Colangelo College of Business

Participants in the Kevin McClean Research Colloquium said they got a lot out of the experience. So did those who merely observed. And as important as it was for faculty, it might have been even more beneficial for students on both sides of the equation. “I honestly couldn’t believe that students who are here at GCU are already learning about all those things and starting to do research projects like that on their own,” junior Klarissa Gutierrez said.

The first day of the Kevin McClean Research Colloquium featured nine impressive presentations, but the three by students on desert plants were the talk of the attendees. “Those kids were impressive, good gravy,” said one of the other presenters, College of Education Professor Jena Akard. The colloquium continues at 3 p.m. Thursday with eight more presentations.

Dr. Marnie Davis, Full-Time Online Instructor in the Colangelo College of Business, strives to make sure her students don’t feel like a mere “name on a screen,” but she also invests in their future with a teaching style she calls “fair, firm and consistent.” She gives a great example of how she helped a student become accountable and take control of assignments.

There will be so many presentations at the fourth annual Kevin McClean Research Colloquium, it will take two days for them to all be shared. The colloquium will begin at 3 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday, will be entirely online and will feature five GCU students as well as a wide array of faculty members. It is the fulfillment of McClean’s wish to see the event grow.

With most volunteer opportunities at sports events unavailable because of pandemic restrictions, GCU Sports Business students were dismayed when it appeared that their annual efforts at the Hoophall West high school basketball tournament also would be canceled. But then the Arizona Interscholastic Association reversed its decision and allowed winter sports to be played, and the students had to scramble to get ready for Hoophall. It was a winning effort.

Strategic Employer Initiatives and Internships (SEI) handed out Career Advisor of the Year awards to 12 faculty members who regularly turn their classrooms into career factories. SEI’s devotion to linking students to employers also is reflected in its ever expanding list of offerings, such as the recent Career Awareness Week. “We all know we have great students. We all know they’re going places. We’re just trying to connect the dots and support their journey in getting there,” said Haley Fagerlie, SEI’s Executive Director.

Teaching financial literacy is part of the foundation of the Colangelo College of Business, and students seeking a path to money management will have a new, state-of-the-art place this fall to learn about the industry. The Charles Schwab Foundation Finance Learning Center will be on the first floor of the CCOB Building.

(Feb. 16, 2021) – GCU’s Colangelo College of Business (CCOB) has received a multiyear grant from Schwab Advisor Services, in partnership with the Charles Schwab Foundation, to create the Charles Schwab Foundation Learning Center and expand the college’s financial planning offerings. The new center will be built in CCOB’s existing 150,000-square-foot, four-story building, serving as a resource center for students and encouraging growth in the Registered Investment Advisor (RIA) industry. The center will also serve as a finance classroom and event/guest speaker space.  “GCU and the Colangelo College of Business are so appreciative of our relationship with Charles Schwab and we are grateful to the Charles Schwab Foundation for this funding to create a learning center,” said CCOB Dean Dr. Randy Gibb. “Financial wellness is vital to our society, so we are so proud of our students for taking an interest in finance and demonstrating their competence to find success with the help and support of Charles Schwab.” CCOB has been working with Charles Schwab since 2018 when the multinational financial services company partnered with GCU to help students prepare for the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) Exam.   “We are excited to expand on our work with Grand Canyon University […]

Michael Potter, Assistant Professor in the Colangelo College of Business, focuses on all students when he teaches, not just the ones majoring in accounting. He aims to make it relatable by putting it in “understandable English that the students can better grasp.” When he’s not teaching, he’s exploring the glories of duct tape, Jack Reacher and a competitive card game called “Magic: The Gathering.”

GCU has partnered with Phoenix Rescue Mission in many ways over the years, from helping the nonprofit’s restaurant, Mission Possible Cafe, get off the ground, to the organization being a clinical rotation site for the University’s prelicensure nursing students, to GCU offering scholarships to those who have gone through the Rescue Mission’s Transformations Recovery Program. The latest partnership is the Lope Shop’s Give Back Get Back campaign, in which clothing, shoes and other items will be donated to the nonprofit. GCU’s work with Phoenix Rescue Mission was featured in the Community Relations Department’s latest Town Hall Informational.