University Park, Pa. -- By enhancing the overall experience of students at all levels, driving faculty excellence and program innovation, and strengthening connections to the business world, Penn State's Smeal College of Business is committed to solidifying its position among the elite public business schools in the nation.
With an enrollment of more than 5,800 students in its undergraduate and graduate programs combined, Smeal is one of the largest business schools in the world. The college currently ranks as high as 10th among public undergraduate and MBA programs and first among public executive education providers in assessments of quality by various media outlets.
"Our true goal is not to achieve a specific position in the rankings," said Dean James B. Thomas in a report to the Penn State Board of Trustees last week. "Instead, it's about supporting a mindset of excellence that spans the entire community. We're confident about where we need to focus our strategic efforts to fully realize our potential as a leading business school."
Along with academic departments of accounting, finance, insurance and real estate, management and organization, marketing, and supply chain and information systems, Smeal is also home to major research centers in areas such as supply chain management, business-to-business marketing, corporate innovation and entrepreneurship, and other disciplines. Since its inception in 1953, more than 64,000 students have graduated from the college.
According to Thomas, Smeal is focused on achieving distinction in four key areas.
Student Experience
Smeal unveiled various initiatives at the start of the fall semester to strengthen the sense of community within the college's student populations, including the launch of a new Web site ( http://students.smeal.psu.edu ) created by students and for students and the introduction of a Smeal-specific academic integrity initiative ( http://www.smeal.psu.edu/honor ).
Thomas said the college is dedicated to maintaining continued access for qualified students through enhanced scholarship initiatives while also sustaining quality in the classroom through innovative teaching and delivery methods.
Faculty Excellence
According to the University of Texas at Dallas research contribution database, Smeal's faculty ranks 15th in the world for academic excellence. Since 2002, however, student enrollment has significantly outpaced faculty growth.
"We have a world-class faculty of teachers and researchers at Smeal," Thomas said. "Our goal is to maintain that quality while also attracting and retaining new faculty especially into endowed positions at the college."
Program Innovation
A new curricular approach for the college's full-time MBA program will be unveiled this fall for implementation in fall 2008. The college is also working to develop a new design for undergraduate education that stresses 21st century leadership skills and knowledge.
Each year approximately 90 students from around the world enter the Smeal MBA program. The college also offers an executive MBA program in Philadelphia with an annual entering class of approximately 55 students.
The revised MBA curriculum will allow students greater flexibility and customization especially in the second year of the program. Students will also have more opportunities to leverage the vast educational opportunities of Penn State outside of Smeal as part of their graduate experience.
Business World Outreach
Smeal's network of research centers such as the Institute for the Study of Business Markets and the Center for Supply Chain Research continue to link faculty and students with the business world. Thomas told the Board of Trustees that by identifying areas of opportunity for new research centers, Smeal will continue to strengthen its corporate ties.
He also emphasized that the future of business education depends on leveraging digital technologies in new and innovative ways. According to Thomas, Smeal's connection to the business world will continue to benefit from new initiatives like the college's online Master of Professional Studies in Supply Chain Management ( http://www.smeal.psu.edu/mps/ ), which is a new partnership with Penn State World Campus.
"We are in a position of great strength at Smeal," Thomas said. "Our world-class facilities, the engagement of our alumni around the world, the growing number of companies that come to campus to recruit our students, the passion of our faculty; these are just some of the exciting storylines contributing to a new era of excitement and energy at the college."