By Ken B. Cyree
Dean

The School of Business Administration celebrated its 90th anniversary in 2007, and we are looking toward 100 with great anticipation. The business school has accomplished much in the past, and with teamwork we can continue the momentum into our next century. There are challenges that lie ahead, such as obtaining support for faculty and scholarships, as well as the day-to-day challenges of teaching, research and service in an ever-changing world.

I was appointed interim dean on Jan. 2, 2008. I have been a faculty member since 2004 as the Frank R. Day/Mississippi Bankers Association Chair of Banking. My colleagues and the administration have trusted me to do this job, and I am hopeful that together we can continue and expand our successes.

My vision for the school is simple: high-quality scholarship, high-quality teaching and the service to support these two. High-quality scholarship means publishing articles that impact business disciplines and create new knowledge about marketing, management, finance, and information systems. Our faculty are particularly productive in scholarship, and we need alumni support for this distinguished group. High-quality teaching includes rigorous courses that apply proven as well as new knowledge to help solve current business problems. Our teaching should inspire students to work hard to learn and master the course material, and it should help prepare them for success. Our service should be aimed at supporting our goals as well as making the School of Business Administration a great place to work and learn. We have many dedicated staff and faculty members who go beyond the call of duty, and they are critical components in running the school and creating a good learning environment for students.

We are currently ranked 99th for undergraduate business programs by U.S. News and World Report; the goal when we turn 100 is to be in the top 75. I believe this ranking provides an outside evaluation of our school and an important benchmark of our progress. Moving into the top 75 will not be easy because the schools we have to pass on the list will also be working to improve. We need the faculty,staff, students and alumni to work together to achieve this goal.

Faculty will have to provide rigor in the classroom and in their scholarship, because these factors greatly impact our rankings and, more importantly, our success. Students will have to work hard in increasingly rigorous classes and in solving complex business problems. Staff members’ dedication and expertise will be vital in managing increasing numbers of students if present trends continue. Alumni can help through giving—both their funds and their time to ensure that we are retaining and hiring the best faculty members and providing the tools to students that afford them opportunities to succeed. These gifts help strengthen our school as well as our reputation.

In summary, we cannot achieve our goals alone. Everyone must pull in the same direction. I challenge the faculty, staff, students and alumni to compete with other state flagship schools and to help us continue to improve. I hope you will join us in our quest to meet these goals to launch us intoour second century.

I look forward to the journey.