Tuesday, November 8, 2011

Accounting CPE Day Seminar

The 3rd annual Department of Accounting CPE Day at Middle Tennessee State University will be held Thursday, Dec. 8, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., in the Business and Aerospace Building, State Farm Lecture Hall.

Topics during the seminar include presentations on accounting and financial reporting, auditing, taxation, and ethics. Participants can earn up to 8 hours of CPE credit.

Brochure

Agenda

Online Registration

Directions

The sessions include:
● How "Legal Thinking" Can Aid the Auditor, Sandy Benson, MTSU;
●Tennessee - Specific Ethics, Mark Crocker, Executive Director of the Tennessee Board of Accountancy;
●FASB Update, Paula Thomas, MTSU;
●Audit Update, Bill Mooningham, MTSU;
●Issues in Taxation, Tim Koski, MTSU;
●General Ethics, Stan Clark, MTSU;
● Leveraging Technology in the Modern Accounting Firm, Eric Clements, Randall Matlock and Associates;
●International Financial Reporting Standards, Jeannie Harrington, MTSU;
●GASB Update, G. Robert Smith Jr. (Smitty), MTSU Department of Accounting Chair

Monday, October 31, 2011

Culture Fest 2011

MTSU Culture Fest 2011 is November 10, 6-9 p.m. in the Tennessee Room of the James Union Building.

The event, planned by Jean Wilson's Senior Seminar Class (Management and Marketing), promotes cultural awareness and acceptance.

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Tennessee's Business Census 2010 Theme Issue



Tennessee 2010 Census Report
by Randy Gustafson, Director, Tennessee State Data Center
  • 100 Years of Population Change
  • County Population Growth (featuring interactive map with pop-up county details)
  • Population Density
  • Population Density by Race, 2000-2010 (In the next several weeks, pop-up county race details will be added.)
  • Tennesseans under 18 by Race
  • Population Growth among Children
  • Tennesseans 65 and Over, 2000-2010 (including separate detailed mapson growth, county %, male, female, non-White over-65 population)
  • Married-Couple Households, 2000-2010 (tract and county maps)
  • Single-Person Households, 2000-2010
Analyses
  • Tennessee Population Growth 2000-2010 by H. Ronald Moser, Professor, Cumberland University, and Horace E. Johns, Professor, MTSU
  • Patterns in Tennessee's Black Population 2000-2010 by H. Ronald Moser
Additional Resources
  • Tennnessee's Recent Immigration Patterns (Global Commerce Newsletter)
  • Tennessee Population Projections, 2015-2040 [.xls] (Tennessee State Data Center )
  • Population Shifts and Redistricting toward Ideal (News Sentinel, June 20, 2011)
  • Searchable Database: State & Area Population Tables (BERC)
  • Data Visualization Tools (Tennessee State Data Center)

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Tennessee Census 2010 Report

Tennessee's Business Census 2010 Report booklet from MTSU's Economic Outlook Conference:

Flash page-flip version:

pdf version:

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Local Economic Outlook

Economic outlook for Tennessee and the Nashville MSA by Business and Economic Research Center director David Penn [pdf]: http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/pdfs/eoc2011.pdf

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tennessee: Recent Immigration Patterns

Dr. Steven Livingston of the Business and Economic Research Center reports in Global Commerce: "While we have devoted great attention to the expanding flow of trade and investment into this state, perhaps it's time to take a look at the flow of people as well...." [ more ]

Monday, September 19, 2011

Consumers Losing Confidence in Economy

“Any hopes for improvement in consumer confidence during the summer months can be forgotten,” Tim Graefff, director of MTSU’s Office of Consumer Research, reported in the Middle Tennessee Consumer Confidence Index released last week.

[ Read more at Murfreesboro Post ]

Monday, August 22, 2011

Annual MTSU Economic Outlook Conference

Friday, Sept. 30, 2011, 8:15 a.m. – 1:15 p.m.
Embassy Suites, 1200 Conference Center Blvd., Murfreesboro [ map ]

Sponsors:
Jennings A. Jones Chair of Excellence in Free Enterprise
MTSU Business and Economic Research Center
Weatherford Chair of Finance

8:15 Registration
9:00 Mark Emkes, Tennessee Commissioner of Finance and Administration
10:30 Dr. David Penn, BERC Director, Midstate/Regional Economic Update
11:30 Luncheon
12:00 Dr. Donald Ratajczak, Regents Professor of Economics Emeritus, Georgia State University, Economic Forecast

Cost: $50 per registrant to cover facilities, refreshments, and registration. Refunds are not permitted but substitution of participants is welcomed.

Register Onlineform ]

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

MTSU Prof Honored with Award

Jackie Gilbert, professor in MTSU's Department of Management and Marketing, is sharing an award with fellow members of an international online-learning organization for their work in contributing high-quality web-based, interactive teaching and learning materials. [Daily News Journal article]

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Microenterprise Loans Can Have Big Impact

Microenterprise Loan Fund: Small business lending is available from federal grant money through the City of Murfreesboro working with Community Development Department and Tennessee Small Business Development Center

"The Small Business Development Center ... provides free consultation on starting businesses to any resident.... Gene Osekowsky, a 15-year counselor at the Small Business Development Center that leases an office at the Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce, ... examines marketing and sales potential, record keeping and what kind of money is needed to get the business started.... Part of his service will include following up with those getting loans to make sure they're carrying out their business plan or if they need assistance in revising the plan." 

[Daily News Journal article]

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Entrepreneurship Chair Leads Research

http://tinyurl.com/3c7fgwy 

Doug Tatum, holder of the Wright Chair of Entrepreneurship, will head concentrated research for the Institute for Exceptional Growth Companies to investigate the performance of EGCs through economic cycles and how they contribute to job creation and economic prosperity. [DNJ article]

Friday, May 13, 2011

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Destination Rutherford Nets $2.5M in Pledges

http://tinyurl.com/3qg8wgl
Started some 8 years ago when a BERC study found the county's average wages weren't rising, Destination Rutherford officials said Tuesday they've raised 63 percent of a $4 million goal as they unveiled a five-year mission to create 5,000 jobs here with projected earnings of $219 million. The jobs initiative calls for creating 4,396 indirect positions with a $166 million payroll for a total impact of 9,396 jobs and $385 million in earnings by sometime in 2015. More than 50 percent of the jobs are expected to pay above the average Rutherford County wage of $41,964, which is about $1,600 more than the state average. [Daily News Journal, May 10)

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Tennessee's Business: Social Enterprise

http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/tnbiz/social/contents.html

Tennessee's Business: Social Entreprise issue is now online. This issue is dedicated to the memory of Richard Hannah.

Articles include:
  • Rethinking the Entrepreneurial Spectrum
    by Richard Hannah (1951-2011), professor, Department of Economics and Finance, MTSU
  • Social Ventures as Learning Laboratories
    by J. Gregory Dees, Center for the Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship, Duke University
  • Adventures in Fair Trade
    by Mark Sloneker, social entrepreneur, Orijyn
  • Nashville-Based Online Store Helps Cambodian Women Take Greater Control of Their Lives
    by Ann Walling, retired assistant rector, St. David's Episcopal Church, Nashville
  • Social Entrepreneurship and Higher Education
    by Bernard Turner, director, Center for Social Entrepreneurship and Service-Learning, Belmont University
  • Good Fortune in Cleveland, Tennessee
    by Jennifer Jack, social entrepreneur, Good Fortune Soap
  • You Can't Fish without a River
    by Guy Larry Osborne, Social Entrepreneurship & Nonprofit Studies, Carson-Newman College
  • A Unique Opportunity for Socially Responsible Businesses
    by Ned Hallowell, nationally renowned expert on ADD

Monday, April 25, 2011

Funeral Arrangements: Dr. Richard Hannah

http://www.moorecortner.com 

Moore Cortner Funeral Home, Winchester, TN

Richard Lloyd Hannah

(August 1, 1951 - April 20, 2011)

Richard Lloyd Hannah, age 59 of Murfreesboro, passed away Wednesday, April 20, 2011 at his residence. He was born in Maryland, the son of the late Andrew "Buddy" Hannah, Jr. and Myrtle Elizabeth Caldwell Hannah. Mr. Hannah was an economics professor at MTSU and had served in the US Marine Corps. Survivors include his wife, Emma Burassa Hannah of Murfreesboro; sister, Patty (Ray) Stevens of Cowan; brothers, Brian (Betty Jo) Hannah of Cowan and Gary (Gay) Hannah of Estill Springs; and several cousins.

Visitation will be 5:30 - 6 PM Tuesday, April 26, 201 at Moore-Cortner Funeral Home with memorial services to follow at 6 PM.

Moore-Cortner Funeral Home
300 1st Ave NW
Winchester, TN 37398
(931) 967-2222

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Updated Obituary: Dr. Richard Hannah

Dr. Richard Hannah
Middle Tennessee State University mourns the death this week of Dr. Richard Hannah, a professor in the Department of Economics and Finance who served as an international goodwill ambassador for our students.

Hannah, 59, whose work as part of the University Honors College included development of the first Buchanan Fellows macroeconomics course, joined MTSU in 1992. The Buchanan Fellowship, named for Nobel Prize laureate and MTSU alumnus James Buchanan, is the highest award given to students entering the Honors College.

“Richard was a distinguished professor, beloved by his students and colleagues and greatly valued for his service to our University,” said MTSU President Sidney A. McPhee. “His scholarship and leadership helped make MTSU stronger and we are deeply saddened by his passing.

“Our sympathies go out to Richard’s wife, Emma, and the entire family,” the President said.

Hannah traveled extensively overseas as a goodwill ambassador for the University. His most recent trip was to Bangladesh in December 2010 to meet with executives of Grameen Bank, founded by Nobel laureate and former MTSU professor Muhammad Yunus, to arrange for more MTSU student internships.

“Dr. Hannah believed he could inspire MTSU students by giving them examples of individuals like Dr. Buchanan and Dr. Yunus, and I believe he succeeded in this endeavor,” said John Vile, dean of the Honors College. “We are devastated by the loss. “

Hannah was the Honors College’s resident faculty member from the Jennings A. Jones College of Business and taught at the graduate and undergraduate levels at the University. For a decade, he was the host of “Inside Academia,” a television program produced at MTSU on higher education.

He also created the first online graduate-level Managerial Economics course at MTSU.

Hannah received his Bachelor of Arts degree in history from UT-Chattanooga and another Bachelor of Arts degree in German at MTSU, where he also earned his Master of Arts degree in economics. He received his Ph.D. degree in economics from the University of Utah.

Prior to becoming a full-time professor, Hannah served as director of MTSU’s Center for Economic Education and worked for the Tennessee Valley Authority.

[earlier note from Dean James Burton]

Obituary: Dr. Richard Hannah

Dr. Richard Hannah
It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing of Professor Richard Hannah.

Dr. Hannah, Professor of Economics, was found dead of apparent natural causes in his Murfreesboro home on Wednesday by Murfreesboro Police.  Department Chair, Dr. Charlie Baum, had become concerned after Dr. Hannah missed classes on Monday and Wednesday and had initiated efforts to locate Dr. Hannah. 

Dr. Hannah was a valued member of the faculty and will be greatly missed by his colleagues and students.

We will provide additional information as it becomes available. 

Friday, April 15, 2011

Opry Mills to Benefit Jobless Rate

http://tinyurl.com/3e5v3l5
From the
Tennessean: "
The dramatic impact here of Opry Mills' reopening would be sparked because the 3,000 new jobs would end up putting an additional 1,500 people to work through indirect jobs, meaning a total of 4,500 jobs pumped into the labor market, said Arik, associate director of the Business and Economic Research Center at MTSU."

Friday, April 8, 2011

Tennessee County Economic Dashboard

New on the site of the Business and Economic Research Center:

Indicators for each of the state's 95 counties:
http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc

Thursday, March 31, 2011

CIS Paper Award

At the MBAA International Conference last week, Associate Professor Charles Apigian (Computer Information Systems) and student Johnathan Gilliam presented their paper "An Analysis of the Factors that Contribute to Intellectual Property Theft." The paper received the McGraw-Hill/Irwin Distinguished Paper Award from the Society for the Advancement of Information Systems, which is the best paper award for the IS track.

Gilliam is an undergraduate majoring in history and minoring in CIS and will begin working on a master's degree in CIS in the fall. Apigian was his mentor in the McNair Program, and this paper is the result of that research.

Johnathan Gilliam & Charles Apigian with McGraw-Hill/Irwin Distinguished Paper Award at MBAA  

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Job Heat Charts Updated

http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc/tacir/tacir.html
Through Feb. 2011: Employment growth by industry for Tennessee and 10 MSAs

Friday, March 25, 2011

Tennessee 2010 Census Population Totals

http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc/census.html
These data from the U.S. Census Bureau provide the first look at population counts for small areas and race, Hispanic origin, voting age and housing unit data released from the 2010 Census. The census data are used by state officials to realign congressional and state legislative districts in their states, taking into account population shifts since the 2000 Census.

Monday, March 21, 2011

Tennessee 2010 Census Results

Tennessee Census Map
http://tinyurl.com/4v6nlpu 
Interactive map of population change by county and chart of state population by race

Tennessee Jobless Rate Rises

Japan's Disasters May Have Impact
From the Tennessean March 18:

"In the short-term, I don't expect to see any layoffs related to the Japanese disaster," said economist Murat Arik, associate director of the Business & Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University in Murfreesboro.

Still, the situation is fluid, and to the extent that local auto-sector firms need parts or production from Japan, they could be forced to close temporarily until that supply returns, cautions Steven Livingston, editor of a global trade newsletter and a political science professor at MTSU.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Rise in Nashville-Area Jobless Rate Seen Only as a Blip

From the Tennessean: But most economists attribute the spike to seasonal changes such as the layoff of temporary workers or the loss of extra retail employees after Christmas — not a renewed economic swoon. "I don't attribute the increases to the economy getting worse," said economist David Penn, director of the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University. [article]

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Global Commerce 4th Quarter 2010

http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc/globalcommerce.html

"Tennessee—Significant Links to the Middle East?"
How significant are the countries of the Arabian world to Tennessee and its economy? What might be the economic fallout of the dramatic events we are witnessing? [more]

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Tennessee Housing Price Index

New from the Business and Economic Research Center (BERC): Housing Price Index with graphs for Tennessee and 10 MSAs

Monday, February 28, 2011

Hannah Travels to Bangladesh to Aid University Partners

Muhammad Yunus
Dr. Richard Hannah [Department of Economics and Finance] spent two weeks in December visiting Chittagong University in Bangladesh, one of MTSU's international partners, and making contact with Dr. Muhammad Yunus, former MTSU professor and founder of the Grameen Bank in the capital city of Dhaka. A second shipment of books is on its way to CU students through the efforts of MTSU's Yunus Program.

In addition, Hannah met with the executive staff at Grameen to discuss expanding internships at the bank. The first MTSU student to intern with Grameen, Steve Sibley, is in his second year of a doctoral program at Purdue University. [See Sibley's letters from Grameen describing his internship experience.]

[Read complete article in the Record.]

Dr. Richard Hannah, second from right, meets staff members at a medical facility in rural Bangladesh that has been set up as a social business.

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Take a Stand: Stop Bullying

March 17, 6-8 p.m., BAS State Farm Room
National expert on workplace bullying Dr. Gary Namie will speak on March 17, 2011, from 6 to 8 p.m. in the State Farm Room in the Business and Aerospace Building on the campus of Middle Tennessee State University. Dr. Namie taught the nation's first university course on workplace bullying. He was the expert witness in the nation's first bullying trial in Indiana with the verdict upheld by the state Supreme Court.

Dr. Namie and his wife, Dr. Ruth Namie, are the most recognized individuals associated with bullying in the U.S., due in large part to the eight public websites devoted to education about bullying for individuals, lawmakers, unions, and employers. Their work has been featured on the Today Show, Good Morning America, CNN, NPR, and in print.

Dr. Namie directs a national network of state coordinators [the Healthy Workplace Campaign], acting as citizen lobbyists, who work to pass into law the anti-bullying Healthy Workplace Bill.

This event, free and open to the public, sponsored by the Distinguished Speaker Series and the Jennings A. Jones College of Business. For more information, contact Jackie Gilbert, 615-898-5418. More information regarding bullying, civil discourse, and respectful interaction can be found at OrganizedforEfficiency.com.

[Download promotional flyer pdf.]

Insurance Career Fair

Martin Chair of Insurance / Gamma Iota Sigma Career Fair today in Keathley University Center rooms 322 and 316 [more]

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Tennessee Housing Market 3rd Quarter

The Business and Economic Research Center has posted its Tennessee Housing Market Report with 4th Quarter 2010 data - 
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/housingbrief.html

Monday, February 14, 2011

Tennessee Business News

Latest business headlines for Tennessee and its 10 metropolitan statistical areas: 
http://frank.mtsu.edu/~berc/tacir/tacir.html#news

Friday, February 11, 2011

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

FBLA Region 4 Conference

Tennessee’s Region 4 Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) held its annual conference at MTSU on February 8, 2011. The Department of Business Communication and Entrepreneurship (BCEN) hosted a reception for the participants and teachers and served as judges and proctors for the competitive events.

The events involved over 300 students from local high schools and middle schools in numerous business disciplines. Region 4 consists of Hickman, Lawrence, Lewis, Marshall, Maury, Perry, Rutherford, Wayne, and Williamson counties.

Update: Tennessee's Economic Recovery

http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc/ppts/recoveryfeb11.ppt

David Penn's presentation "Update: Tennessee's Economic Recovery" (.ppt) to TACIR (Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations)

Monday, February 7, 2011

Jones College Research Cited by Atlanta Fed

The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's blog Southpoint cited research by MTSU's Office of Consumer Research and Business and Economic Research Center in its post "Confidence Improving in the Region"

  • In their December publication, Dr. Timothy Graeff writes that: "On the positive side, consumers feel slightly better about the current economy. The current situation index rose modestly to -90 from -93. The percent who said that business conditions in the country as a whole are 'good' gained only slightly to 7 from 5, but the percent who said that business conditions are 'bad' dropped to 34 from 41."
  • As an aside and a plug for our friends at MTSU's Business & Economic Research Center, see their heat maps of Tennessee's employment picture. They also provide similar maps for major state metro areas, including Nashville."

Friday, February 4, 2011

Census City Population Widget

On the Business and Economic Research Center site:
http://www.mtsu.edu/~berc/citypopulation.html

Poll: Consumers More Optimistic about Future

Consumer confidence in Middle Tennessee rose significantly this week, with consumers polled by telephone expressing more optimism about the economy, the job market and their stocks.... "Even though consumers are more confident and more hopeful about the future, the future economy and future jobs, they don't see it right now," said Timothy Graeff, director of MTSU's Office of Consumer Research, which conducts the consumer poll periodically. [Daily News Journal article]

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Wall Street Journal Writer Slated to Speak at MTSU

Stephen Moore to Discuss Government, Taxes, State of National Economy

Stephen Moore, senior economic writer for the Wall Street Journal and a member of the WSJ’s editorial board, will lecture on current events Thursday, Feb. 10at 7:30 p.m. in the State Farm Lecture Hall of MTSU’s Business and Aerospace Building.

Moore is the author of five books, most recently Bullish on Bush: How the Ownership Society is Making America Richer. He also is the former president of the Free Enterprise Fund, a nonprofit advocacy group for limited government and tax relief, and the founder and former president of the Club for Growth, a political action committee committed to less government and lower taxation.
             
A former consultant to the National Economic Commission and ex-research director for the Commission on Privatization under President Regan, Moore’s resume also includes stints at two Washington-based think tanks, the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute.
             
A question-and-answer session will follow the lecture. This event, which is free and open to the public, is sponsored by the Jennings A. Jones College of Business, the Wright Travel Chair in Entrepreneurship, and the Young America’s Foundation. For more information, contact Doug Tatum at 615-898-2785 or dtatum@mtsu.edu.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Obituary: Dr. Anna Burford

Dr. Anna M. Burford, 83, died on Jan. 5, 2011. Dr. Burford was employed by MTSU from August 1981 until her retirement in July 2000. She was a professor in the Department of Business Education, Marketing Education and Office Management [BCENfrom the Record].

Would You Pay $170,000 for a Consultant?

Doug Tatum, associate professor [Business Communication and Entrepreneurship], who holds the Wright Travel Chair in Entrepreneurship, was quoted in a New York Times blog post on running a small business.

Monday, January 24, 2011

Better Living through Economics

John Siegfried from Vanderbilt University will present “Better Living through Economics” in an Economics and Finance seminar this Friday, Jan. 28, 2011, in the Business and Aerospace Building, room S128, from 12:45 - 2:15 p.m. The presentation is related to his book with the same title and it is meant to appeal to a general audience. [more information, pdf]

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Alumna Wright Recognized


MTSU alumna and Nashville businesswoman Pamela J. Wright has been recognized by the Tennessee Board of Regents with its Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Philanthropy. The award, presented by TBR Chancellor John Morgan, recognizes Wright, who made a $1.25 million commitment in 2007 to establish an endowed chair in entrepreneurship, for her outstanding support of MTSU. [more at mtsunews.com]

[Wright Travel Chair of Entrepreneurship]

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

MTSU-TSBDC Sponsors TNCPE Performance Excellence Conference

Middle Tennessee State University’s Tennessee Small Business Development Center (TSBDC) in partnership with the Tennessee Center for Performance Excellence (TNCPE) is sponsoring the 2011 Excellence in Tennessee Conference to be held in Franklin on February 22-23. TNCPE offers in-depth organizational assessments and feedback, coupled with high-level training in improvement methods based on the Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence.

“TNCPE delivers training across the state throughout the year, but its biggest educational event is the annual Excellence in Tennessee Conference. I encourage Jones College of Business faculty members to attend this conference,” said Patrick Geho, Associate Professor BCEN and State Director of the TSBDC.

At the conference, national and regional experts and leaders from world-class organizations will provide training on best practices and improvement tools.

To learn more about TNCPE, or the Excellence in Tennessee Conference, please visit www.tncpe.org or call (800) 453-6474.

Conference details are available at www.TNCPE.org/Innovate2011.

A sampling of sessions at the 2011 Excellence in Tennessee Conference:

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Organizing for Efficiency

MTSU professor Jackie Gilbert, Management and Marketing, has launched a blog: "Organizing for Efficiency."

[article from the Record]

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Tracking Tennessee's Economic Recovery

MTSU's Business and Economic Research Center partners with Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations to provide up-to-date information tracking Tennessee's economic recovery including key indicators for the state and 10 MSAs as well as current business headlines. [Tracking Tennessee's Economic Recovery site]


Monday, January 10, 2011

Rapidly Changing Job Market Brings Hopes, Fears

From the Tennessean: Murat Arik, associate director of the Business and Economic Research Center at Middle Tennessee State University, said some manufacturing jobs soon will be created in Tennessee as Volkswagen starts up in Chattanooga and Hemlock Semiconductor Group gets under way in Clarksville. [more]