News Releases

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bill Beedles brings the real working world into the classroom to help his students understand the impact of financial economics on business.  As professor of finance and faculty coordinator of the Center for Management Education, Beedles teaches undergraduate and graduate students, as well as non-degree seeking adult learners.

One of the first things you learn about Beedles is that he has a pithy, self-deprecating sense of humor.  On the School’s faculty since 1978, he refers to himself as “one of the old timers,” his way of saying he has seen things change over the years.

“When I first studied finance, it was treated as an offshoot of accounting.  Now the field is more often called financial economics and has become more integrated with the other functions.  Today’s students, especially the adult learners are more interested in how finance fits in the whole business.”

Beedles expanded his teaching of those adult learners when he and other KU business faculty developed the Center for Executive Education 10 years ago, building on the innovations of Frank Pinet in the 1950s.  Offerings include KU’s “MBA Essentials” program for the American Business Women’s Association and programs custom-designed for specific businesses.  He also does consulting, which brings him first-hand knowledge of real-world issues that he shares in the classroom.

Recently he, along with faculty Mark Haug, Tom Jindra and Jim Guthrie, provided management and executive training for NCRA, a refinery in McPherson, Kansas that deals with extensive environmental regulation.  The involvement helped inform his teaching on campus. 

“This year I am talking more about the environmental and regulatory aspects of business.  Environmental regulation is most obviously in the area of operations, but it impacts the financing - exposing the owners to more pronounced risk, as in the case of BP.  That’s what students want to talk about this year:  BP and its $20 billion contingency fund brought about not by the economic crisis, but by the well blowing up, killing people and putting oil on the beaches.  Now I am better at discussing the financial issues faced by BP investors because I worked with NCRA.”

With his signature sardonic humor, Beedles adds, “A few years ago, all the students wanted to talk about was Martha Stewart.  Being the fashion maven that I am, I am better at talking about BP.”

His favorite current real-world connection includes helping manage the endowments of the Lawrence Public Library and the Bert Nash Community Mental Health Center.  “The most gratifying volunteer work involves bringing your professional interests to bear on important assets of the community at large.”

What else has changed over the years?  Beedles said the quality of KU students gets even better.  “This is the best generation of undergraduates with whom I have ever worked.  They have more sophisticated time management skills, are more professional, and can balance the demands of school, work and community involvement more effectively than any students I’ve ever seen.”

Beedles added another thing he’s seen.  “One of the nice things about being one of the old geezers is that after students graduate and go into their careers, many evolve into friends.  Few joys are greater than staying in touch as their personal and professional lives develop.”

For more stories like Beedles' profile, flip through the 2010 Annual Report of KU Finance.