BUSINESS STUDENT ADVOCATES

The School of Business has a team of Business Student Advocates, a group of McMurry students, who serve as representatives of the School of Business at functions that occur on and off campus.  Members of the group are chosen by the business faculty on criteria such as:  classroom performance; campus and community involvement; acceptance of responsibility; individual initiative; and ability to function as a member of the team.  These students participate in various events; School of Business Advisory Board meetings; and assisting with prospective students.

McMURRY STUDENTS TRAVEL TO LONDON

 A group of McMurry students and faculty traveled to London, England, on January 6, 2011, as a requirement for Business, History, and Religion courses being offered during the Spring semester.  The spouses of faculty members, along with members of St. Paul United Methodist Church in Abilene, traveled with the group, which totaled 19.  Participating McMurry students included Chase Bellah, Curtis Crocker, Chase Lynch, Halee McDermett, Elizabeth Morris, Rebecca Overton, Kelli Porter, Becky Wilcox, Lindsey Williams, and Tony Williams.  They were accompanied by Mrs. Ann Spence, Dr. Alicia Wyatt, Mr. Bill Libby and Dr. K. O. Long of the McMurry faculty.

Prior to the trip, business students researched the companies to be visited.  In London, students and faculty made site visits to Bank of America/Merrill Lynch, Lloyd's Insurance Market, Whole Foods Market, and American Airlines, where company representatives made formal presentations on issues related to international marketing and international management.  The students also visited the Museum of the Bank of England.  In addition to the business courses, classes in Roman London and Wesley in London were also offered.  Members of the group attended church at Wesley's Chapel in East London, then walked a portion of the Roman wall and visited the Museum of the City of London.

While in London, the students took advantage of opportunities such as:  the Tower of London; Westminister Abbey; the British Museum; the Imperial Ware Museum and Holocaust Museum; and the London theaters.

The entire group toured the Palace of Westminister and the Houses of Parliament.  During a day trip to Paris, they went to the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame cathedral, and the Louvre Museum.  The group returned to Texas on January 14th.                     

TEAM ENDURANCE

A team of McMurry graduating seniors, recently tied for first place worldwide in the Business Strategy Game, which is a primary component of the Strategic Management capstone course in the School of Business.  Martin Byram, Kimberly Meyer, and Lincoln Smith comprised Team Endurance, which consistently ranked among the top 100 global teams during the Fall, 2010, semester.  At the conclusion of the competition, Team Endurance tied with eight other teams for the number one ranking in the world.

The Business Strategy Game is a computer simulation that involves the management and operation of a business over a period of years.  This semester, over 3,700 teams from 259 colleges and universities across the United States, and around the world, participated in the simulation, which involved the athletic shoe industry.

As a result of their outstanding accomplishment, Team Endurance was invited to participate in the Business Strategy Invitational, an intense 10-day competition between the worldwide top-ranked teams.  All three members of Team Endurance are December graduates of the School of Business.  Martin Byram and Kimberly Meyer obtained BBA degrees in General Business, while Lincoln Smith received a BBA in Computer Information Systems.

Dr. Pat Lapoint who teaches the Strategic Management course, noted that no other McMurry team in history of the simulation has ever achieved such an outstanding performance.