CBE Strategic Plan

The College of Business and Economics Strategic Plan was developed with input from various CBE stakeholders including the College's Advisory Board, administration, faculty and staff.  The plan identifies five themes that are guiding CBE's future growth and development: quality, access, responsiveness, productivity, and branding. 

1. Quality

A. Strengthen the College of Business and Economic Program

Instill "practical excellence" through broad-based fundamental business competencies such as team skills, time management, business presence, workplace diversity, negotiation skills, values, and ethics.

Insure articulate, persuasive and influential written, spoken, graphic and computer communication skills of all graduates.

Broadly develop student's functional, creative and reasoning skills in at least one specific business discipline.

Broadly develop student usage of the most current technology.

Broadly develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills.

Broadly develop career management skills, such as goals clarification and job search strategies.

Seek and encourage part-time skill-building jobs and internships for students.

Establish a community service component and integrate with leadership skill building.

Further develop an international thrust and global perspective throughout the curriculum.

Develop multi-cultural appreciation throughout the curriculum.

Promote team-teaching to better blend curriculum components into a fully integrated program and better utilize faculty talents.

Measure student progress by competency assessments.

Establish infrastructure to insure implementation of these themes throughout the CBE curriculum and maintain continuous program excellence.

Establish conduits to share knowledge with other State institutions offering undergraduate business programs.

Establish infrastructure to maintain contributions to instructional research and materials.

B. Develop Students

Establish honors program for high-performing students.

Establish "school spirit" activities that foster pride and enthusiasm.

Maintain "can-do" environment.

Encourage long-term investment perspective in students for their personal enhancement.

Create an environment that encourages students to seek individual advising and mentoring from faculty.

C. Upgrade Advising and Mentoring

Actively participate in the complete "career management cycle: admissions, advising, mentoring, internships, job placement, first-job follow-up, alumni contacts, and lifelong learning.”

Emphasize one-on-one student mentoring by faculty and business people.

Organize career awareness programs, including career days and faculty-business person team teaching.

D. Develop Faculty and Staff

Establish infrastructure to maintain teaching excellence.

Establish infrastructure to maintain scholarship activities.

Reward faculty committed to the most effective teaching possible.

Reward faculty and staff for playing to each other's strengths in teaching, scholarship and service.

Properly reward faculty, staff, and student participation in meaningful outreach and community activities.

Establish business internships for faculty.

Encourage a work environment that allows faculty involvement in CBE governance.

Maintain faculty collegiality, which is a strength that allows CBE to attract and retain productive members.

E. Upgrade Technological Resources

Acquire and maintain state of the art hardware and software.

Establish a computer purchase/leasing program for students.

Develop better management and utilization of technological resources.

Establish conduits to share knowledge with other State institutions offering undergraduate and graduate business programs.

Provide appropriate computer facilities for students, including the ability to print documents.

2. Access

A. Promote Diversity

Maintain cultural diversity commitment in faculty­ and staff hiring as well as in student admissions.

Ensure each program is barrier-free.

B. Prepare People for Multiple Careers

Help traditional students and life-long learners to manage their careers in the ever-changing future.

Encourage dual majors, multidisciplinary studies, and more CBE minors.

C. Facilitate International Understanding

Seek more international students.

Encourage student and faculty international exchanges.

3. Responsiveness

A. Seek Direct Involvement of Stakeholders

Engage the CBE Advisory Board.

Continue to develop the Student Leadership Council.

Communicate continuously and effectively with students, potential students, parents, alumni, businesses, and community.

B. Increase Learning Convenience

Utilize multiple teaching sites, including at-work and community locations.

Develop distance-learning capabilities.

Initiate institutional relationships leading to collaborations.

Develop collaborative programs.

C. Focus on a Center for Applied Business and Economic Research

Assure that a Center for Applied Business and Economic Research is established to assist faculty in obtaining and submitting grants and contracts that would add value to the community and region.

Coordinate outreach, consulting and education/training activities.

Provide business expertise to governmental agencies and non-profit organizations to help them focus on their respective agendas.

Create a culture that recognizes the economic development of Maryland as a critical reason for our existence.

Aggressively fulfill educational/training needs of community that lead to economic and societal development of the region.

Respond quickly to specific business and employees needs with high-quality, tailor made programs.

4. Productivity

A. Increase external development and grant funding.

Establish stronger ties with business school alumni.

Establish stronger ties with the business community.

Identify donors to fund specific program components.

Seek external grants and reward faculty participation in those activities.

B. Achieve faculty productivity in teaching, scholarship and service.

5. Branding 

A. Determine our existing brand image.

Conduct branding focus group meetings with stakeholder community including: employers of CBE graduates, CBE graduates and current students.

Evaluate responses, determine common brand image and compare with desired CBE image.

Determine whether and how stakeholder perceptions need to be modified.

B. Ensure educational learning objectives and outcomes are in line with the brand image that CBE wishes to portray.

C. Develop a brand image marketing strategy.

College of Business and Economics
Stephens Hall, Room 218

Phone: 410-704-3342
Fax: 410-704-3664