This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1 (Fall 2012)

Dr. John A. Elliott, 14th Dean of the University of Connecticut School of Business

Welcome to the 2012 issue of UConn Business. Following an exciting summer, we are pleased to share some of the intellectually stimulating activities taking place at the School of Business, a multitude of recent student and alumni accomplishments, and to keep you informed as we continue through the 2012-2013 academic year.

A Global Welcome

I am delighted to join the University of Connecticut School of Business at such an exciting time. August 15, my first day on campus, was planned around the London Olympics. When I received the phone call last January and began to consider the Deanship at the School of Business, I had standing plans to go to London with my wife and son. So joining the School of Business ultimately followed our return from a remarkable experience in London. In this issue you will read about several linkages between UConn, London, and the Olympics.

While in London, I attended a UConn gathering featuring Geno Auriemma and the six UConn alumnae who were playing for the U.S. women’s basketball team. There, I found myself in the company of about 250 alumni, students, faculty, and friends who assembled in London on behalf of UConn. The group included about 40 students who were studying there for the summer. What a wonderful introduction to the UConn family. I was particularly impressed by the students. They were energetic, passionate, and excited young people whose commitment to UConn was inspiring.

The following evening, my wife, son and I were together with friends at the semi-finals when the USA women’s basketball team played Australia. If you recall, the first half did not go well. Toward the end of the third quarter, I heard a vocal fan behind me, whose voice sounded familiar. Wondering who it could be, I turned around to discover that, in one of those amazing happenstances, it wasWarde Manuel (our new Director of UConn Athletics) with prominent alumnus, Mark Shenkman ’65. Having secured our tickets separately, we were nontheless sitting front-to-back in this enormous stadium of people. Geno must have found the right words during half-time, because the women’s team went on to win. It was a great evening!

So, as it happened, part of my first “official” UConn activities with respect to UConn were abroad, in London, among the global community. The experience validated my sense of who the University is, who we want to become, and of the strong enthusiasm and commitment shared by alumni, students, and faculty.

The UConn Distinction

One of the most common questions I hear is, “Why would you leave the largest business school in the United States to come to UConn?” The answer is evident in the level of commitment to education in Connecticut. One of the things that immediately focused my attention was what I heard about UConn President Susan Herbst and Governor Malloy, and about the commitment they were making on behalf of education as an engine that will drive the future of the economy in Connecticut.

What is going on in Connecticut, and what is happening at UConn made a strong impression. The search committee talked about it, and the people I interviewed with talked about it. I have happily been uniformly pleased that what I was told to expect is what I have encountered. There is exciting new activity; the faculty is ready to take on new challenges and create new opportunities. We are well poised to be an even better institution in five years than we are today.

I see a campus ready for the next phase. I see the state investing in that next phase. Everywhere I turn, I see people committed to the University. Students, alumni, and corporate leaders are all dedicated to their relationships with the School of Business and the University.

Initiatives such as UCONN 2000 and 21st Century UConn are enhancing academic and research activities on all of our campuses. UConn’s membership in Universitas21, an international network of leading research-intensive universities from 16 countries, is extraordinary. Only two universities from the United States (the other is the University of Virginia) are members of this exceptional network. These programs are indicative of a unique approach in Connecticut, where higher education is treated as a cornerstone of economic development.

Furthermore, the University’s commitment to hire new faculty without growing the student population demonstrates a forward-looking process focused on quality and improving the student-to-faculty ratio. It is exciting and refreshing to hear such commitments after encountering several years of draconian budget cuts and faculty losses. It’s also distinctive in the United States, where higher education is more often being cut and extreme tuition increases are common. At UConn, tuition increases appear to be modest and planned.

The School of Business Today

Many changes have taken place at the School of Business over the past few years, and now is the time to evaluate those changes. We assigned a task force to evaluate the success of the Full-time MBA Program redesign of three years ago; to understand the nationwide decline in applicants and enrollment; and to identify new opportunities. A second task force has been assigned to the Executive MBA Program, now in its 20th year, to ensure that we continue to meet businesses’ most critical needs and to encourage and inspire more engagement and sponsorship of students.

Our graduate programs are expanding with the recent addition of two degrees. The Master of Financial Risk Management (MSFRM) is in its third year in Stamford. This new specialized master’s degree has attracted students internationally and is now also in its first year in Hartford. The Master of Business Analytics and Project Management (MSBAPM) is a timely, topical degree program supported by an advisory council and populated by professionals that find it is a perfect fit for their educational needs. Our ten-year old Master of Science in Accounting (MSA) has attracted excellent students and graduates and is the cornerstone and foundation of distance learning for the School of Business.

As the University positions itself to be an integral part of the state and its economy, there is significant room to expand our engagement with the business community in Connecticut. In Hartford, for example, we are working to increase our involvement with the MetroHartford Alliance to assist in the business and economic development in the capitol and surrounding areas. In Stamford, we are hosting several events to enhance the ongoing development of our relationship with the Stamford business community. In October, we hosted, in conjunction with The Business Council of Fairfield County, a panel discussion on Innovation for Business Growth in Fairfield County. It featured panelists from Hearst Publications, Bridgewater Associates, Starwood Hotels and Resorts, and the Digital Media Center at UConn. In November, we will hold our first annual risk management conference in which the corporate community will participate. Sponsored in part by IBM and Travelers, featured conference speakers include representatives from UBS, Corporate Executive Board, Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), IBM, Bridgewater Associates LP, Wells Fargo, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

One of the competitive advantages of the University of Connecticut School of Business is the role of active learning, of real world experience we provide students through our innovative learning accelerators. As we speak with the business community this fall, we are working on identifying additional programming which would be valuable for our community, including certificate programs and non-degree Executive Education.

In closing, I’d like to reiterate how pleased I am to join UConn and the School of Business. I look forward to working with our faculty, staff, students, alumni and friends in the months ahead as we embrace a future filled with boundless opportunity.