VISION: The School of Business Administration at the University of Vermont will be recognized as a leader in management education and scholarly research. Graduates of its programs will have mastered not only the technical tools of management, but also developed the capacity for and commitment to life-long learning. The school will distinguish itself by the intellectual rigor of both the undergraduate and graduate programs and by the integration of faculty research into the curriculum.

SHARED PRINCIPLES:

A commitment to excellence in teaching through:

·   Delivering a rigorous curriculum that provides students with knowledge necessary to compete in an increasingly integrated international economy

·   Cultivating the students’ understanding of the theoretical foundations and principles required for life-long learning, problem solving, and the ability to adapt to change

·   Emphasizing critical-thinking, analytical, and writing skills as well as cross functional awareness

·   Developing strong leadership skills and the ability to function effectively in teams

·   Striving for continuous improvement in all aspects of our operations

A commitment to excellence in the creation and dissemination of knowledge through:

·   Producing high quality peer-reviewed research publications

·   Obtaining public and private support for research

·   Sharing research insights with businesses and organizations in and outside of Vermont

·   Engaging students in the research experience

A commitment to integrate the School with both other academic units within the University and the community at large:

·   Promoting students’ appreciation for and understanding of the nature and extent of the firm’s responsibilities to its shareholders and other segments of  the local, national, and international communities

·   Provide a supportive, one-on-one relationship between the School and each student through frequent faculty advising and consultation with staff

·   Lifelong engagement of alumni in curricular and co-curricular delivery

·   Utilize alumni and local business contacts to improve employment prospects

·   Development and delivery of business education programs that meet the public’s needs for lifelong learning

ASPIRATION STATEMENTS:

Increase the quality of the curriculum by:

·   Create an environment in which students and faculty are expected to perform up to a high standard and are rewarded for maintaining those standards

·   Improving student command of business fundamentals and critical thinking and problem solving skills

·   Develop a set of consistent expectation for student performance in all core courses and specialty electives

·   Develop a summer leadership program within the next five years that will be required of all students

·   Annual assessments of performance in line with identification of priorities

Increase the impact of our research by:

·   Increasing refereed tier 1 and 2 publications appearing annually over the next 5 years

·   Increase externally funded research over the next five years to $500,000/year

·   Annually increase faculty involvement in nationally recognized academic venues including editorial boards, program committees and leadership of special conferences

·   Annually increase the number of undergraduate students involved in research over the next five years

Increase the quality of the linkages between college, community and the workplace by:

·   Making sure that the students are exposed to an honest and open discussion of Social Responsibility of Business (SRB)

·   Develop a system that fosters interaction between faculty and advisees

·   Encouraging faculty to involve alumni in classes and to develop experiential learning projects and/or applied research where appropriate

·   Attracting 10% more companies per year to interview students for full-time and internship positions

·   Delivering one community focused event per month

Increase the excellence of our academic environment by:

·   Create an environment in which civil and open discussion of even the most controversial topics in encouraged

·   Enhancing support for curriculum, research and engagement by tripling the school’s endowment

·   Upgrading the Kalkin infrastructure at the rate of $100,000 per year to maintain a state-of-the art facility for teaching and learning

·   Reducing the dispersion of student quality over the next five years

·   Maintaining the number of tenure-track faculty to a level that provides a student/faculty ratio in line with other UVM units

·   Providing an opportunity for each faculty and staff member to participate in at least one formal professional development event per year

GOAL STATEMENT: Our goal statements help us prioritize our daily, weekly and monthly activities for the benefit of our learning community – students, faculty and staff, the broader university and the public.  These goals are pursued with an intention to create an enduring, recognized school of business administration whose excellence is assured through endowments and the goodwill of its graduates and the communities they serve. 

Continuously improve undergraduate and graduate curricula to enable students to compete in an increasingly integrated market

Build a vibrant network of relationships between students, faculty, staff, alumni, and the communities in which we reside

Conduct and share research that enhances the understanding of the factors that determine the performance of organizations

Enhance the resource base of the school

Click here to view related Objectives, Tactics, Tools and Metrics document.

Last revised 6/5/2009 (pending final approval of faculty)