Create a resource base that provides greater financial self-sufficiency to improve quality and seek growth opportunities for the College of Business. State appropriations as a percentage of the total budget for public institutions of higher education have been trending downwards. Increases in tuition cannot be sustained to make up for the shortfall and allow for growth in quality and in new programs that the marketplace demands. Our future success and a degree of financial self-sufficiency are dependent on increasing the resource base by developing and nurturing revenue streams through endowments, annual giving, etc.
Maintain the College of Business' leadership position at the forefront of distance education. During the last decade, information technology has changed the manner in which curricula are delivered and executed. Developments in IT have effectively removed time and location as constraints to student learning and have allowed any properly equipped and motivated business school to compete for almost any student from almost any location. The College of Business is a pioneer in using IT for delivering its Outreach MBA, MAc, MMIS and Executive MBA Programs.
Prepare students to assume leadership roles in a diverse, global economy where greater technical proficiency and cultural awareness provide the linchpins for success. The globalization of business demands changes in how we prepare students for what is now an international marketplace. Opportunities for being involved first-hand with international business situations are now common whether you are dealing with a business across the street or across an ocean. These now commonplace global partnerships, international transactions and intercultural interactions place broader demands on business education for greater preparation, practice and awareness of the environment and the process in which this "new" business is conducted. Likewise, business utilization of information technology for a vast array of functions both internally as well as external to the customer has grown exponentially during the blossoming of the Information Age. For students to successfully meet the needs of employers, rudimentary knowledge of IT is no longer sufficient. Preparation must continue to evolve as applications for industry continue to evolve.
Enhance student career opportunities beyond the delivery of a first-rate learning experience. Career development and placement opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students will provide the necessary knowledge and skills to initiate a successful professional career. In the competitive business environment that includes business schools and the markets that we serve, we are measured not only by what and how well we deliver in the classroom, but also how well our students transition from the business school to the business world. Business schools are preparing future business leaders and are expected to assist with the launch of their professional career.
Establish and foster relationships with academic, business, and government constituents to better utilize the capabilities of the College of Business faculty staff and to enhance partnership opportunities with external constituents. As a professional school focused on business and the practice of management, having viable, long-term relationships with select partners will serve to enhance and enrich degree programs, research opportunities, and other non-curricular activities that involve students, faculty and practitioners. The College of Business has a very good foundation for many potential partnerships due to the array of undergraduate and graduate degree programs that already serve many outside constituencies.
Achieve recognition by our peers for our scholarly and research efforts. The College of Business reputation and visibility will be elevated through the quality and quantity of our academic research and scholarly activities. Our reputation as a business school is built on the work, results and outcomes that either are directly or indirectly connected to the College of Business faculty. Success in the classroom is very important to our reputation, but that is only part of the measurement used for establishing a first-rate reputation as an academic institution. It must be complemented and coupled with successes in scholarly activities that are recognized by our peer institutions and by the disciplines that we serve.
