The Fogelman College of Business and Economics hosted its annual Promise Day on Thursday.
The event, which was open to any business major at the University, consisted of a DJ performing throughout the festivities, free food, student organizations and booths.
"Fogelman Promise Day is to remind students that we made a promise saying that we're going to be good, ethical students, and that we're trying to be everything you'd want in a good business student," Clarissa Bossler, a sophomore international business and foreign language major, said. "Professors and faculty also make a promise to teach, help and support their students to the best of their abilities."
For co-founder and CFO of the recently formed International Business Student Organization, Alex Karimnia, the event was an important step in helping promote and showcase his new club, which he noted is one of the reasons this event was a great opportunity.
"In a nutshell this event is where all the organizations within Fogelman set up a booth and get the chance to tell the students what they're all about," Karimnia, junior international business and foreign language major, said. "This is really our first chance to spread the word of what we're trying to do. This event is really good for new organizations, as well as veteran ones."
Professionalism, which Bossler refers to as business culture, consists of dining etiquette, professional attire, résumé building and many skills that help students compete with future competitors.
"The business culture is what they don't teach you in typical school curriculums. Even with a degree, you need to be prepared with other skills to be able to enter the business world," Bossler, who also worked the "polished" booth at the event, said. "That's what Fogelman does, they help you enhance those skills, as well as getting a degree."
Kathy Tuberville, the director of the Avron Fogelman Center and teacher in the college of business, is one of the leaders in the college's professionalism program and throughout the event stressed the importance of furthering your education pass the traditional classes and courses.
"A degree is incredibly important, but it's not enough anymore. You have to be polished and professional. The most important thing for the college of business is that we try to make our students completely ready for the workforce and to help them become the best they can be through our professional program," Tuberville said. "I believe our students are getting a competitive edge that many students from other school don't have."
Along with Promise Day, the Fogelman College of Business also has dozens of other programs designed to inspire and most students to be more professional. Against all Odds, one of the college's newest programs is meant to inspire students with stories of Memphians who have, "against all odds," made it through tough times and have become successful.
Dean Rajiv Grover said these programs make the business students stick out and that many employers are now looking for graduates who not only have degrees, but also have what Grover called "soft skills," which include dining etiquette, interview skills, résumé building skills and good body language. He noted that although these sound simple they are in fact very hard to train and to perfect.
"We want to show students that we care and that we want to develop them into complete professionals. What happened is the universities stuck with teaching students cognitive skills and let the organizations or employers teach the soft skills. The businesses were happy to take on the raw talent and teach all of the soft skills," Grover, who has been at the University for seven years and implemented the first of the professionalism programs, said. "Their organizations are now saying that they don't have the time to teach all of these soft skills that actually are very important, and I want students who are fully prepared to come into our organizations"
Avron Fogelman, who the college is named after, also made an appearance at the event. Tuberville said Fogelman had positive reviews about the event.
"Avron Fogelman, our benefactor, came to the event and was very pleased with the event. He wants to give back to the University, in particular the College of Business, and he wants our students to be able to go into the workplace and have a competitive edge," Tuberville said.
Along with booths representing organizations and professionalism, the event also had the Fogelman Feeds program, which consisted of dozens of students constantly preparing pre-made meals for the Mid-South Food Bank. Organizations within the College of Business were encouraged to bring cans for the food drive.
"Fogelman Promise Day is a good opportunity to come talk to people and help network. Students get to meet entrepreneurs and business owners from all around the world," Daniel Triplett, sophomore accounting major, said. "This gives Memphis a lot of opportunities to grow. This event is great and it brings a lot to our university."
According to Bossler, learning all of these skills are must-have knowledge in the ever changing and competitive world and workforce of business.
"Without Fogelman's professionalism programs and all of the people who support it, the business school would not be what it is," Bossler said. "These things are essential for students to be successful after graduation and we're all grateful for it."
