USU Student Club Recognized as Best by Global Organization

A new student club at the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University has been recognized by a global organization as its Best New Student Chapter in 2011.

In the fall of 2010, students at Utah State University founded a student chapter of the Association for Information Systems (AIS), a global professional organization for research, teaching, practice and study of information systems.

Kathy Chudoba, an associate professor in the management information systems department, accepted the award for the best new chapter on behalf of the USU AIS chapter and Robert Hayden, the chapter’s faculty advisor, at the International Conference on Information Systems held in Shanghai, China, in December 2011.

Clayton Fielding is a senior in the MIS department and the USU AIS president. He said the chapter submitted a report in the spring of 2011 of its activities for its first academic year, detailing the results of its plans to help students gain knowledge, get connected and get employed. Among other events, the USU AIS chapter has a special Partners In Business session with speakers brought in to talk to MIS students, Fielding said. That was one reason the chapter was selected for the award.

Tmitri Owens, program director for the global AIS organization, said nine other new student chapters competed with the USU chapter, and the groups were judged on their performance in the areas of fundraising, membership, communication and careers in information systems.

The organization is for all USU undergraduate or graduate students interested in technology, Fielding said. The USU chapter has MIS students, as well as computer science and computer engineering majors. Fielding said their vision is to know about the next best technology and be a resource for students who are trying to stay up-to-date with the newest tools. The chapter meets every Thursday throughout the semester, and chapter membership is $10 each academic year.

He said the chapter has also branched out to other student organizations, such as the Society for Human Resource Management and the Huntsman School’s Business Council.

The Huntsman School of Business emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurial thinking, and Fielding said that many of the club's activities, such as teaching students how to build their own business websites, have been centered on encouraging entrepreneurs.

Aside from assisting USU students, Fielding said his group is also helping the Brigham Young University chapter plan the global 2012 Leadership Conference and Student Competition, which will be held April 26-28 in Provo. Those interested in the conference may visit the conference website for more details.

Those interested in the USU chapter may visit its website for more information.

The Jon M. Huntsman School of Business at Utah State University seeks to inspire and equip students to become innovative, ethical leaders with refined analytical skills that will help them understand and succeed in the global marketplace. The Huntsman School of Business is one of eight colleges at USU, located in northern Utah. More information on the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business may be found on the web.