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Investing in Our Future CREATING TOMORROW’S BUSINESS SUCCESSES Recognizing that both students and employers are the beneficiaries of our programs, the college’s mission is to provide business studies today for tomorrow’s business successes. In this regard, the business programs are designed to develop student capacity and a commitment to adapt to a fast-changing, competitive and increasingly global and diverse business environment. In turn, employers benefit from graduates who possess the knowledge, skills and ethical/social background to contribute immediately to an organization’s success and grow as the organization grows. Success in meeting this mission depends upon student learning promoted by effective teaching, taking advantage of state-of-the-art facilities and technology that support well designed programs connected to the region. Meeting the Challenge Your desire to make a difference adds a dimension of excellence to the successes we report in bringing exceptional business education and business assistance to Southeast Missouri. To this end, a number of investment opportunities exist that enhance teaching and promote student learning, support scholarly work that is relevant to the economic development of southeast Missouri, and extend the scope of the college’s outreach to for-profit and not-for-profit organizations located throughout the University’s service region. These investment opportunities include
The Harrison College of Business is fully accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business - International, i.e., AACSB-International. Students completing the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree consistently place in the top 25 percent, nationwide, on the Major Field Achievement Test in Business. Research published in the journal "Teaching Business Ethics" confirms that the required course work in business ethics at Southeast enhances critical thinking and ethical reasoning skills of business students. Ninety percent of Southeast business graduates complete a business internship or similar experience-based component as part of their degree program. More than 90 percent of the business graduates tell us that the business program improved their communication skills, leadership skills and teamwork skills. The placement rate for business graduates is very close to 100 percent and campus recruiters tell us that our students are better prepared, more knowledgeable and display stronger communication skills than the typical undergraduate student interviewed on other college campuses. Investing in Students Teaching and learning remain a “teacher-exciting-a-student thing.”Because the Harrison College of Business benefits from 47 academically well-trained and experienced, full-time faculty members, the student body continues to improve in terms of its business preparation. Ninety-four percent of the college’s faculty possess the doctoral degree. Among the business faculty, 45 percent hold the rank of full-professor and 68 percent hold tenure. The faculty is diverse – 17 percent is minority, 36 percent is female and 15 percent is foreign-born. Today, the typical business faculty member brings 15 years of teaching experience into the classroom. Recent hires have graduated from doctoral programs at the University of Texas, Arizona State University, University of Mississippi, and Penn State. Alumni assign a grade of B+ to the quality of teaching they received, with 25 percent of alumni assigning a grade of A to the quality of teaching. On a national survey of business programs, the college was ranked in the 80th percentile on the “extent and quality of skills training,” and ranked at the 60th percentile on “faculty and instruction for courses in the major.” Investing in Faculty Our state-of-the-art Robert A. Dempster Hall promotes student learning and success. Dempster Hall provides students and faculty with a professional atmosphere, access to the latest technology and an environment that enhances teaching and promotes learning about the changing practices of business. Every classroom is connected to the University’s information network, bringing the world to our students via the Internet, live cable TV and direct satellite feeds. Students are able to develop their communication skills using electronic presentation capabilities found in each classroom. Students have access to five computer labs containing more than 200 networked, up-to-date PC’s. Two large group-study spaces promote interaction with peers in a setting that reflects a professional business environment. This space for student-faculty interaction is especially important because the business curriculum emphasizes the development of leadership and teamwork skills through the use of group projects, written cases drawn from Fortune-500 companies and other experience-based activities built around questions brought to us by regional businesses and not-for-profit organizations. These exercises require student-teams to solve actual business problems. Two interactive television classrooms broadcast Harrison College of Business courses to those who, because of distance or family/work responsibilities, are not able to attend classes on Southeast’s main campus. More than 40 business courses are available on the Web. Now it is possible to complete the BSBA degree program, the Business Administration minor and the MBA foundation course work without stepping foot onto Southeast’s main campus. Investing in Facilities and Technology The Donald L. Harrison College of Business provides a comprehensive undergraduate program in business, as well as the Masters of Business Administration degree. Undergraduate students are able to select from an array of majors including accounting, finance, economics (with managerial economics or financial economics options), international business, administrative systems management, organizational administration, management (with leadership, human resource management and production management options), management information systems, and marketing (with marketing management and integrated marketing communication options). Internship opportunities exist with all majors and live cases are integrated into many undergraduate business courses. Management majors must complete a business practica as a team project and marketing majors must complete an internship or business practica. MBA students may select among a general management option, an international business option, an environmental management option, an industrial management option, a finance option and an accounting option. As with the undergraduate program, internships are available to MBA students and all MBA students must complete an applied research project. Regardless of major, business students can complete a semester of business studies abroad or participate in one of five international immersion programs, including programs that have taken students, faculty and business practitioners to Greater Europe, Africa, Mexico and Cuba. Investing in Programs The Harrison College of Business is committed to assisting businesses, government agencies, not-for-profit organizations and key decision leaders to improve the regional business climate and the quality of life for Southeast Missourians. More than 300 students complete internships and other experience-based learning activities each year, bringing enthusiasm and needed skills directly to the workplace. MBA students benefit from the unique Vista/AmeriCorp Entrepreneur Corp program sponsored through the Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. This program, the only one of its kind in Missouri, provides a national model for placing MBA students in entrepreneurial settings under a one-year commitment of public service to small and emerging businesses in economically disadvantaged regions. Faculty members apply their expertise through the activities of a number of Centers of Excellence described below. This past year, the Small Business Development Center provided nearly 2,000 hours of counseling to 220 business clients and organized nearly 500 hours of training for regional businesses and individuals. A recent external audit team noted that (the) “center is certainly outstanding in terms of networking resources together to serve clients and …is very adept at bringing internal and external resources to bear on the cases…!” Among the SBDC clients expressing an opinion, 96 percent rate the quality of business counseling Good or Very Good. Sixty-one percent of those receiving business counseling went into business and 83 percent of those with an opinion indicated that the SBDC counseling had or is expected to have a positive impact on the proposed or existing business. The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and Small Business Management focuses on family-owned businesses and the role of the entrepreneur in creating wealth. The center emphasizes three areas: (1) the emerging entrepreneur, (2) the established entrepreneur and small businessperson, and (3) improving knowledge about the entrepreneurial process. The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies recently completed the first phase of its development, including the designation of the center as a formal unit under the Harrison College of Business; the development of a minor in entrepreneurship; the offering of undergraduate and graduate student internship opportunities in for-profit and not-for-profit entrepreneurial settings, taking advantage of multiple Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneurial Internship Grants totaling nearly $175,000; and the offering of a series of programs on family business succession and estate planning. The center is also certified to offer micro-enterprise training to individuals wishing to form a new business. Comprehensive data on the business and economic climate of southeast Missouri are maintained by the Center for Business and Economic Research (CEBR). The CEBR identifies trends in local, state and national data and develops forecasts of the regional economy that are an invaluable aid to business planning and community development. Data and analyses are distributed throughout the region using both print and electronic publications. The center also conducts economic impact studies for public and private decision makers who want to know the impact of new and expanding business or public investment on employment, local and regional income and tax revenues. The staff of the CEBR conducts applied research on the southeast Missouri economy, often utilizing faculty-directed student research teams. Recent studies completed by the CEBR measured the economic impact of a proposed recreational lake development in Southeast Missouri, the economic costs of above-average high school dropout rates in the Bootheel region, the effect of tourism on local government spending, and the economic impact of a proposed multi-million dollar investment in a new cement plant to be located in St. Genevieve, Mo. Among Missouri’s regional universities, the Center for Business and Economic Research at Southeast is the most active. The CEBR works closely with its counterpart center at the University of Missouri-Columbia. Annually, the Center for Business and Economic Research presents an Economic Outlook Conference. Participants learn about regional economic and business trends and how these are connected to state, national and international events. Regional forecasts and the implications they hold for the short-term economic development of the Southeast Missouri are discussed at this conference. The Center for International Business Programs supports the undergraduate major in international business, is responsible for the development and administration of the college’s international exchange programs that are available to students and faculty, and provides administrative support for the college’s international immersion programs. The center also hosts international dignitaries (practitioners, government officials and academicians, alike) invited to campus to make special presentations to students, faculty and staff on questions of international importance. Southeast Missouri State University’s Innovation/Business Incubator is designed to play a major role in promoting the development of Missouri’s life science sector, promoting advanced manufacturing and promoting the commercialization of new ideas. Missouri has established five innovation centers that are considered to be the state’s “first and only line of offense” for attracting and retaining technology-based companies. Southeast’s center (the only Center not affiliated with the University of Missouri) provides high-quality incubator space and supports infrastructure and a nurturing environment to encourage technology companies in early stages of development. Many of these companies are focused on the business and commercial base of Southeast Missouri, while providing a technology bridge between the basic life sciences research completed in the St. Louis area and the application of research results in the field. Contracting is facilitated by The Missouri Research Foundation established by Southeast Missouri State University after consultation with the Harrison College of Business, the College of Science and Mathematics, and the School of Polytechnic Studies. Whether it is a team project structured around a question brought to us by a regional business, an internship involving one student solving a business problem, a faculty or staff member providing entrepreneurial training, or an interdisciplinary group of faculty and students contributing to the commercial success of an innovative idea, a win-win situation exists as faculty extend their expertise beyond the campus boundaries, students gain practical knowledge and experience and organizations receive much needed assistance to remain competitive and effective. Investing in Centers of Excellence Endowed Undergraduate Scholarships Many individuals in Southeast Missouri have the skills, talent and commitment to succeed at Southeast Missouri State University. Unfortunately, they lack the financial resources necessary to realize the dream of completing a business degree, even when that dream places them at a moderately priced university such as Southeast Missouri State University. Other individuals complete a business degree but must work 30 or more hours a week to finance their education. Unfortunately, the burdens of work prevent some individuals from achieving at the level of academic excellence possible. For some, the requirements of work increase the time required to complete a business degree by 25, 50 or even 100 percent. We are, therefore, asking you to invest in endowments that open the doors to the University, expand program opportunities, and allow undergraduate and graduate students to complete a degree within a traditional time frame, while performing at the highest level possible. Endowed Chairs The Harrison College of Business cannot rely on ordinary means to meet the extraordinary challenges that come with offering high-quality undergraduate and graduate programs in business. Of particular concern is the college’s competitiveness in the marketplace for faculty and the college’s ability to provide the support necessary for faculty members to maintain their distinctiveness and enhance their reputation. To this end, the Harrison College of Business proposes to establish a series of named chaired positions, named professorships and named faculty fellow appointments. The endowments supporting these appointments will allow us, (1) through the naming process, to call attention to and recognize the accomplishments of individuals and companies that demonstrate the private and professional accomplishments we wish for all of our students, (2) to supplement state funding so we may offer market-competitive salaries, and (3) to provide the professional development and other support necessary for excellent faculty to retain contact with the latest advances in their discipline, nationwide and globally. Faculty excellence funds support the continuing development of faculty to insure they have the opportunity to interact with leading-edge practitioners, enhance their understanding of the global nature of business and undertake applied business research that extends our understanding of the practice of business. By investing in faculty, we can bring more of the world of business to Southeast Missouri and retain the excellent faculty necessary to establish and maintain distinctive programs in business. Investing in Facilities and Technology
Facility Excellence Endowments The Harrison College of Business is committed to maintaining and improving the facilities and technology provided by Robert A. Dempster Hall. Our state-of-the-art classroom facilities enhance the faculty’s ability to teach and promote student learning. The presentation capabilities in every classroom provide opportunities for students to enhance their communication skills. Study space provides a comfortable environment for individual work and for student teams to meet on group projects that promote teamwork and interpersonal skills. Technology defines a large portion of the skills set graduates are expected to bring to the workplace. Five computer labs provide students with contemporary business software applications in every field of study. The networked environment connects students to information worldwide. Program Excellence Endowments Program Excellence Endowments supplement student fees and limited state funding so the college continues to deliver exemplary academic programs, outstanding international experiences and high-quality services to the region. Program Excellence Funds provide rewards and incentives for faculty to make major contributions to academic programs and support development of innovative curricula and teaching. Naming opportunities exist to recognize individuals investing in the college’s academic programs to insure continuing excellence and program development aligned with the fast-changing practices of business. Investing in Centers of Excellence Centers of Excellence Endowments The college’s Center for Entrepreneurial Studies and the Center for Business and Economic Research, and the Small Business Development Center and the University’s Innovation/Business Incubator Center help maintain the relevancy of the business curriculum, facilitate faculty and student research, and provide a vehicle for delivering faculty expertise to southeast Missouri. Naming opportunities are available and provide continuing reaffirmation of the college’s commitment to serve our business community. Funds will also support forward-looking management initiatives, marketing and external relations. Earnings support on-going operations, faculty research, student involvement through internships, undergraduate and graduate student research support, and provide matching funds required by private foundations, and regional, state and national economic development programs. Endowed Undergraduate Scholarships are awarded to deserving undergraduate students based on criteria set forth by the donor. The minimum funding to create an endowed undergraduate scholarship is $10,000. Endowed Undergraduate Research Funds are used to provide research opportunities specifically for undergraduate students. The minimum funding to create an endowed undergraduate scholarship fund is $10,000. Endowed International Program Scholarships are used to support student participation in a semester abroad study program or in one of the College’s international business immersion programs. The minimum funding to create an Endowed International Program Scholarship is $10,000. Endowed Graduate Assistantships are awarded to deserving graduate students based on criteria forth by the donor. The minimum funding to create an Endowed Graduate Assistantship is $100,000. Endowed Graduate Fellowships are awarded to deserving graduate students based on criteria set forth by the donor. The minimum funding to create an Endowed Graduate Fellowship is $50,000. Endowed Graduate Research Funds are used to provide research support to deserving graduate students. The minimum funding to create an Endowed Graduate Research Fund is $10,000. Restricted Graduate Assistantships are awarded to deserving graduate students. The minimum funding commitment to create a Restricted Graduate Assistantship is $7,500 per year for two years. Restricted graduate assistantships can be named for their duration. Restricted Graduate Fellowships are awarded to deserving graduate students. The minimum funding commitment to create a Restricted Graduate Fellowship is $5,000 per year for two years. Restricted graduate assistantships can be named for their duration. National and International Student Competition Endowments. Earnings from a National and International Stuent Competition Endowment support participation by Harrison business students in national and international business case competitions, business plan competitions, and other compeitive events that provide external validation of the high quality of our busines programs and the accomplishments of Harrison business students. The minimum funding to establish a named studet compettion endowment is $20,000. Restricted gifts of any amount may be made to the harrison College of Business to support student participation. Student Organizations are an important dimension to the Harrison College of Business. Student involvement fosters the creation of networks and enhances leadership, interpersonal, project management, and following skills. Many student organizations participate in state and national leadership conferences and competitions that bring distinction to the student organization, the Harrison College of Business, and Southeast Missouri State University. Student organizations promote a better understanding of the practice of business and the expectations of the workplace by welcoming leading edge practitioners as guest speakers. Sponsorship of one or more student organizations is open at any level. For further information on investing in Students, contact Bill Holland (636) 449-5064 or bholland@semo.edu.
Endowed Chairs are awarded to deans, department chairs, and superior faculty to enhance their scholarly efforts and research. Minimum funding required to establish an endowed chair is $1,000,000. Endowed Professorships are awarded to outstanding senior faculty members to reward and enhance outstanding teaching and scholarly accomplishments. Minimum funding required to establish an Endowed Professorship is $500,000. Distinguished Faculty Fellowships support senior faculty recognized for excellent teaching and outstanding scholarship. Minimum funding required to establish a Distinguished Faculty Fellowship is $250,000. Faculty Fellowships suppor faculty demonstrating very effective teaching and scholarly accomplishments, regardless of rank or tenure. Minimum funding required to establish a Faculty Fellowship is $100,000. Faculty Excellence Funds are dedicated to promoting faculty teaching, scholarly work and continuing education. They can be used to respond quickly to opportunities that arise unexpectedly and the potential for having a positive impact on the College’s programs and students. Minimum funding to establish a Faculty Excellence endowment is $20,000. For further information on investing in Teaching, contact Bill Holland (636) 449-5064 or bholland@semo.edu. How to Invest in Facilities and Technology Facility Excellence Endowments are used to maintain and enhance the physical environment of Robert A. Dempster Hall and other physical facilities of the Donald L. Harrison College of Business. Renovations supported by facilities endowments will insure that Dempster Hall continues to be the State’s premier building dedicated to undergraduate business programming. Endowments may be established beginning at the $10,000 level. Technology Excellence Endowments are used to maintain and enhance the computer facilities, hardware, software, and technical infrastructure of the Harrison College of Business. Endowments may be established beginning at the $10,000 level. For further information on investing in Facilities and Technology, contact Bill Holland (636) 449-5064 or bholland@semo.edu.. Program Excellence Endowments compliment student fees and limited state funds to advance the excellence of all business programs. In particular, Program Excellence Endowments provide rewards and incentives for faculty to make major contributions to academic programs and to support innovative teaching, scholarship, and the professional development of faculty and application of faculty expertise to the region. Endowments may be established beginning at the $10,000 level. For further information on investing in Programs, contact Bill Holland (636) 449-5064 or bholland@semo.edu. How to Invest in Centers of Excellence Centers of Excellence Endowments are dedicated to furthering the activities of The Center for Business and Economic Research, and The Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, the Small Business Management. Small Business Development Center, and the Innovation/Business Incubator Center. Endowments may be established beginning at the $10,000 level. Naming Opportunities exist to recognize individuals making a substantial investment in the activities of the Centers for Excellence. For further information on Center of Excellence Endowments contact Bill Holland (636) 449-5064 or bholland@semo.edu. |
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Harrison College of Business, Dempster Hall 241
One University Plaza MS 5800, Cape Girardeau, Missouri 63701 business@semo.edu | (573) 651-2120 © 2003 Southeast Missouri State University | updated 10/3/2008 | disclaimer |
