Elevating the success of our students, the economy, and our legacy.
DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS 2
Overview
An innovative vision for the future of business education at the David Eccles School of Business
At the David Eccles School of Business, a decade of remarkable growth and achievement has positioned us for something even greater. Our strategic plan
— Our Next Ascent — charts the course ahead. It is both a call to action and a declaration of intent: to build on our momentum, elevate our impact, and shape the future of business education.
In alignment with the University of Utah’s Impact 2030 vision, we are committed to leading the way and embracing the future of business education by leveraging our strengths, fostering innovation, and driving impact. These key principles are the foundation of our strategic direction and reflect our commitment to advancing thought leadership, creating meaningful change, and preparing the next generation of business leaders. Our strategy is anchored in the unique strengths and resources that distinguish our school:
» Strong faculty, with nationally recognized leaders driving innovation in several areas.
» A wealth of internal assets, including numerous prestigious institutes and centers that offer unique value. By focusing and aligning these assets, we can amplify impact and create powerful synergies.
» A strong relationship with a renowned and rapidly rising university: We can be more successful if we are working as part of the U, leading boldly in key areas and draft in others.
» A highly desirable location in the Mountain West, with an unmatched combination of culture, lifestyle, and resources that cannot be replicated by other institutions.
Together, these strengths and resources empower us to pursue our vision with confidence and clarity. It is time to reach higher. It is time for Our Next Ascent.
Our Vision
» To be the business school of the Mountain West and a national leader. We will empower every student to reach their peak, and we will reach beyond campus to help business, people, and the economy thrive.
Our Mission
» The David Eccles School of Business shapes the future of business. We prepare students with the knowledge, integrity, and entrepreneurial mindset to create meaningful impact on business and society. We advance innovation through transformative research.
DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Our Plan
» Charting our course to achieve our vision.
Our plan is built around three strategic priorities — Driving Student Success, Creating Societal Impact, and Building Legacy. These pillars represent the essential focus areas that will define our path forward. Each is supported by bold initiatives, clear goals, and performance metrics. While the priorities remain constant, our plans will evolve to reflect the changing needs of our students, our school, and the business world.
Strategic Priorities
Student Success
Help every student seek and reach their peak via personal, academic, and professional growth.
Societal Impact
Expand impact to help our people, businesses, and economy thrive.
Legacy
Drive lasting influence through purposeful growth and enduring excellence.
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When We Succeed
When we achieve the goals set forth in Our Next Ascent, the David Eccles School of Business will stand as a model for business education — driving student success, creating societal impact, and building an enduring legacy.
Students will achieve academic and career outcomes that set the benchmark at the University of Utah and align with the nation’s top business schools.
Alumni pride and engagement will reach new heights, strengthening the Eccles community and its influence.
Society will benefit as:
» Faculty shape the future of business through groundbreaking research.
» Utah businesses and the Eccles School prosper together — cultivating a talented workforce, introducing new ideas infused through industry collaboration, and embarking on new ventures.
The David Eccles School of Business will:
» Attract top students from Utah and across the country.
» Secure a place among the top-10 public business schools in the country.
Driving Student Success
Help every student seek and reach their peak via personal, academic, and professional growth.
Student success is our top strategic priority. It is our why.
We are committed to helping every student grow personally, academically, and professionally. Through immersive learning experiences and holistic support, we will guide every student from classroom to career, helping them build their confidence, preparing them to lead with integrity and resilience.
DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
How We Will Get There
To drive student success, we are implementing the following strategic initiatives:
Transform Business Education
We will transform business education by creating and promoting a signature model that bridges academic learning with the real world — empowering students to not just earn a degree or learn business, but to live the experience. This immersive approach ensures students graduate not only with a degree, but the experience, the mindset, and confidence to succeed.
This signature business education model will:
» Seamlessly connect academic learning with hands-on, real-world learning.
» Prioritize experiential learning through projects, internships, and industry collaborations with our renowned institutes and centers.
» Leverage the cutting-edge expertise and mentorship of our world-class faculty.
» Prepare our students for career success by equipping them with the essential skills demanded by today’s employers, with a focus on leadership with integrity, analytical and quantitative skills, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
» Embrace the Mountain West ethos of innovation, balance, and well-being as cornerstones of leadership.
Accelerate Excellence
We will accelerate excellence by developing programs that attract and empower the most talented students.
These programs will include:
» Specialized programs in areas such as quantitative skills, leadership, and entrepreneurship.
» Tailored coursework and early internships.
» Financial support and customized resources.
Expand Access
We will expand access by ensuring opportunity for every aspiring student. We will accomplish this by:
» Prioritizing success driven by aspiration, not financial or personal circumstances.
» Expanding our transformational programs such as Opportunity Scholars and First Ascent.
» Caring for the whole student with holistic and personalized support for every student.
How We Will Measure Success
Academic Success
» Graduation rate and time to graduation
» Retention rates
» Academic indicators Career Success
» % Completing 1+ internships
» % Placement rate
» Earnings after graduation
Personal and Societal Success
» Sense of purpose and confidence
» Developing a strong network
» Academic and career success of students across all demographics
Creating Societal Impact
Expand impact to help our people, businesses, and economy thrive.
The Eccles School is uniquely positioned to drive positive change — locally and nationally. Through groundbreaking research, innovative programs, strong industry partnerships, and graduates who lead with purpose, we will expand our impact and help our people, businesses, and economy thrive — across the Mountain West and beyond.
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How We Will Get There
To create societal impact, we are implementing the following strategic initiatives:
Elevate Research Excellence
Innovation begins with ideas — and those ideas are grounded in research. We will elevate our research excellence by driving innovation through cuttingedge research.
We will accomplish this by:
» Attracting and empowering visionary research talent.
» Recognizing and amplifying the achievements of our faculty.
» Cultivating a pioneering research culture that mirrors our bold ambitions.
Empower Utah’s Future
As Utah’s flagship business school, we are uniquely positioned to play a significant role in the economic future of the state. We will empower Utah’s future by strengthening and launching programs that drive Utah’s economy.
We will accomplish this by:
» Building nationally recognized programs that leverage Utah’s strengths while shaping and leading dynamic fields such as entrepreneurship, impact investing, real estate, fintech, health, and sports.
» Building stronger industry connections, marrying academics with market needs, specifically leveraging the expertise of our centers and institutes, industry partnerships, and resources.
» Strengthening our professional programs — EMBA, PMBA, OMBA, Executive Education, and Specialty Masters Programs — to propel careers and the economy in Utah and beyond.
How We Will Measure Success
Elevate Research Excellence
» Research productivity in leading journals and outlets
» Indicators of impact including citations
» Research awards
Empower Utah’s Future
» Companies launched, and growth of companies and small businesses
» Graduates’ employer satisfaction metrics
» Projects conducted in collaboration with businesses and government
» Impact of our students in the economy and community
Building Legacy
Drive lasting influence through purposeful growth and enduring excellence.
We are advancing the legacy for the students and alumni that reflects the spirit, strength, and ambition of our school. By cultivating lifelong engagement, elevating our brand, and ensuring financial strength, we will build an enduring legacy driven by purposeful growth and excellence.
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How We Will Get There
To build our legacy, we are implementing the following strategic initiatives:
Build Lasting Eccles Pride
Our alumni community is essential to our enduring legacy. Through meaningful connections, we will ignite the engagement of our alumni community to build lasting Eccles pride by:
» Building vibrant, global hubs in Utah and across the nation that bring together alumni, support admissions, and create career opportunities.
» Reinforcing Eccles traditions and community that foster pride and lifelong alumni engagement.
» Leveraging data to drive dynamic engagement and communications.
Elevate the Eccles Brand
Aligned with the brand of the University of Utah, we will elevate the Eccles brand to own the region and be a national force by:
» Establishing a compelling identity and brand framework.
» Consistently aligning our brand across the school, including centers and institutes.
» Boosting our national visibility while owning the Mountain West.
» Amplifying our voice through an enhanced digital presence and strategic communications.
» Advancing our rankings — driving to a top-10 public institution.
Secure Our Legacy
A lasting legacy requires a strong foundation. We will drive financial sustainability for long-term impact to secure our legacy by:
» Establishing a robust model for financial sustainability and growth.
» Setting clear revenue targets across diversified streams.
» Investing in innovative programs and refining those that are underperforming.
» Launching a transformative campaign to boost endowment.
How We Will Measure Success
Build Lasting Eccles Pride
» Financial support from alumni, businesses, and friends
» Alumni engagement measures
» Student engagement and pride at graduation
Elevate the Eccles Brand
» Rankings in national education rankings
» Media mentions and social media analytics
» Local and national brand tracking
» “Win rate” in recruiting against peer institutions
Secure Our Legacy
» Diversity of revenue streams
» Program contribution margin
» Financial reserves
Cross-Cutting Themes
Embedded throughout our strategic initiatives are three important cross-cutting themes. These principles will guide the implementation of our strategic plan.
Determine Growth Model and Strategy
We will assess and define the optimal size, then determine growth pathways by evaluating where and how our school should expand. We will use data-driven insights to align our growth with our institutional strengths, our brand, the market demand, and the long-term sustainability.
Excel In Execution
We will set the University standard for execution across all areas student success, research, industry engagement, and long-term legacy-building. We will deliver a best-in-class student journey. We will strengthen our recruiting, advising, teaching, and career readiness. We will harness the power of our institutes and centers. We will elevate our reputation and alumni connection.
Measure and Showcase Impact
We will collect and analyze key metrics to assess our students’ success, the achievements of our alumni, and our overall influence, using data insights to track our progress, inform our decision-making, and ensure alignment with strategic goals.
DAVID ECCLES SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
Moving Forward
Together, we have built the foundation for Our Next Ascent. Now, we begin the climb.
The implementation of this strategy will be dynamic and iterative — guided by shared priorities, shaped by stakeholder engagement, and measured by clear milestones and outcomes. As we move forward, we will remain agile and ambitious, continually evolving to meet the needs of our students, our community, and the business world.
Our confidence in the future of the David Eccles School of Business is unwavering. This strategy represents our commitment to empowering every student to reach their peak, and to reaching beyond campus to help business, people, and the economy thrive.
We are not just preparing for the future of business education — we are shaping it.