“If you measure, then you improve,” says Dr. Helena Hannonen, the Chair of the Business Management Department. And measure they have. (At Top: Dr. Hannonen speaking with students) A year ago, the Business Management major underwent a significant change and was reorganized into six, specified tracks rather than the former, more general International Business Management major. Since that time, meticulous records have been kept to track the progress of the change. In the past year, the number of students in the program has increased from 539 to 599, but numbers aren’t the only evidence of progress. The quality of education the Business Management department offers has also been raised to a higher level than ever before. Hannonen says, “I require my students to stand up when ladies walk in. I require that when they present, they have business clothing… They are acting like business people while they are here.”
Prior to the decision to restructure, Hannonen spoke with potential employers about hiring BYU–Hawaii students. “They said that our students have a hard time explaining what they want to do, where they are going. They have a hard time explaining what skills they have, what experiences they have had.” However, with the current six-track system, Hannonen says, students know what they want to do, they have had practical leadership experience, they can articulate their passions and experience, and they are more marketable.
One example of a student who has benefitted from the developments is Michael Wynes, a recent graduate of BYU–Hawaii from Canada. (At Left: Wynes working on the Bloomberg Research machine on campus) Wynes is currently working as a Teaching Assistant for Professor Cary Wasden’s Economics and Finance classes. He confesses, “I was convinced [upon coming to BYU–Hawaii] that I was going to go home and be an accountant, and that's that.” However, thanks to the recent changes in the business department and the outstanding faculty, Wynes’ vision has been expanded. He is now heavily involved in a research project in Behavioral Economics and hopes to have the three articles he is working on published before he leaves BYU–Hawaii. Then his goal is to pursue a Ph.D. in Decision Sciences at Duke University. Wynes’ story is typical of many students currently involved in the college who have been inspired to seek for more than typical a classroom education.
Observers may wonder about the drastic change in this group of students. According to Wynes, the cause was the “support from faculty who see students like myself that really show an interest in [their field] and they push them and support them.” According to Hannonen, it was Wynes’ passion and the “enthusiasm of the [other] students.” The answer seems to be a combination. Student enthusiasm mixed with tireless effort from faculty resulted in the development of a student organization for each of the six tracks. One student organization, the Seasider Investment Club, was launched by Wynes and his classmates with the support of Cary Wasden, Associate Professor of Business Management. Hannonen compliments the organization: “Students were meeting at 7:00 in the morning. I went to their event on a Saturday morning and there were over 100 students dressed up professionally running their own meetings.” Other student organizations include AMPS (Alliance of Marketing Professionals and Students), BYU–Hawaii Management Society, Ho’okipa Society, SCOPE (Supply Chain and Operations Management), and SIFE (Students in Free Enterprise). With motivated students and supportive faculty, Hannonen is optimistic about what lies ahead for the Business Management department and confident in the leadership capabilities of the students in the program. She says, “I tell my students, ‘I'm not teaching you to be the leaders when there are 13 million members in the church; I'm teaching you for 130 million.’”