Dean’s Letter Greetings from Jepson Center! The 2016-17 academic year is off to a great start! We are excited to bring you the fall issue of the Gonzaga University School of Business Administration Digest. We have a lot to share about our business school. Increased competition continues to impact higher education and business schools are not exempt from the effects of economic, technological, sociocultural, and demographic changes. Despite external environments being characterized by volatility and intensity, I am happy to say we are thriving. » EXCELLENCE marks what we do. We are wrapping up our re-accreditation review. We are one of only approximately 185 business schools worldwide to hold joint AACSB accreditation in business and accounting. One indicator of our excellence is enrollment. More and more students are seeking a business education from our school. Our undergraduate and graduate enrollments continue to grow. Once students are here, they accomplish many things. Whether it’s placement, competitions, or pass rates, our students excel. » Our ENGAGEMENT efforts continue to pick up speed. We want our students, staff, and faculty to “get outside” the walls of the Jepson Center and we want individuals from “outside” our building to join the activities of the business school. Advisory boards, networking events, site visits, guest lectures and speakers, career days, and just getting a cup of coffee are just some of the ways we are engaging with others. » Our Jesuit legacy continues to drive what we do and we look for INSPIRATION in all we do. A wonderful example of this is our work with a local Catholic grade school on a marketing/branding plan. The work our students do with non-profits is an outstanding way for them to gain hands-on experience. Our faculty and staff also are engaged in a project with a local food bank to help provide weekend food packages for elementary school students who might otherwise go hungry on weekends.
We have much to look forward to this academic year. The Dean’s search is behind us and our AACSB review will be completed soon. We need to nurture the new degree programs introduced last year. We have to build on the successful roll-out of our one-credit weekend professional development series. We must revise our strategic plan. We continue to encourage our students to compete, network, and work to complement their classroom experiences. The amount of programming we offer continues to increase. Look for a big announcement in the coming weeks about our annual Aram Lecture (as part of Ethics Week). It will be a busy and successful year! You can read in this Digest about the number of great things our students, staff, and faculty are doing. They are an impressive group and I am sure you will agree with me that we are well on our way to fulfilling our vision of being “an exemplar of Jesuit business education.” Thank you for your wonderful and continued support. Best wishes for a great fall 2016. Sincerely,
Kenneth S. Anderson, Ph.D. Dean, School of Business Administration
GONZAGA SCHOOL OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION |
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