by institutions and providers of financial products and services. Emphasis will be placed on the theory and practical application of these concepts and how they fit into the context of the broad financial services industry.

Course Objective: The intention of this course is to provide the student with a broad, fundamental understanding of the concepts and issues of a broad, comprehensive personal wealth management program from the perspective of the institutional provider as well as from the perspective of the consumer of financial products and services.

Instructor: Samual Rouman
Mpls, Wed, 6-9pm

BCOM 802 - Public Affairs for the Corporate Executive
Presents a broad view of corporate relations with politicians, government regulators, advocacy groups and the media. Explores issues such as building grass-roots support for public policy issues, management of public affairs crises, and use of public policy to enhance corporate image. Case study analysis and presentation by guest lecturers enhance classroom experience.

Instructor: Erich Mische
Mpls, Monday, 6-9pm

GBEC 700 - Economics of Strategy
Do you value the economic approach to evaluating organizational decision making? If you aspire to be a general manager, management consultant, or financial analyst, or you just want to better understand the strategic interaction of firms in the marketplace, make the right strategic decision and enroll in GBEC 700: Economics of Strategy on Monday nights from 6-9 p.m.

Why do some firms succeed while others fail? How can firms make strategic decisions to build an advantage over their competitors and sustain this advantage? The central analytical method of economics will be applied to issues of strategic importance facing organizations such as size and scope of the firm, vertical integration and mergers, industry analysis, strategic positioning, and sustainability of competitive advantage. In addition, static and dynamic strategic pricing and market entry and exit will be examined. By building on and extending the concepts in GBEC 600, students will be able to:

- Analyze make or buy decisions
- Understand and analyze the importance of economies of scale and scope for shaping the size of the firm and the breadth of its operations
- Perform an analysis of industry profitability and identify the major forces that contribute to profits
- Assess the strategic positioning of a firm in its marketplace and its cost and benefit position with respect to its rivals
- Understand how to measure the competitive position of a firm and assess its product line positioning

Instructor: Prof. Kathy Combs, Professor of Business Economics, Finance Department. For more information, contact Prof. Combs at 651 962 4244 or klcombs@stthomas.edu

ETLS 677 - Sustainable Development Strategies
Instructor: Allen Aspengren
Tuesday evening, 6-9pm, Mpls campus

Description: Students will learn about global warming and climate change and ways that industry and individuals can minimize their effects through sustainable development strategies. Some of these strategies include using Leading Energy Efficient Design (LEED) standards in building and houses, life cycle management, eco-efficiency, design for environment (DDE) and other practices to reduce or eliminate pollution and increase energy efficiency. Through their outside readings they will see different perspectives on global warming and sustainable development. Part of sustainable development is addressing social equity issues such as fair pay, child labor, discrimination, etc. This course will contain technical information and calculations necessary to evaluate energy alternatives, product impacts, design alternatives and environmental control options. The financial impact of these options will also be discussed.

Objectives: The course will teach students about global warming and climate change along with the principles of sustainable development and how companies can survive and thrive long-term. Through balancing the sustainable triangle, companies can make a profit and grow while still protecting the environment and aggressively addressing social equity issues such as fair pay, child labor, diversity, etc. Ethics and ethical decisions will be an integral part of every class. Through case studies and a field trip, students will see first hand how sustainable development works and can be applied to any business or government operation. They will be required, in a term paper, to assess their own company or a hypothetical firm and put it on the path to sustainable development.

BCOM531 – Business Writing
Reviews business report writing, letters, memos, and other forms of business writing. This course stresses the writing process, audience analysis and organization of content. Case studies highlight needs of decision makers in business. Develops skills in style and rhetoric that lead to clear, concise, forceful prose.

Instructor: Ellen Shriner
Mpls, Wednesday, 6-9 pm