EAST LANSING, Mich. — Several teams of Michigan State University undergraduates and master’s students are ready and waiting to help Michigan businesses and nonprofits solve some of their technology and advertising problems – for free.

As part of their spring semester coursework in several communications and business classes, the students are required to work in cross-functional teams on real-world business problems. And, they just need a few more volunteer “clients.”

Here are a few of the opportunities where local businesses and students can work together:

Management of an information technology project from start to finish

Teams of three or four undergraduate and graduate students will serve as IT consultants to various mid-Michigan companies. Each student group will analyze the current situation of the business, determine the specifics of an IT project and implement a solution before April 25, 2008. For more details, contact Constantinos Coursaris, assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and media, at coursari@msu.edu or (517) 353-3122.

Management of advertising and promotion projects

Teams of four to six second-year master’s level students will serve as advertising consultants to various mid-Michigan companies. The team will analyze the business position in the targeted market segment and will develop an advertising strategy based on the current needs of the business. Participating organizations will receive a written market analysis and recommendations of various advertising and promotion programs. For more details, contact Constantinos Coursaris, assistant professor of telecommunication, information studies and media, at coursari@msu.edu or (517) 353-3122.

IT Risk Assessment

Information technology can create a lot of value for a business, but there are lots of ways things can go wrong. Students in the master’s accounting program will work in teams of three or four to help local companies assess their IT processes. Issues covered range from adherence to basic security standards to identifying internal controls that may affect regulatory compliance. While no actual audit testing will be done, the team will interview company managers to produce a report to assist companies in developing a strategic IT plan and understanding IT governance issues. For more information, contact Brian Pentland, professor of accounting and information systems, at pentland@bus.msu.edu or (517) 432-2927.

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