Academics

Business Administration

business administration

You'll become an entrepreneur in one of your first courses as a business major at Saint Michael’s. 

In our Critical Thinking and Communications course, you'll prepare a business plan, sell stock in your company, and sell your products or services on campus. At the end of the semester, you'll present a shareholder report and evaluate the performance of your business. 

Over the next four years, you’ll learn the essentials of business practice and theory well -- but not just through textbooks and lectures. Rather, we make sure you become an actively engaged business-leader-in- training through special competitions, class simulations and cross-curricular explorations.

Are you ready?

As a Saint Michael's business major, you can concentrate in specific areas such as accounting, finance, international business, management and marketing. We offer a wide range of upper-level elective courses in these areas, as well. The Department offers majors and minors in accounting and business administration.

The business administration major is a well-rounded, general business major that exposes you to each of the functional areas of business. It emphasizes the nature, function and social role of the business organization and stresses that administration is both an art and a science. In keeping with the college’s liberal arts mission, requirements for the major are comprehensive but recognize the unique opportunities that the liberal studies foundation affords our students.

The major also includes components that help students understand the interface between businesses decisions and the conduct of a moral/ethical life. All business administration majors will have an experiential component as part of their program of study. In addition, the major requires that students pursue in-depth study of a field of their choice. This requirement is met by completing a second major, a minor either from those offered within the department or from any other department on campus, or a concentration within the department.

The accounting major prepares students for careers in a variety of organizations including public accounting firms, business enterprises, government and non-profit organizations. In addition, the coursework is sufficiently broad to prepare students to continue their studies in graduate programs in accounting or business administration. The relationship between the accounting major and preparation for the CPA exam is explained on the accounting major page.

One-on-one guidance from faculty will be a big part of your business education at St. Mike's. Our students frequent professors' offices for help and advice not only for courses but also for questions about the business world in general; our professors have a variety of practical and academic experience.

Writing and presentation skills also are fostered throughout the business major. Students have many chances to practice and enhance their writing and speaking abilities, which is essential to success in business.

Birger Benson, MBA

Associate Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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M.B.A. Harvard Graduate School of Business
B.A. Dartmouth College

I came to Saint Michael's after a successful stint in business and consulting.

Areas of Expertise:

Financial policies of corporations, labor relations, total quality management and computer applications.

I teach a broad cross-section of courses to undergraduate business majors and in the Master of Science in Administration Program.

Steven Doyon, BA, CPA

Visiting Instructor of Business Administration & Accounting
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B.A. in Accounting: Saint Michael's College
Vermont licensed Certified Public Accountant 

Courses I Teach:

  • Managerial Accounting
  • Intermediate Accounting I
  • Intermediate Accounting II

My Saint Michael's

I practiced in public accounting for 14 years, serving as an auditor for one of the "Big 4" firms. I audited the financial statements of publicly traded and privately held firms in a variety of industries.

I have taught at Saint Michael's College since the fall 1995 semester, initially as a part-time instructor and full-time since the fall of 2008.

In that time, I have instructed 10 different courses within the accounting, business and finance curriculum. 

Francis Farina, MBA, JD, CPA

Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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J.D. Georgetown University Law Center
M.B.A. George Washington University
B.S. Suffolk University

I previously was visiting assistant professor of accounting at Albright College in Reading, Pennsylvania, and I have been a sole practitioner attorney and CPA since 1999.

 

Erik Kaarla, MA, MEd

Adjunct Professor, Accounting and Business Department
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I am an educator with experience in teaching music, English, business and most specifically writing in a variety of environments including the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Pine Manor College, Burlington College, Community College of Vermont, Champlain College, and Saint Michael’s College. 

My Saint Michael's:

My personal belief is that the classroom can and should be a forum for free thinking and intellectual inquiry.  Within its “four walls” exists the opportunity for students and instructor to weigh all ideas and methodologies. 

The instructor brings in academically accepted models and the students should challenge these models in order to see if they hold water; the competent instructor welcomes this process.  It is within this learning dynamic that magnificent events can occur.  The wisdom of the academe is tested in this way and the instructor proves his or her mettle by leading the class through a mutually respectful process of inquiry.

It is the instructor’s role to facilitate the creation of the proper atmosphere in the classroom through offering powerful and honest guidance.  The materials that an instructor uses should be of great quality and the result of careful forethought.  Through using only the best support materials does an instructor do the students justice.

A classroom should be a safe and focused environment for all its members.  There should be a time and place for silence and for euphoric moments alike.

I am a great advocate of modeling – giving the students a sense of the form of things allows them to understand what may be considered "classic" or an archetype.  From there they are able to develop further towards the creation of something completely original.  Reaching all the students equally may not always be possible, yet it must be attempted every time when “having class”.

Diane Lander, PhD

Associate Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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Ph.D. University of Kansas
M.B.A. University of North Texas
B.S. University of California, Davis (Phi Beta Kappa)

Areas of Expertise:

Corporate finance, specializing in models for valuing real assets

Courses I Teach:

  • Capital Budgeting
  • Finance
  • Strategic Valuation

Robert Letovsky, PhD

Business Administration and Accounting Department Chair, Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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Ph.D. Concordia University
M.B.A. University of Toronto
B.Comm. McGill University

Areas of Expertise:

Case development focusing on business/government relations and sustainability

Courses I Teach:

  • Business Policy & Strategic Management
  • International Business
  • International Marketing
  • Marketing

My favorite class to teach is International Business because it focuses on the nexus between business and public policy. The course gives students an opportunity to see the connections between the right kinds of public policy and economic development, and the wrong kinds of public policy and economic hardship. The course also focuses on the global trading system and is the gateway for students to understand the role that free trade and open markets has played in reducing poverty and promoting economic progress.

Tammy Mullarky, MBA

Associate Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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M.B.A. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
B.A. State University of New York at Plattsburgh

Paul Olsen, Ed.D

Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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B.A., Ed.D. University of Vermont
M.S.A., Saint Michael's College
Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) certification

I joined the Business Department in 1994. From 1994-2012, I was associate director of the Master of Science in Administration (MSA) program. Previously I was  Employee Benefits Manager and Assistant Director of Human Resources at the College. 

Courses I Teach:

  • Critical Thinking and Communication
  • Human Resource Management
  • Internship Practicum
  • Managerial Leadership

Karen Popovich, DBA

Associate Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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B.B.A., M.B.A., D.B.A. Cleveland State University

Areas of Expertise:

My doctorate is in operations management with a specific focus in strategic enrollment management for higher education. My background includes technology, strategy, management, and data analysis.

Courses I Teach:

I teach Decision-making Tools which is a required quantitative modeling course, Strategic Management which is our senior capstone course where students have the opportunity to develop a business plan complete with projected financials, Production and Operations Management with an emphasis on supply chain management and technology, and Statistics.

I have found a home at Saint Michael's College and in the Department of Business Administration and Accounting (DBAA) where I have the opportunity to teach large and seminar classes, work one-on-one with students as a mentor and advisor, integrate teaching and research, and contribute to a team of involved educators who help students achieve academic success and personal growth.

Learning is hard work, lots of fun and tremendously rewarding. I have high expectations for my students and myself as we all work diligently towards the learning objectives I developed. For me, teaching in a business program at a liberal arts institution is about shaping future graduates who bring their heads and hearts to work and recognize the value of being a life-long learner. I learn from my students as much as they learn from me. It’s not just about critical analysis and technical expertise, but developing effective communication skills and formulating intellectual and ethical decisions. To foster lasting educational experiences, my classes encompass small and large collaborative assignments, case discussions, experiential and simulated assignments, exams, classroom and off-campus visits with community leaders and business owners, academic research and personal reflection. My goal is to have students assess their situation, define a problem or acknowledge a complex problem from a variety of viewpoints, offer recommendations or make decisions and continuously evaluate their efforts to know they are not only doing something right, but they are doing what’s right in a larger context.

Joanne Scott, MBA

Instructor of Business Administration and Accounting
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M.B.A., Amos Tuck School at Dartmouth College, Tuck Scholar
B.A. Middlebury College Summa Cum Laude and elected to Phi Beta Kappa

Professional Experience:

  • Morgan Stanley 1978-1990, Vice President, Corporate Finance Department
  • Expertise in Finance and Investments

Courses I Teach:

  • BU 113 Critical Thinking and Communication
  • BU 331 Investments
  • BU 319 International Finance
  • BU 461 Business Strategy

Brosh Teucher

Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Accounting
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Ph.D. University of Washington
M.S. Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
B.A. Haifa University

Areas of Expertise:

Negotiation, managerial dispute resolution, effective teamwork, leadership, cross-cultural negotiation and alternative dispute resolution processes and outcomes

Courses I Teach:

  • Introduction to Management
  • Negotiation Skills

Dennis Voigt, MBA

Associate Professor of Business Administration and Accounting, David LaMarche Chair in Business
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B.A., B.S., M.B.A. University of Vermont

I came to Saint Michael's in the fall of 1977 as an adjunct professor. Thirteen years later, after establishing my own firm and working as a senior manager at KPMG Peat Marwick, I became a full-time faculty member. I primarily teach Financial, Managerial, Fundamentals and Intermediate Accounting along with Management Information Systems. I have taught at the University of Vermont as an adjunct professor as well.

Just as in the business world, you'll have opportunities to work in teams and develop effective communication and leadership skills through a variety of projects. A few examples:

  • Competing against students from other colleges and universities in our annual Business Ethics Case Competition, focusing on issues such as greenwashing, sweatshop labor or internet censorship
  • Working with computer-based simulation to market consumer products in Latin America
  • Developing a marketing plan to sell bamboo bicycles in Liberia, vaccine kits in Burkina-Faso, or property insurance in Senegal
  • Acting as a consultant to a local business or nonprofit agency to help them address some organizational problem
  • Preparing a business plan for a hypothetical start-up and then presenting your plan to a panel of investors, bankers and entrepreneurs in our annual Enterprise Plan Competition- there are cash prizes of up to $5,000 for the winning team
  • Working with students from other departments such as Biology and Environmental Studies to develop business plans for "green" startups

Several local businesses and organizations offer internships to our students. These opportunities allow students to gain skills in a variety of business areas, from advertising to financial planning. Internship sites include Rome Snowboards, Kelliher Samets Volk, Vermont Lake Monsters, UBS and more.

Saint Michael's hosts a chapter of the Sigma Beta Delta Honors Society to honor outstanding academic achievement and scholarship by students studying business, management and administration. Sigma Beta Delta has more than 250 chapters nationwide. The society's principles include wisdom (Sigma), honor (Beta), and the pursuit of meaningful aspirations (Delta).

Our department encourages students to study abroad to gain valuable knowledge and experience in the global marketplace. Each year, almost 25% of our majors study abroad.

After graduation, our majors go on to careers like:

  • Career Development Supervisor/Financial Representative
  • Corporate Staff Accountant
  • Marketing Director/Project Manager
  • Fixed Income Trading
  • Fund Accountant
  • Private Donor Group
  • Quality Assurance Specialist
  • Real Estate Agent
  • Stockbroker Assistant
  • Tax Consultant
  • VP of Client Services
  • Account Development Manager
  • Financial Analyst
  • Advertising Executive
  • Claims Adjuster
  • Portfolio Administrator

Our students have found work at:

Many have gone on to graduate school for MBAs. In the last several years,

  • 25 students have attended graduate school at Clarkson
  • 5 to Northeastern
  • 5 to Bentley
  • 5 to Babson

Our students have also gone on to Law School, Boston University, San Jose State University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Fordham, Pace and New York University.

To contact the Department of Business Administration and Accounting:

Department of Business
Administration and Accounting
Saint Michael's College
One Winooski Park, Box 38
Colchester, VT 05439

Fax: 802.654.2478

Department Chair:
Robert Letovsky
Jeanmarie Hall 149
802.654.2477
rletovsky@smcvt.edu		 Administrative Assistant:
Julia Kirby
Jeanmarie Hall 149A
802.654.2369
jkirby@smcvt.edu

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The Edmundite Catholic Liberal Arts College