Main Articles Listing: Norton School 2. UA retailing draws donors School's growing repute and 'exceptional talent' attract large donations By Eric Swedlund Arizona Daily Star Business Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.20.2007 The quick-rising new home of the UA's retailing program has already attracted four big donations from major retailers, partnerships that speak to the program's growing reputation and recent student successes. Soyeon Shim, director of the John and Doris Norton School of Family and Consumer Sciences, said the donations are proof that the UA's retailing graduates are highly sought after by top companies nationwide. While Scottsdale may be Arizona's premiere destination for shopping, companies come to Tucson to recruit their future top managers, Shim said. "Their bottom line is to get the best and the brightest students, period," Shim said. "We play the liaison between the companies and our curriculum." The Norton School's new home, called McClelland Park, is under construction at North Park Avenue and East Fourth Street. The retailing program is part of the Norton School. Recent donations include $200,000 from Macy's for a student lounge, $200,000 from Gateway for a computer lab, $100,000 from Saks Fifth Avenue for a reception area and $100,000 from Calvin Klein for a fourth-floor terrace. "They are all very interested in areas they feel are directly supporting students," Shim said. The donations form the core of a larger effort, aided by Federated Department Stores President and CEO Terry J. Lundgren, a UA alumnus who will host a June 13 reception for retailers in New York to kick off fundraising. Melinda Burke, director of the Norton school's Terry J. Lundgren Center for Retailing, said that while there's no formal ranking of collegiate retail programs, she's confident the UA is among the top two or three in the country, based on feedback from retailing companies that recruit here. "They have a very significant need to hire exceptional talent, and our program is providing them with that," Burke said. "Our retail partners are looking to our programs for their future leaders." PetSmart recruits here Phoenix-based PetSmart, which is building close to 100 stores a year, has been recruiting from the program for about 10 years, but wanted further involvement based on its success with UA graduates, said Neil Stacey, divisional vice president of operations. Five years ago the company joined the center's advisory board, as a way to help students and also raise its profile on campus, he said. "The U of A students are very grounded and have a lot of practical experience, and by graduation we're getting a student who is ready to hit the ground running," Stacey said. "It's one of the top schools preparing students for the retail world." PetSmart starts its new managerial hires in stores first before moving them up the corporate ranks, and Stacey said the UA graduates have proven they're willing to roll up their sleeves and prove themselves. "The UA is uniquely executing very well on that program," said Stacey, who estimated his company has hired 15 to 20 UA graduates in the last several years. "Many of us have had the experience of sitting in the college classroom and listening to a professor who hasn't been anywhere near the real world in many years, but the U of A hires people who have strong experience in the industry." The undergraduate program leading to a bachelor of science degree in retailing and consumer sciences includes courses in retailing operations and strategies, marketing, management and consumer behavior, along with typical business-related classes like statistics, accounting and economics, all specifically oriented to retailing. The retailing major has about 375 students, with about 100 graduating a year. The UA is one of about six universities that have sizeable programs focusing solely on retail. Competitors include the University of Florida and Syracuse University, Shim said. The retailing program's location in the agricultural college gives it more autonomy and allows for a more specific curriculum, with a focus that links families and communities with the marketplace, Shim said. Students say being separate from the business school has disadvantages and advantages: It's a smaller and lesser-known program that some students might not consider, but it tends to draw students with a more particular interest in retailing as a career. Program a better fit Casey Lepkowski, a 22-year-old who just graduated, is working as an assistant manager at Walgreens and will start in June as an executive assistant, making $43,000 a year plus bonuses. He said he switched to the retailing program from the UA's business college because it was a better fit for him. "I saw it was more of a hands-on program and offers a lot more industry-specific classes," he said. "(The) Eller (College of Management) had a lot of theoretical classes, but it didn't translate to what you're going to do, day one." Lepkowski, the program's outstanding graduating senior this year, said companies' willingness to donate reflects favorably on students and professors. "It's a testament to the previous students and their successes." Leah Scherotter, 21, will spend the summer before her senior year interning at Gap Inc.'s corporate office in San Francisco. She acts as a student ambassador, helping set up campus recruiter visits with JCPenney and Nordstrom, advising on what students look for in jobs. She said what the program offers beyond classroom learning is invaluable — internship opportunities, job interview practice, workshops and conferences. "When I compare some of the coursework and the opportunities I have to other majors, I'm just baffled at how many opportunities we have as far as networking, professional development, overall business skills. It's just amazing how students our age are able to come into contact with some of the top retail executives in the world." The Norton school has a goal of raising $2 million from its corporate partners, having already collected major donations to name the program and the building, to open in fall 2008. Shim said retailing is a niche program that's blossoming along with Arizona's long-term retail boom. "You would've asked 10 or 15 years ago, 'Who would come to the Tucson desert to recruit students?' " Shim said. "But we are creating that product." Contact reporter Eric Swedlund at 573-4115 or at eswedlund@azstarnet.com. This story is online at the Arizona Daily Star site: http://www.azstarnet.com/allheadlines/183835.php - Updated: May 30, 2007 [e-Mail me the articles]    -     [Search our articles]    -     [contact us ]     return to media home