With the dedication of the McGraw School of Business at Olivet Nazarene University on October 4, 2017, the University marked the beginning of a new era in the multi-faceted business education experience it offers.
Alumnus Mick McGraw’s gift to Olivet ensures the continued success of an already vibrant professional business program, which began in 1944 — just 37 years after the University’s beginning in 1907.
“We know that the best way we can thank Mick McGraw is to reflect his life of entrepreneurship, service and philanthropy in all that we do,” says Dr. Glen Rewerts, dean of the School. “Just as his philanthropic actions have led to the naming of our School of Business, we hope our name acts as a reminder to our students to live a life of service.”
Recently recognized for excellence by CollegesofDistinction.com, the School of Business at Olivet is preparing students for success in making a living and making a life. Employers are underscoring the value of Olivet graduates in the workplace, specifically because of their integrity and skills in communication and problem solving. Alumni continue to report on the excellent jobs they are landing and promotions they are receiving.
“My accounting and finance classes at Olivet set me up not only to understand the material, but also to continue to hold my work at a higher standard. The Olivet standard,” says Jacob Rechsteiner ’18, now an assurance staff member with top 15 accounting firm Plante Moran in Chicago.
Incoming students and their parents point to several distinctives when choosing Olivet for studying business with a Christian purpose. Students and graduates underscore the value of these, too.
• CPA exam pass rate: For the past three years, Olivet accounting students who sat for the Certified Public Accountants (CPA) exam have had a high success rate. Olivet continues to perform among the top 10 programs in CPA pass rates.
• Certified Financial Planning: For Olivet students who have taken the Certified Financial Planner (C.F.P.) exam, the pass rate is 71 percent. This exceeds the national average of 64 percent.
• Professional certifications: More than 1,200 have received Microsoft® certifications since Olivet’s Certiport® testing center opened in 2012. Students also have the opportunity for 17 other certifications with more being added each year.
• SAP certifications: Olivet is one of only 10 Illinois schools offering this benefit. SAP is the worldwide market leader in enterprise applications software.
• Internship requirement: All juniors and seniors complete a field placement and/or internship as a degree requirement.
Elizabeth Rapacz, a senior marketing major, completed an internship with the Chicago Bears in summer 2018. “I was able to apply what I had learned about activations and how to make personal connections through a brand in my work with the Bears,” she says. “I also learned on the job about how the Bears use activations to connect families with the team.”
• Intercollegiate competitions: Olivet’s Enactus presentation team ranked in the top 32 of the 444 presentation teams in the nation, based on the team’s performance at regional and national competitions during the 2017–2018 academic year. Each year Enactus leads the way with projects based on addressing community and worldwide needs.
Olivet’s Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda (FBLA) Student Society presentation team — in its first year of competition — won three national championships during competition in summer 2018.
• International Business Institute: Offered each summer, this two-month study abroad opportunity adds an intense, real world experience. Students learn about international travel and cultures while studying companies and business practices in Europe, China and India.
• Student clubs and activities: Each of the 10 business clubs focuses on a specific area of interest or major. In addition, the Student Marketing Agency collaborates with the Department of Communication to serve the actual needs of Olivet clients.
• Career management: From freshman through senior years, Olivet business students receive coaching from faculty, staff and alumni regarding the best strategies for choosing and pursuing their career paths. Career fairs, highlighting a variety of company and job openings, take place regularly on campus. Workshops on interviewing, résumé building and networking help students prepare for the job search process. Students and graduates have access to a global network of more than 40,000 alumni and to HireOlivetians.com for help in connecting them with jobs.
• Quality faculty members: With a total of more than 125 years of business education experience, business professors make sure Olivet’s degree programs, courses and professional certifications are relevant and current.
To learn more about the McGraw School of Business at Olivet, contact the Office of Admissions at admissions@olivet.edu or 800-648-1463.
Published: 10/3/2018
