From the Dean's Desk

Excellence Awards

Martijn Cremers

Martijn Cremers

Monday, 19 April 2021

During Wednesday’s Staff Town Hall, I had the opportunity to announce the 2021 Dean’s Excellence Awards, which recognized three Mendoza teams whose hard work and dedication were truly exceptional. In today’s message, I am sharing the award announcements again for faculty members and those staff members who weren’t able to attend the Staff Town Hall.'


Dean’s Excellence Award for Integration: MSA Enrollment Success
This award is presented to a cross-functional team who have worked together to accomplish a goal or complete a project that is in line with the vision, mission and priorities of the College.
Congratulations to the following marketing and MSA team members: Colleen Cota, Heather DeCourval, Phil Drendall, Lucas Eggers, Dave Grundy, Helen High, Amanda Jacobson, Cathi Kennedy, Santhosh Lakkaraju, Shane McCoy, Lisa Michaels, JR Nemelka and Kellie Rzepka.
This team put in an amazing effort to turn around the enrollment in our Master of Science in Accountancy program (working closely with professors Jim Seida, Sandra Vera-Muñoz and Kristen Collett-Schmitt), including consistent outreach to prospective students and innovative marketing to increase awareness and to build content for underrepresented populations and women. Because of their efforts, the team was able to increase created applications by 26% and submitted applications by 56%, which resulted in a projected enrollment substantially above the current enrollment.

Dean’s Excellence Award for Elevation: Mendoza IT for its support of the Mendoza community during the COVID-19 pandemic
This award is presented to a team that has shown exemplary accomplishment toward a significant achievement through innovative thinking.
Congratulations to the Mendoza IT team of Chris Fruehwirth, Hank Gettinger, David Hardman, Ryan Hudson, Jerry Kickul, Ryan Kraszyk, Frank Mark, Jeremy May, Nick Page, Jim Spencer, David Yeh and Kyle Way.
The start of the pandemic brought Mendoza’s normal operations to a halt. As we quickly adapted to a new virtual environment, Mendoza IT made sure that everyone could get the help and instruction they needed. The IT staff answered a very large volume of chats, phone calls and emails from faculty, staff and students across Mendoza — with compassion, patience and efficiency. The members of the IT team were regularly in the building and on call in order to ensure that the College remained operational.

Dean’s Excellence Award for Elevation: Mendoza Faculty Support Team for its support to the Mendoza community during the COVID-19 pandemic
The third award also recognizes a team that has shown exemplary accomplishment. Congratulations to Faculty Support staff members Rachel Karnafel, Maggie Neenan-Michel, Denayia Phillips, Amy Spangler and Tami Springer.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the Faculty Support Team has exemplified a positive, servant attitude. The team remained on campus, quickly adjusting to safety protocols and serving as a source of steadfast support to Mendoza faculty, staff and students. They assumed extra responsibilities such as distributing face masks, ordering sanitizing supplies and picking up and dropping off packages at the mail distribution center. During a time of great upheaval, Faculty Support has been an unwavering source of support to the whole Mendoza community.

Please join me in congratulating all of these award recipients. I am so very grateful to all of them!

In Notre Dame,

Martijn

Guest column: Michael Brach, Executive MBA program director

Martijn Cremers

Martijn Cremers

Monday, 12 April 2021
Announcing a new format for Notre Dame EMBA-Chicago
I’m excited to let you know about an upcoming change to the Notre Dame EMBA-Chicago program that will enhance the experience we offer our students.
Starting in January 2022, our EMBA-Chicago program will follow a two-year format with monthly residencies from Thursday through Saturday at our downtown Chicago campus. Previously, the EMBA-Chicago was offered as a 17-month program with bimonthly residencies.
Our aim in making this change to the format is to ensure that we are providing our students the very best EMBA experience and program outcomes possible.
The perception of the program in the marketplace is extremely positive and our alumni speak very favorably about their experience.  The feedback we’ve received from students and surveys over the last few years has shown that satisfaction with the program has improved significantly.  With this change, Mendoza will be best equipped to meet the needs and expectations of students at the highest level possible. Our EMBA-South Bend program has been the two-year, monthly residency for some time.
Beginning earlier this spring, associate dean Walt Clements and I spoke with various audiences including department chairs, the EMBA curriculum committee and EMBA faculty, staff and students to discuss various data points and options to improve the program. We looked at data across the South Bend and Chicago programs related to faculty and teaching methods, curriculum, career development services, operations and administration, and the overall student satisfaction with the program. We also compared our results to other EMBA programs in the region/industry.
As we compared our Chicago program to the South Bend program, and both of those program offerings to other programs in the region, several recommendations for curriculum adjustments were advanced. In addition, the 17-month format in Chicago was identified as a limiting factor in further elevating the student experience.
The advantages of the new format for our students include:
  • Additional opportunities to build relationships with business professionals in their cohort, faculty members and the broader Notre Dame community.
  • Extended time to work together between residencies on group projects, which are a central part of the EMBA curriculum.
  • More flexibility as they balance professional, personal and program demands each month.
  • Reduced cost and stress of travel for those who fly into Chicago from all over the U.S.
  • A closer alignment with the EMBA-South Bend program, allowing for increased opportunities for collaborative learning experiences.
The new format is part of our ongoing commitment to provide EMBA students with an optimal educational experience supported by alumni, faculty, staff and the larger Notre Dame community. The schedule provides Chicago based students increased opportunities to participate in speaker and networking events, international engagements and more electives.
The planning and effort undertaken to review and analyze the program were significant. We appreciate the time and efforts of everyone involved in the process, particularly the efforts to revise operational plans and calendars, revise the content on the website, and communicate the changes to our various audiences. THANK YOU!
In Notre Dame,
Mike
Michael Brach '88
Director, Executive MBA Program

Summer Programs

Martijn Cremers

Martijn Cremers

Monday, 5 April 2021
I hope you had a wonderful Easter Sunday and were able to celebrate the spirit of renewal and rejuvenation that the Eastertide season represents.
In the University update sent Thursday, the provost outlined a modified approach to summer academic programs on campus. The aim is to balance offering opportunities to students and faculty alongside the number of activities that campus operations can safely support.
For Mendoza, most of our undergraduate summer courses are already online, so the news primarily affects our graduate programs. The announcement means that all teaching for our graduate degree programs this summer will be in-person.
Subject to current health and safety requirements, the following in-person orientations are scheduled for early summer:
  • MS in Finance-Chicago: May 17 - 20
  • MBA One-Year: June 1 - 11
  • MS in Finance-Residential: June 7 - 11
  • Executive MNA: June 11 - 13
  • MS in Management: June 14 - 18
The graduate programs may provide individual accommodations for in-person teaching depending on their students’ circumstances and pedagogical needs, as well as faculty needs and circumstances. For example, the EMNA program, with the support of faculty and staff, is allowing students to choose whether to take a particular class in person or online.
It is exciting to be making these steps to return to normal. Still, returning to full operations is a process and will continue to require us to be flexible and patient.
There are many questions to be answered, such as what classroom arrangements will look like, whether visitors will be allowed, what any faculty accommodation process for the summer and fall looks like, and what the summer schedule means for staff returning to campus. The University continues to discuss these topics and many more. The University and I will keep you updated as decisions are made.
In Notre Dame,
Martijn

100 Years and Counting

Martijn Cremers

Martijn Cremers

Tuesday, 30 March 2021
A blessed Holy Week.

April 20 marks the College’s “official” 100th anniversary when the University established the College of Foreign and Domestic Commerce with Father John O’Hara, C.S.C., as dean. At the start, the College had an enrollment of nearly 400 students and a 13-member faculty.

Pre-COVID, we had planned to celebrate the Centennial with receptions and other in-person events such as a conference. Even though pandemic-related restrictions are easing, we have decided to delay in-person celebrations that involve significant travels until 2022 out of an abundance of caution.

We will commemorate our anniversary this year in other ways, however. Here are a few projects underway: 

·       The Mendoza Business magazine’s cover story, “The Century Mark,” to be published in May, presents both the legacy of the College and the significance of our mission as we look to the future.
·       “Hidden History” is an ongoing Mendoza Morning Brew newsletter feature that highlights Mendoza history. 
·       The Century Mark website, scheduled for launch in April, will include stories about the founding of the College, a timeline of historical events and an essay series called “Make Your Mark.” The series features contributions by students, faculty, staff, alums and friends of the College as they reflect on the impact that Notre Dame and Mendoza have had on their lives. More information about how you can contribute will be sent soon.
·       Commemorative commencement gifts to all 2021 graduates of “The Great Wave” print will include the Centennial logo. 
·       A new edition of “O'Hara's Heirs: Business Education at Notre Dame,” with new chapters added to bring the history up to date, will be presented this fall. 
·       A special Centennial-themed Staff Appreciation Day is being planned for spring 2022 to thank our staff for their hard work, dedication and commitment to the College.

The Mendoza Centennial is a momentous occasion that provides us with the opportunity to reflect on our legacy as well as plan for the future. Above all, it is an occasion to recognize and remember the many people — faculty, staff, students, alums and others — whose lives and contributions formed the College as we know it today. As Kerry Temple wrote in “O’Hara’s Heirs,” “The story of the College is largely a story of its people …” I’m thankful to the many of you who contribute to the story of Mendoza every day.

“Dear brothers and sisters, every moment of our lives is a time for believing, hoping and loving. The call to experience Lent as a journey of conversion, prayer and sharing of our goods, helps us – as communities and as individuals – to revive the faith that comes from the living Christ, the hope inspired by the breath of the Holy Spirit and the love flowing from the merciful heart of the Father.
May Mary, Mother of the Saviour, ever faithful at the foot of the cross and in the heart of the Church, sustain us with her loving presence. May the blessing of the risen Lord accompany all of us on our journey towards the light of Easter.”
Happy Easter!

Martijn

Guest column: Jim Otteson

Martijn Cremers

Martijn Cremers

Monday, 22 March 2021
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Coming to Notre Dame in the middle of a pandemic was, well, interesting. But it was a homecoming for me. I earned my undergraduate degree in liberal studies from Notre Dame. I also attended a summer hockey camp at ND when I was 9. I fell in love. I resolved to be the first person in my family to go to college, and Notre Dame was the only option. As an undergrad here, I met my future wife, Katie, (who was a finance major), I studied abroad my sophomore year in Innsbruck, Austria, and I had some of the best experiences of my life.
I went on to get a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Chicago, where I wrote my dissertation on Adam Smith’s moral theory — leading to a career that explored the disciplines of moral philosophy, 18th-century “classical” liberalism, the history of economic thought and, eventually, business ethics.
I have been amply blessed in my life, and the opportunity to join the faculty of Mendoza is, for me, the highest honor and greatest privilege I have had in my professional career. It is also a great responsibility. Notre Dame has a mission that goes beyond scholarly excellence. The words of Notre Dame’s mission statement resonate deeply with me: “The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic academic community of higher learning, animated from its origins by the Congregation of Holy Cross.” The statement continues: “As a Catholic university, one of its distinctive goals is to provide a forum where, through free inquiry and open discussion, the various lines of Catholic thought may intersect with all the forms of knowledge found in the arts, sciences, professions, and every other area of human scholarship and creativity.”
As a member of the faculty of Notre Dame, I believe I am called every day to ask whether I am giving my all to its mission — not just as an excellent university, but as an excellent Catholic university, with all the duties, responsibilities, obligations … and joy that that entails.
I have recently been asked to serve as the faculty director of the Notre Dame Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership. In this capacity, I am privileged to build on the outstanding foundation laid by its previous director, Chris Adkins, and to work with its outstanding team, associate director Brett Beasley and administrative assistant Deb Coch. Chris’s are big shoes to fill, and the challenge to maintain, and even expand, the work of Chris and his team is daunting. But I welcome the challenge and look forward to working with the Center and its team.
In the coming months, you will hear from the Deloitte Center about programs and activities we are planning. I hope you will join us and even contribute. Thanks primarily to Brett and Deb, you will also continue to get the Center’s regular newsletters and dispatches, containing links to and discussions of cutting-edge research and scholarship that reflect the dynamic field of business ethics. We welcome your suggestions about speakers to invite, in-residence scholars to host, conferences to organize, research to support, and programs to sponsor.
I thank Martijn Cremers and Ken Kelley for this opportunity. I thank Chris for all he has done to set up the Center for success. I thank Brett and Deb for their continuing and dedicated service. And I thank all of you — my Mendoza colleagues — for welcoming me and entrusting me with the honor of joining you and serving Our Lady’s University.
In Notre Dame,
Jim Otteson
John T. Ryan Jr. Professor of Business Ethics and
Rex and Alice A. Martin Faculty Director of the
Notre Dame/Deloitte Center for Ethical Leadership

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