University at Buffalo School of Management

Autumn 2020 Buffalo Business 3 UB MBA climbs 6 spots to highest place ever in U.S. News ranking The School of Management was ranked in its highest position ever—No. 60—by U.S. News & World Report in its annual ranking of MBA programs. Up six spots from last year, the school has risen 21 places over the past four years. Among public business schools, the School of Management is ranked No. 32. "Our steady rise in this ranking is a strong reflection of the quality of our students and the caliber of our faculty," says Paul Tesluk, professor and dean of the School of Management. "It's also a ringing endorsement from the employers who hire our graduates and highlights how our strong academic programs and innovative learning experiences prepare our graduates for success in the workplace." The ranking is based on recruiter assessments, peer rankings from other B-schools, placement success and selectivity. The UB School of Management is the only business school in the Buffalo Niagara region to be included in the U.S. News rankings. Learning money skills virtually With experts warning that this spring's staggering unemployment may lead to recession, financial literacy is more import- ant than ever. That's why the School of Management and M&T Bank have partnered—since 2006—to help local high school students develop critical personal finance skills through the free MoneySKILL® program and the annual MoneySKILL Mania competition. "From choosing a university to establishing a credit profile, these students are at a critical point in their lives," says Cynthia Shore, senior assistant dean and director of alumni engagement and external relations. "This year, as teachers shied to remote instruction, we wanted to support their efforts to teach personal finance—and help students have some fun—by taking MoneySKILL Mania virtual." Mania tests students' proficiency with concepts they've learned through the MoneySKILL program, offered by the American Financial Services Association (AFSA) Education Foundation. The late Lewis Mandell, former School of Management professor, wrote the online curriculum, which has reached more than 1 million students across all 50 states and 40 countries. For some teachers, MoneySKILL com- plements their existing curriculum; for others, it helps add new topics to their class. Locally, the School of Management and M&T Bank sponsor MoneySKILL Mania and a series of undergraduate honors student projects at local nonprofits. "Personal finance skills are espe- cially important for young people so they are prepared to make responsible deci- sions," says Emily Frishholz, one teacher who hosted Mania remotely this year. "MoneySKILL exposes students to real-life situations and requires them to think criti- cally and use reasoning." At Buffalo's Hutchinson Central Technical High School, retired 1st Sgt. Stephen Frazier uses MoneySKILL every year with his Junior ROTC cadets. With Mania going virtual, he went even bigger— hosting the competition for cadets across five states. Meanwhile, Cassandra Bold played Mania with her Olean High School students via videoconference. "My students enjoy doing the MoneySKILL modules," she says. "They normally do well on them, and they help boost their grades. I mean, what student doesn't love a grade boost?" No. 60 [up 6 spots from last year] [among public business schools] RANKING No. 32 RANKING

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