Dean's Perspective
Making the connection from accomplishments to impact
Dr. Mohammed Khayum
Article taken from College of Business Reports, Summer 2008
Activities of college have direct impact
on personal, professional, community growth
At USI Commencement in May, 137 degrees—125 undergraduate degrees, eight M.B.A. degrees, and four post-baccalaureate certificates—were awarded to College of Business students. This accounted for 18.2 percent of the total number of USI graduates in spring 2008. Based on a recent survey of graduates, just over 70 percent of these graduates are likely to be employed within a 60-mile radius of the University.
As we celebrate the accomplishments of our graduates and wish them success in their future endeavors, we encourage them to maintain a focus on the connection between their accomplishments and the impact of these accomplishments on their personal, professional, and community development.
This issue of the College of Business Reports highlights the connections between accomplishments and impact based on the activities of our alumni, students, and faculty.
- Since our accreditation in 1997,
3,220 degrees—2,909 undergraduate
degrees and 311 M.B.A degrees—
have been conferred to College of
Business students. The career paths
of four featured graduates indicate accomplishments that have
had an impact on creating value for their organizations (pages 1, 6–7).
- Initiatives that provide learning
experiences outside the classroom
include the creation of
a student-managed investment fund
(pages 1 and 9), a field trip to London
and Paris (page 8), and the continued
success of our students in national
competitions (pages 9 and 11).
- Accomplishments and recognition
reflect faculty contributions in teaching,
service, and research (pages 3 and 4).
- Ongoing community support for the Business and Engineering Center (page 5) and the academic performance of students (page 12) also are signs of accomplishments with an impact.
Looking ahead, we will build upon our accomplishments and sharpen our focus on ensuring that these accomplishments have the strongest impact possible on fulfilling the mission and goals of the College of Business.
One area of focus will be on innovation measurement. Undoubtedly, innovation will be a powerful source of competitiveness in the global economy, but as a recent report (www.innovationmetrics.gov) has indicated, “while our understanding of innovation has increased over recent years, much more needs to be learned about…its measurement.” One of our emphases will be to engage in initiatives to advance innovation measurement— the drivers, impediments, and enablers of innovation—within organizations.
