State of the College

by Ira R. Weiss, Dean

December 17, 2008

These days of transition from one year to the next are traditionally a time to reflect on accomplishments and to look ahead to the promise of the future. We have done that here at the NC State College of Management, and I would like to present to you my first State of the College report. This is not a formal presentation; rather, it is a window through which our alumni and friends can see the activity of the college, with brief reports from our academic departments and programs, and feature stories that showcase our students, faculty and staff.

True to the College’s Mission

When the NC State College of Management was established in 1992, the University Board of Trustees and faculty involved in developing the college had a specific vision in mind: that it would build on the university’s strengths in engineering and technology.

Now, just 16 years later, the faculty of the College of Management and the programs they have developed are recognized for their focus on the management of innovation and technology. Yes, we do prepare our students with a rock-solid foundation in the principles of management, accounting, economics, but we do this with an underlying goal: to prepare individuals who can lead in a technology rich, global marketplace.

This focus is a key reason that we now have a named graduate school – the Jenkins Graduate School of Management – encompassing our graduate programs in accounting, business administration, global innovation management, and economics – the latter being offered jointly with NC State’s College of Agricultural and Life Sciences. Benjamin (Ben) Jenkins, president of General Bank, Wachovia – whose undergraduate studies were in the field of textiles – saw value in providing management education that helps students with technology backgrounds gain the skills they need for leadership.

The naming of the Jenkins Graduate School is a significant highlight of the college’s portion of the Achieve! Campaign for NC State. Other gifts – similarly aligned with our mission – are providing significant support for the growth and development of our academic programs, faculty development and research. I invite you to read our Achieve! Campaign report for details, and encourage you to check out the stories in this end of year report, to get a snapshot of where the college is now and see how the support of alumni and friends is helping us fulfill our mission.

Looking to the Future

Before I close, I would like to also present our vision for the future. Through the turmoil of today’s troubling economic conditions, one thing is clear: we need to continue investing in education so that our students are equipped with the knowledge, skills and insight needed to make a positive impact, as individuals and as leaders in business and industry and in their communities.

At the College of Management, we are fortunate to have developed strong relationships with leaders from a wide cross-section of business and industry. Their involvement with the college – through our real world, project based approach to teaching, as well as by serving on our advisory boards and working with our faculty on research, executive education and other interactions – we are able to see both the challenges and opportunities presented by our global marketplace. This translates into a ‘real world’ approach to education and research that is yielding a strong return on the investment for our students and the companies that hire them. In the past year, we have begun to implement our five-point strategic plan for the college. Those five points are summarized below. If you have a special interest in working with the college on one or more of our strategic initiatives, I would welcome the opportunity to talk with you.

Goal 1: Prepare students for 21st century careers by aligning the curriculum with emerging workforce needs for our global economy.

Goal 2: Make high tech the norm by modeling the use of technology through real-world application.

Goal 3: Innovate. Create. Disseminate. Lead. .. Be a catalyst for change by partnering with corporations and industries for leading-edge research and its application to management problem solving.

Goal 4: Help students learn by doing, by growing internship, co-op, and experiential learning opportunities.

Goal 5: Develop new ideas, programs, alliances, to globalize the curriculum.

Regards,
Ira R. Weiss, Dean

Dig Deeper

  • Alumni:
– Alumni Events Offer a Chance to Reconnect, Network – NC State Jenkins MBA Alumna, Grad Programs are Tapping the Power of Social Media – Website Evolving … to Better Tell the College Story, Build Community
  • Investing in the College:
– Achieve Campaign Report – The Raleigh Ernst & Young Office Backs Wolfpack Spirit with Financial Support for Accounting Programs – Gifting Opportunities

NC State College of Management Campus Box 8614, Raleigh, NC 27617