School of Management: The blog of Dean Jerry Zappia

Welcome to the blog of Jerry Zappia, Dean of the School of Management at Nazareth College

Founded in 1924, Nazareth College is a co-ed college with undergraduate and graduate studies in the liberal arts and sciences, and professional programs in health and human services, education, and management. The College is located near Rochester, New York, and currently enrolls approximately 2,800 students. For more information on the College, visit www.naz.edu.

SOM Alumni - Jason Pohlman - Successful Entrepreneur

The video profile of SOM graduate, Jason Pohlman, is a great way to show the impact of entrepreneurship in the the School of Management curriculum. And it all started in the early 1990's.

The Naz SOM was the first school in the greater Rochester area to include entrepreneurship as a required course for all business students.

At the time, it seemed like a bold move. However, my faculty colleagues had the vision to see the business world had permanently changed and that life in organizations was full of uncertainty.

We agreed to stop teaching students to simply be functions in large organizations. We took a more holistic approach and placed greater emphasis on small business and the creation of an enterprise.

It took a little time for students to embrace the initiative but it clearly is a success. Our students have greater control over their career and destiny. My colleagues and I frequently receive phone calls and emails from alumni who have started a business and want to come back and share their stories with our students.

We still educate our students to gain employment in traditional (and not so traditional) organizations but they leave Naz "thinking like entrepreneurs" along with the knowledge and skills to become one.

 

A Special Tribute - Al Cabral to Retire - Fall 2011

My good friend and colleague, Al Cabral, is going to retire at the end of the fall 2011 semester.  The following is my tribute to Al and his tremendous accomplishments as an educator and scholar. 

This tribute will mostly be an expression of gratitude.  In fact, I am going to share with you the five things about Al for which I am most grateful.

Number # 1 - Transformation of the Internship Program

In 1984 Al took charge of a “glorified work study experience” and transformed it into a true “Professional Internship Program”.  Al’s model is emulated by other schools.  In fact, Al has earned a national reputation for his expertise in the integration of internships and experiential learning into the curriculum.

Number # 2 - Teaching Excellence

Teaching is a combination of art, science and craft.  Excellent teaching is difficult to define.  However, most of us can recognize it when we see it.  Anyone who has observed Al in the classroom has witnessed the personification of the concept of “teaching excellence”.

I must admit, I view Al’s teaching with admiration and envy.  He does what a great teacher is supposed to do.  He removes the barriers to learning and shows students how to take ownership of their learning through his masterful facilitation and course design.

Number # 3 – Civility and Respect for Different Views

Anyone who works in an academic environment will experience the inevitable clash of ideas and values.  The trick is to keep it on the professional level and to not take it personally.

I cannot think of anyone who is more gracious in disagreement than Al.  I have witnessed his ability to discuss and reach agreement on tough, and not so tough, problems. 

Al has always served as a great example of how to “disagree without being disagreeable”.

Number # 4 – Curriculum Development Work

Most faculty members, at some point in their career, will have the opportunity to develop new courses.  Al has done that many times.  However, very few will have the opportunity to develop new degree programs and Al has also done that several times. 

He played a major role in the development of the MS in Management program which was successfully launched in 1995.  Al helped write the curriculum and provided a great deal of counsel and advice to me during the development process.

He also took the lead and developed the learning outcomes and wrote the entire curriculum for the MS in Human Resource Management program which was launched in 2005. 

Number # 5 - Devotion to Student Growth and Development

Nazareth was quick to recognize Al for his commitment to student growth and development.  In 1987 Nazareth honored Al with two awards:  the “Outstanding Advisor Award” and the “Student Affairs – Service to Nazareth College Award”.

That was a sign of things to come. Al has received much formal recognition for his service to students over the course of his career.  His latest national honor was the “Outstanding Faculty Adviser Award” from the National Academic Advising Association in 2010.

Al, best wishes and we know great things are ahead of you in your retirement. 

SOM to Establish the "Dr. Will Kuchta" Excellence in Human Resource Management Award

At commencement the School of Management honors a Master of Science in Human Resource Management (MS HRM) graduate with the "Excellence in Human Resource Management Award".  The award started in 2007 with the first group of MS HRM grads.

Beginning this year, the award will be renamed the "Dr. Will Kuchta - Excellence in Human Resource Management Award". 

Will currently serves as Vice President for Organizational Development at Paychex.  He is retiring from Paychex in October 2011 after a very distinguished career. Download Kuchta Bio 041911

The MS HRM was Will's idea and the program exists because of his persistence and patience with a very skeptical faculty member (that would be me) back in 2002.  He was the driving force in the creation of the program.  For more detail about the history of the MS HRM see the 9/2/09 BLOG.

The MS HRM is a great success and it keeps getting better thanks to Will and the involvement and guidance of our Human Resources Advisory Council.  The Advisory Council consists of fifteen senior level HR executives from the greater Rochester area.  The creation of the Council was also a Will Kuchta suggestion.

The establishment of the award, in Will's name, allows us to show our sincere gratitude and maintain a permanent connection with him.  The HRM faculty and I want this to be a "tribute" to his tremendous contributions to the School of Management and the MS HRM degree program.

James Ockenden'83 to Receive First SOM Distinguished Alumni Award

Dear Students, Alumni and Friends

A wonderful tradition will begin this year. The School of Management (SOM) has established the First Annual SOM Distinguished Alumni Award.  And I am very pleased to announce that James Ockenden ’83 will be the first recipient of this award. 

Jim was chosen based on his entrepreneurial and business success, service to others, commitment to ethics and social responsibility, and his long and unwavering support of Nazareth College.

Selecting the first recipient was not an easy task.  A team of faculty, led by Professor Gary Nothnagle, spent the fall semester studying the long list of successful SOM alumni.  After several weeks of thought and discussion, James Ockenden emerged as the unanimous choice.

Jim graduated in 1983, with a BS degree in Management Science. His life after Nazareth is a model for our students and exemplifies an outstanding record of achievement and service.  Jim currently serves as a Partner in the Visory Group with offices in Syracuse and Rochester.  The Visory Group specializes in network engineering, consulting, security, and technology solutions. 

The Distinguished Alumni Award will be presented on April 16^th at 10:30 a.m., as part of the School of Management Honor Society Induction Ceremony, in the Medaille Hall Formal Lounge.  Friends and alumni are invited to attend the ceremony.  Please RSVP to Sonya Bowman at 585-389-2608 or sbowman8@naz.edu if you would like to attend.

In a time of unprecedented financial scandal and business scrutiny, it is reaffirming to see so many SOM alumni, such as Jim, who demonstrate how business can be a noble profession and a solid platform for civic engagement and ethical conduct.