Membership Information

Board Composition

The MIS Advisory Board is composed of a wide spectrum of companies and individuals representing those companies. Partners from large, national consulting firms, analysts from Healthcare IT companies, and CRM specialists from major data warehousing companies come together to share in the future of MIS education. Human resources personnel, IT analysts, partners and VPs meet to advance the MIS curriculum and the Information Specialist field in general. The diversity of member positions and the variety of industries represented allows the board to generate a holistic perspective of the MIS program and the application of curriculum to working world. Along with our esteemed corporate members, many of the MIS department's most enthusiastic alumni participate on the board. They usually hold personal memberships. As recent graduates, these personal members provide a valuable resource, a link between the corporate and academic worlds.

Members of the Advisory Board profit from the interactions the board has to offer. The meetings offer opportunities to confer with other IT professionals and gain a better knowledge of the field. Companies are invited to present related topics to any of the MIS classes. As well, companies often host on site visits for our MIS student.

If you are interested in developing the MIS field, engaging with MIS professionals, and influencing the creation of qualified, prepared MIS graduates, then you should consider applying for a membership on the UGA Terry College of Business MIS Advisory Board.

Board Activities

Board members participate in a variety of activities, depending on their personal interests and company support. Most importantly, board members attend the meetings. Members, faculty, select students, and alumni attend the Advisory Board meetings to discuss current topics of importance that impact MIS education. Faculty present revisions to the undergraduate MIS curriculum, describe new projects in the Masters of Internet Technology program, and update the Board on faculty and graduate student research. In conjunction with the Spring Board meeting, the board members are invited to the Spring Awards Banquet. At the Awards Banquet, outstanding MIS students are recognized with board sponsored scholarships. Providing scholarships for MIS students is an important way for industry to connect with the best MIS students. The student organization, SMIS, also recognizes a student who has contributed considerably to the organization. Faculty with a significant research or teaching role in the department are identified. The Awards Banquet also grants Board members the opportunity to socialize with many MIS students. Board members meet MIS students, learn a little about them, offer them tokens for drinks, and eat dinner together at intimate settings.

Board members have enhanced the classroom experience by lecturing to MIS classes and the SMIS student organization. A list of classes and topics for industry experts to lecture on are disseminated at the beginning of each semester. This opportunity gives student the chance to learn from someone in the trenches every day, as well as learn about the particular company offering the lecture. Board members not only visit the classroom to enlighten students, but also host on-site visits for MIS classes and the SMIS student organization. Board members have participated in research studies with MIS faculty and graduate students. Many research projects at the department hold information and solutions useful to industry members.

Benefits of Membership

Personal and Corporate Members:

• Interaction with UGA's MIS faculty and students
• Meeting and networking with other senior-level information systems managers and professionals
• Learning about current MIS thinking and research
• Hearing lectures by leading MIS practitioners and academics
• Satisfaction of contributing to MIS education
• Having free online access to the information systems journal, MISQ Executive

Corporate Members only:

• Insider access to the best MIS students
• Formal recognition in the Terry College of Business and the Department of MIS
• Reduced cost membership and activities of the Center for Information Systems Leadership (CISL)
• Access to CISL research findings

Membership Fees

Membership is renewed annually, corresponding with the academic year (August through May). There are two levels of membership: Corporate and Personal. Companies that recruit MIS majors usually hold corporate memberships. Individuals with a personal relationship to the MIS program at Terry, such as alumni or a person that works closely with faculty and contributes to the research at the department, may hold a personal membership.

Corporate membership fee: $750
Personal membership fee: $100

The membership fees are used to support the Board-related activities, covering the cost of meetings and the MIS awards banquet.

Apply for Board Membership or Renew your Membership

If you or your company would like to either join of gain more information about the Board, contact us. Hugh Watson is the coordinator and can be contacted at (706) 542-3744 or via email.

To renew your membership, mail membership checks to:
Hugh Watson
Department of MIS
Terry College of Business
University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602
***make checks payable to: MIS Excellence Fund***

Credit card payments can be arranged.
All memberships are tax deductible.