OCOB Ann Rep 07-08 - Orfalea College of Business - Cal Poly San ...

STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE 2008Progress remains strong in faculty development, student successThe Orfalea College of Business strives to be an exemplarof Cal Poly’s teacher-scholar philosophy, while engagingstudents in meaningful learn-by-doing academicdegree programs. Our message to firms and organizationswho hire our students is, “The brightest minds make thebest company.”We have made important progress in building a communityand promoting our reputation for excellence, in facultydevelopment and student success, and for careful investmentand use of our scarce resources. I strive to effectively lead ourfaculty and staff toward these shared objectives.Our priorities and challenges:■ Fundraising in a challenging economy;■ Continuing to focus faculty on both learningassessment and research, consistent with ourAACSB accreditation;■ Reinforce a fair and equitable work environmentthat attracts the best faculty and staff;■ Developing mutually beneficial partnerships withindustry and with other units at Cal Poly, consistentwith university priorities;■ Initiating programs and directing resources only inways that are consistent with college and universitypriorities.I.BUILD COMMUNITY AND IDENTITY BETWEENSTUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF, ALUMNIAND CORPORATE PARTNERSAccomplishments for 2007-08:■ Invested in improved software systems to communicatewith our students;■ Enhanced membership on several college advisorycouncils and boards;■ Secured the services of a corporate liaison to connectstudents and programs with firms that want to supportthe Orfalea College of Business;■ Funded a faculty research seminar in the areas ofeconomics and finance that included participantsfrom across the campus;■ Reorganized our entrepreneurship initiatives tobroaden their scope and potential participation.Goals for 2008-09:1.2. Expand the scope and participation in our OrfaleaCollege of Business alumni reunions to include abroader group of alumni and to encourage networkingamong alumni;1.3. Encourage new interdisciplinary faculty connectionsby funding research seminars in several newareas, including data analysis and food products;1.4. Continue the development of our San Luis ObispoExecutive Partners Program to engage local professionalswith our students and programs.II.STRENGTHEN IMPACT OF BRAND IDENTITYAccomplishments for 2007-08:■ Employed Douglas Advisors of Orange County todevelop deeper understanding of how Californiafirms perceive our college and our graduates;■ Collaborated on university efforts to sharpen ouridentity;■ Maintained accredited status with AACSB;■ Continued to attract outstanding students and toimprove graduation rates and time-to-degree;■ Established the Orfalea College of Business as areliable and valued community partner.Goals for 2008-09:2.1. Enhance placement opportunities for recentundergraduate and graduate students;2.2. Reinvigorate our commitment to Cal Poly’s traditionof applied technology and interdisciplinarycourses that support this priority;2.3. Collaborate with the Colleges of Science andAgriculture to develop a master’s degree in FoodSystems for individuals with undergraduate degreesin science;2.4. Become a leader in effective curriculum redesignin response to assessment data;2.5. Participate in university-wide sustainabilityprojects, with special emphasis on economicsustainability of proposed solutions;2.6. Seek support for programs in Real Estate, Leadership,and Entrepreneurship;2.7. Seek recognition for the Orfalea College ofBusiness from appropriate organizations thatrank academic programs.III.PROMOTE ENGAGED, EFFECTIVE LEARNINGAND STUDENT SUCCESSAccomplishments for 2007-08:■ We continue to improve our graduation rate andreduce time-to-degree completion;■ Our students continue to compete successfully inregional and national competitions;■ Innovative programs, such as the Cal Poly CertifiedFinancial Analyst Challenge, provide new opportunitiesto promote student achievement and success.CONTINUEDORFALEA COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ❚ 3