2017 Full-Time MBA/MS Student Orientation Schedule
Please note that these sessions are mandatory for all MBA/MS students except where noted.
Monday, August 14
WPU Assembly Room
Dress: Smart Casual
8:30–9:00a.m. Registration and Continental Breakfast
Receive Multicultural-Learning Team (MLT) assignments for group activities
9:00–9:15a.m.Welcoming Remarks, Arjang Assad, Henry E. Haller Jr. Dean
9:15–9:45a.m.Introduction to the Full-Time MBA/MS Student Orientation Bill Valenta, Assistant Dean for MBA, Masters and Executive MBA Programs
10-11 a.m.MBA Student Services Overview, Simone Jurinko, Senior Graduate Student Advisor
Management Simulation Capstone Course Overview; Joe Pieri, Director for MBA Programs
11-11:30 a.m.Assurance of Learning and Program Goals, Rabi Chatterjee, Associate Dean for Masters and Executive Programs
11:30a.m.-12p.m.Academic Integrity and Professional Code of Conduct, Joe Pieri,
Sandra Douglas, Director for Specialized MS Programs
12:15–1:15p.mKatz Community Luncheon;
1:15-3:15pmCorporate Card Game
3:30–5:30p.m.Strengths Finder Workshop, Industry Professional, Heather D’Alesandro
5:30p.m.End-of-Day Wrap-Up, Mike Chott, Student Events Coordinator
5:30–8:30p.m.Exemption Exams (optional), 114 Mervis Hall
Tuesday, August 15
Location: 2400 Sennott Square
Dress: Smart Casual
8:00 –8:30a.m.Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30-11:30 a.m.Global Collaboration: A Critical Leadership Competency, Judy Shen-Filerman
12:15 –1:15 p.m. Community Luncheon, Posvar Hall Patio
1:30–3p.m.Experience-Based Learning Initiatives, Joe Pieri, Director for MBA Programs,
Bill McShane, EBL Program Manager
1:40 p.m. —Global Opportunities and Global Competency Assessment, Professor Ravi Madhavan and Jacqueline Saslawski, International Business Center
2:10 p.m. —Woodcock and BNY Mellon Fellows Program, Christy Malone
2:20 p.m. —Consulting Field Projects, Professor Bud Smith
2:30 p.m. —Six Sigma Projects, Professor Jim Kimpel
2:40 p.m. —Portfolio Management Practicum Course, Professor Akin Sayrak
3:15-5:15p.m. Preparing and Presenting Powerful Presentations Workshop, Industry Professional Randy Dean
Wednesday, August 16
Location: 2400 Sennott Square
Dress: Casual
8a.m.Registration and Continental Breakfast
8:30a.m.-2pm3 Rivers Boathouse for Rowing Program
2:30-3:30pmRowing Program Debriefing, Jason Reiser,
Thursday, August 17
Location: Mervis Hall
Dress: Casual
8:00amRegistration; Receive Groups for Day Activities; Continental Breakfast
8:30-9:30a.m.Career Management Overview, Melissa Shapiro, Director of Career Management
9:30-11a.m.Recruiter Panel
11–11:45a.m.Luncheon
12 - 3 p.m.Applied Improv Workshop; Joe Pieri and the SteelCity Improv Instructors
3pmLoad buses for Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
3:00–8:30p.m.Corporate Team-Building Event, Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, Snacks and Dinner Served
Joe Pieri; Educational Consultant Fran Kick and the Staff of the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh
8:30 p.m.End-of-Day Wrap-Up, Mike Chott
Buses Return to Oakland/Shadyside
Return shuttles will drop off at: Mervis Hall; Centre Avenue and North Craig Street; Centre Avenue and South Negley Avenue; South Aiken Avenue and Fifth Avenue. If returning to Mervis Hall, Oakland, or Shadyside is not convenient for you, please drive or Uber to the Children’s Museum. The address is 10 Children’s Way, Pittsburgh, Pa 15212.
Friday, August 18
Location: William Pitt Union, main floor
Daytime dress: Business Professional.
Evening dress: Business/Dressy Casual. No jeans please.
9:30a.m.Registration and Continental Breakfast
10:00 a.m. –noon Keynote Speaker: Case-in-Point, Case Interview Workshop
Industry Professional and Author Marc Cosentino
12:15 –2:15 p.m.Alumni Networking Luncheon, Assembly Room
2:30-3:30 p.m.Blue Jacket Ceremony for MBA Students
7:30 –11:00 p.m.Dinner Dance on Gateway Clipper Fleet, Station Square(optional)
*Buses to the Gateway Clipperwill leave from Mervis Hall at 6:30 p.m. We will load the boat from 7:30 -8 p.m. The boat will sail at 8 p.m. sharp.If returning to Mervis Hall, Oakland, or Shadyside is not convenient for you, please drive to Station Square. Return shuttles will leave Station Square immediately after the event and will drop students off at multiple locations: Mervis Hall; Centre Avenue and North Craig Street; Centre Avenue and South Negley Avenue; South Aiken Avenue and Fifth Avenue. You will receive two drink tickets good for beer or wine. Soda is free. After you use your drink tickets other drinks may be purchased at the bar. Please bring proper identification with you; U.S. license, ID or passport. Proper ID is required for service of alcohol. No outside food or beverage is permitted. Attire is business casual or dressy casual. Staff, faculty, alumni, second-year MBA students and Masters of Accounting students will also be in attendance. The address is 350 W Station Square Dr, Pittsburgh, Pa 15219
Academic Workshops –Week Two
The second week of orientation is devoted to your academic preparation.
Please bring CHARGED LAPTOPS to all sessions.
Academic Workshop Materials
Materials for the following workshops can be found by visiting Student Net. Please follow these instructions.
All materials have been posted on this website.
If you would like to print a copy prior to the workshop printing to the Mervis Hall Team Room area printers is free, but please print responsibly.
You are expected to come prepared to each workshop.
Accounting Workshop (Professor Harry Evans):The assumption of the accounting course is that you already have some working knowledge of accounting principles. This workshop is designed to ensure that you have the foundation to successfully complete the core accounting course. Even if you already have a solid accounting background, your attendance will allow you to refresh your skills and to assist your fellow classmates who may need your assistance. Please reference Ivy Software for this lecture.
Probability & Statistics (Professor Prakash Mirchandani): Your statistics course is predicated upon the assumption that you already have a relatively strong math foundation. Professor Tadikamalla will walk you through the fundamentals of probability and statistics so that you are fully prepared for this course, typically taken in your first term. Please note: This workshop is a mandatory pre-requisite and is required for the enrollment of Statistical Analysis.If you do not attend the workshop, we will have to drop you from Statistical Analysis.It is highly recommended to print the available workshop material for this course.
Time Value of Money Workshop (Professor Frederik Schlingemann): The workshop prepares students for the core finance class (Financial Management 1) and offers an important toolset for subsequent finance electives. The workshop will introduce students to the concept of valuation, in which cash flows, the timing of cash flows, and risk are the main three ingredients. The workshop starts with a single-period explanation of net present value calculations. Next, it develops the tools needed to incorporate the timing of cash flows in multiple-period valuation decisions, which include annuities, perpetuities, growing versus non-growing cash flows, interest rate conversions, and inflation adjustment. The workshop will include many practice examples to be discussed in class and for students to work on individually. Please note: This workshop is a mandatory pre-requisite and is required for the enrollment of Financial Management 1.If you do not attend the workshop, we will have to drop you from Financial Management 1.
Business Math (Professor Pandu Tadikamalla):Students who experience difficulty with their courses frequently find that the quantitative courses are their biggest stumbling blocks. This course prepares you for the level of math skills required to successfully complete your courses. Professor Tadikamalla will work to ensure that you feel as comfortable as possible in undertaking the quantitative challenges of selected courses.
Excel Workshop: Beginner to Intermediate to Advanced (Professor Dennis Galletta): A large portion of your quantitative work will utilize Excel. Whether you consider yourself a novice or an expert, Professor Galletta will take the time to ensure that your Excel skills are “Katz Ready.”
Monday, August 21
All sessions will be held in 1700 Posvar Hall unless noted.
8:30pm-11:30pm Math Workshop, Part 1, Professor Pandu Tadikamalla
(Topics covered: solving quadratic equations, solving a system of Linear equations, limits of functions and introduction to differentiation.)
11:30 a.m. –12:30p.m.Lunch on your own
12:45-3:45 p.m. Statistics Lecture 1, Professor Prakash Mirchandani(Topics covered: set theory including complimentary sets, union and intersection of sets, mutually exclusive and all exhaustive sets; counting rules including permutations and combinations, introduction to probability theory, joint probability, independent events, Venn diagrams, Bayes’ Rule (conditional probabilities), use of tree diagrams.)
Tuesday, August 22
All sessions will be held in 1700 Posvar Hall unless noted.
8:30–10:30a.m.Time Value of Money, Part 1, ProfessorFrederik Schlingemann
(Topics covered: discussion of course syllabus, introduction to corporate finance, net present value rule)
10:40–11:40a.m. Accounting Lecture 1, ProfessorHarry Evans
11:45a.m. –12:45p.m.Lunch on your own
12:50–3:50p.m. Statistics Lecture 2, Professor Prakash Mirchandani
(Topics covered: random variables (discrete and continuous), expectations including mean and variance, discrete probability distributions including hypergeometric (sampling without replacement), binomial and Poisson distributions, continuous distributions including the exponential distribution)
4:00p.m.End-of-Day Wrap-Up, Mike Chott
Wednesday, August 23
All sessions will be held in 1700 Posvar Hall unless noted.
8:30–10:30a.m.Time Value of Money, Part 2, ProfessorFrederik Schlingemann
(Topics covered: single and multiple cash flows)
10:40 a.m. –12:40 p.m.Excel Workshop, Part 1, Beginner to Intermediate, Professor Dennis Galletta
12:45a.m. –1:45p.m.Lunch on your own
2-5pm Math Workshop, Part 2, Professor Pandu Tadikamalla
(Topics covered: continuation of differentiation with applications in economics and operations; including finding the extreme points (minimum, maximum and inflection points) of univariate non-linear functions, partial differentiation of bivariate functions, integral calculus with applications to probability distributions, arithmetic and geometric series with applications in finance.)
Thursday, August 24
All sessions will be held in 1700 Posvar Hall unless noted.
8:15a.m.Morning Coffee Service Available
8:30–10:30a.m. Time Value of Money, Part 3, ProfessorFrederik Schlingemann,
(Topics covered: interest rate conversionsand exercises)
10:40–11:40a.m.Accounting Lecture 2, ProfessorHarry Evans
11:45a.m.–12:45p.m.Lunch on Your Own
2-4pm Excel Workshop Part 2, Advanced, Professor Dennis Galletta
Friday, August 25
All sessions in Mervis Hall unless noted.
8:30a.m.Registration and Continental Breakfast
9a.m.- 12p.m. Job Seeker Workshop, Career Management Team
(Topics covered: Elevator Pitch, Interviewing, Art of Storytelling, Career Fair Overviews)
Noon –1p.m. SEB Student Panel/Lunch
1:15–3p.m.Professional Student Photos; location TBD
SEB Picnic?