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The GMAT® Though the majority of the cur- rent participants are either recent graduates of or students at the University of Utah, the Foundry is open to students at all Utah univer- sities, as well as interested members of the community. n The Entrepreneur Assistance and Education Program (EASE) was launched in 2007 by the Bryan School of Business and Economics and the Nussbaum Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of North Caro- lina in Greensboro. It matches small business owners who need accounting and marketing assis- tance with undergraduates and graduates who have technical expertise in those areas. Since the founding of the pro- gram, interns have counseled more than 35 small business owners. Working at a rate of $25 per hour, they've spent more than 1,100 service hours identifying busi- ness needs and designing plans of action. The situation is a win-win, says Sam Funchess, president of the Nussbaum Center: Business owners receive immediate and affordable assistance in key business areas, while students hone the skills they'll use in full-time jobs. So far, the program has created 22 jobs and generated an addition- al income potential of at least $1 million annually for the Piedmont Triad region. Those results have been impressive enough to catch the attention of the University Economic Development Associa- tion, which has named EASE one of three national finalists for its 2010 Award of Excellence in the business assistance and entrepre- neurship category. The award will be given in November. Report Market Intelligence for Your School Find out how your programs are doing in the marketplace with two annual surveys from the Graduate Management Admission Council. Program and career services directors who participate can get free custom benchmarking reports. Program Evaluation Out of 28 variables, the top drivers of value and their relative importance to members of the class of 2010 are: Curriculum relevance: 16% Teaching methods: 14% Faculty knowledge: 9% Curriculum comprehensiveness: 9% Student talent level: 6% Other 23 variables: 46% Source: 2010 Global Management Education Graduate Survey of more than 5,000 b-school students who provided opinions about their programs, the value of their education, and their job search and career plans. Data above show relative scores on Pratt index. Career Services Percentage of employers who rated MBAs more competent than others at the same job level in: Managing strategy and innovation: 86% Strategic and systems skills: 85% Knowledge of general business functions: 82% Managing decision-making processes: 79% Learning, motivation, and leadership: 74% Source: 2010 Corporate Recruiters Survey of more than 2,300 employers in 57 countries, including a third of Global Fortune 500 companies that work with business schools around the world. The survey details hiring trends and market demand for graduate business students. GMAC invites you to survey your graduating students or corporate recruiters, and get a free benchmarking re- port comparing your program with aggregate data from five other programs of your choosing. The deadline is January 14, 2011. Visit gmac.com/surveys. Sign up today! © 2010 Graduate Management Admission Council ® (GMAC®). All rights reserved. The GMAC logo is a trademark, and GMAT® and the Graduate Management Admission Council® are registered trademarks of the Graduate Management Admission Council in the United States and other countries. Fortune 500® is a trademark of Time Inc. BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2010 11