This is an exciting time for the School of Business. All of our academic programs, including the International MBA, are being enhanced through a new assessment process, which will provide important data to use for continuous improvement. These efforts have been recognized by the accrediting agency for business schools, AACSB International: we are currently in our second year of the candidacy process, indicating we are on the right path and moving along with vigor and determination.

In an effort to better serve our stakeholders as well as follow the path towards accreditation, the School has developed the following strategic plan. The three major objectives of the plan are to continuously improve in the areas of faculty development, curriculum content, and internal and external processes, strengthen our MBA, and improve external relations. The obtainment of these objectives will undoubtedly enhance our positioning in a competitive higher education marketplace.

Central Connecticut State University aspires to:

· be the premier public comprehensive university in Connecticut, with teaching as its primary focus, enhanced by the dynamic scholarship of its faculty;

· be highly regarded by its many constituents;

· be a significant resource contributing to the cultural and economic development of Connecticut;

· be global in its perspective and outreach; and

· be widely respected as a university dedicated to innovative, activity-based, life-long, and learner-centered higher education.

Central Connecticut State University is a community of learners dedicated to teaching and to scholarship. We encourage the development and application of knowledge and ideas through research and outreach activities. We prepare students to be thoughtful, responsible and successful citizens.

We provide the opportunity for an education in the field of business that is recognized by our stakeholders for its quality. The faculty, dedicated to teaching, and informed by their scholarship, prepares students to be thoughtful and responsible business professionals.

· We have made good progress in our first two years of AACSB candidacy. Our processes are improving, as is our talent pool, and we are beginning to accumulate the data to prove it.

· Our faculty composition has changed dramatically, and will continue to do so. We have been able to attract and retain talented professors who are interested in a rich academic life.

· Our undergraduate program is gaining in recognition: enrollments have increased steadily for the past six years.

· Several of our competitors are struggling, especially in the graduate program market.

· Resources have been significantly curtailed.

· It is difficult to attract faculty members in certain disciplines where our salaries are not competitive (primarily finance and accounting).

· There is uncertainty in the Dean’s office (4 out of 5 years has had an interim).

· Bureaucratic systems make it difficult to adjust quickly as markets change.

Significant emphasis will be placed on continuous improvement. In particular, the School of Business will focus it improvement efforts on faculty development, curriculum content, and internal and external processes.

Quality faculty members assure quality programs. Presently 75% of the faculty in the School of Business are qualified. Our goal is 90% qualified by the 2005-2006 academic year. The following table prioritizes the strategic initiatives to achieve our faculty development objectives.

The fundamental business disciplines are relatively stable. The appropriate mix in knowledge and skill areas is more fluid, requiring regular assessment. Assessment measures for majors have been developed; measures for the Bachelor of Science and Master of Business Administration are needed. Our goal is to develop those assessment measures during the 2004-2005 academic year.

We are also planning to formally introduce an ethics course into the undergraduate curriculum. Presently, this area is not sufficiently covered.

The following table prioritizes the strategic initiatives to achieve our curriculum content objectives.

We must improve and develop processes that address the needs of our students as well as internal and external stakeholders. Undergraduate students too often are not prepared for success when admitted into our program. Our goal is to accept better prepared students.

We also need to improve our undergraduate and graduate services. Presently, our service are cumbersome and at times non-user friendly. Our goal is to provide seamless service at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

The following table prioritizes the strategic initiatives to achieve our internal and external processes objectives.

Given the recent environmental forces impacting the graduate market, we see a great opportunity to strengthen and reposition our MBA. We will do this through improved curriculum design, content, and delivery and increased visibility via effective marketing.

The curriculum design and content must reflect graduate level work and meet the needs of our market. The present curriculum design is not competitive and content is not sufficient. Our goal is to improve competitive position through redesign of delivery and increased academic rigor.

The MBA at CCSU is still relatively unknown and to some degree under-enrolled. The program’s headcount and credit hours over the past three years have been somewhat stable. Our goal is to double the size of the program over the next three years (see exhibits one and two).

The improvement of external relationships is imperative to the success of the School of Business. In order to accomplish this objective, we will focus on expanding and utilizing the Dean’s Advisory Board, connecting with the professional community, and enhancing synergies with the Institute of Business and Technology and Continuing Education.

The Dean’s Advisory Board is instrumental in maintaining connection with external stakeholders. In the past the Board was relatively small (8 members) and met twice a year. Our goal is to improve the number and the positions of members and increase activity.

The School of Business needs to be viewed as an engine of regional economic development – 80% of our grads stay within the region. Connections with area businesses are currently limited (student internships & guest lecturers). Our goal is to be viewed as a source for life-long learning and value.

Both ITBD and Continuing Education provide services that could utilize talent from the School of Business. Synergies are limited to per-hour training (ITBD) and summer/winter teaching (Cont Ed). Our goal is to provide expertise for business-related efforts that are mutually beneficial.

Workload requirements under the CBA (4/4 loads) make it extremely difficult to sustain rigorous academic research efforts. The School works hard to provide 3/3 loads for productive faculty in order to maintain the quality of our academic programs, hire and retain qualified faculty, and assure student learning. The changed composition of the School’s faculty in recent years is making it increasingly difficult to sustain the reduced loads. Many of our retired faculty members did not pursue research and taught 4/4 loads. All of them are being replaced with faculty members who are academically qualified who require the 3/3 load. This single change in workload requirements would significantly improve the morale and productivity in the School, and move us much closer to accreditation.

Efforts need to be made to connect revenue-generating programs with distribution of resources, university-wide. This is complex to do, but necessary. If it is already being done, it needs to be made transparent.

To be determined.

Back to Strategic Plan Home