Charting the Future: a Preview of the Coming Year

Long-term strategy development is an ongoing, iterative process. As we look ahead to the start of a new academic year at the end of September, I wanted to take a little time to reflect on what we have accomplished and our path forward.

Last year, we made a good start on reshaping the vision for the future of the college. We identified three guiding themes:

Globalization
Refining the concept of our centers of excellence (interdisciplinarity)
Creating a stronger Portland presence

Simultaneously, we significantly furthered our academic mission. Important steps are being taken to secure full AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) reaccreditation (expected in January 2012). We were fortunate to sign three outstanding new faculty members. Three instructor searches were successfully concluded. Two of our colleagues achieved tenure. Funding for PhD students and faculty summer research was increased. And the shared arrangement with Portland State University (PSU) and Oregon State University (OSU) for offering the Oregon Executive MBA was amicably dissolved, allowing us--beginning in 2012--to unilaterally offer a brand new, redesigned executive education program as well as a menu of short, non-degree courses in Portland.

Importantly, infrastructure development and fundraising kept apace. We celebrated the opening of Anstett Hall and the Business Research Institute, dedicated the Chiles Center; raised funds for professors of practice in entrepreneurship and finance, made technology improvements and awarded scholarships, and improved our web/communication platforms.

In the coming year, we will complete this enabling agenda with national searches for a MBA director, faculty in all departments, the first professor of practice in entrepreneurship, and additional information technology, communication, and development professionals. We are truly fortunate: our financial position is sound, our facilities first-rate, and our talent pool is getting stronger every day. A sound platform for future success is now in place.

Also this coming academic year we will create specific proposals around five broad objectives identified last year:

Growing our faculty and enhancing our research productivity
Increasing program quality and deciding on selective growth (MBA, PhD)
Refining the role and mission of our centers of excellence in teaching and research
Creating a strong presence in Portland around a focused portfolio of professional programs
Fostering a culture of accountability, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Working together, the pursuit of these objectives will help us get closer to achieving our overriding goal--to differentiate the Lundquist College regionally and beyond, enhancing our recognition as a highly regarded business school with a global perspective in undergraduate education, faculty research, and focused graduate programs.

Our glass is more than half full, it's brimming with new opportunity.

Cordially,