An expert in terror analytics, a marketer who worked for NBC, Pepsi and Disney, and a champion of the volunteer income tax program at UConn are among the newest faculty at the School of Business. Continue Reading
Dean John A. Elliott on Tuesday announced the creation of a new Part-time MBA cohort for students attending classes at the Waterbury campus. Continue Reading
For a hands on approach to their curriculum, students in management professor David Noble’s Strategic Analysis class created new and unique business incubator ideas to revive Downtown Waterbury and make its commercial zone more attractive to young college graduates.
The top projects included a restaurant incubator, a technology incubator and a music-studio incubator. Continue Reading
Degrees Completed at Brass City Branch
Rep-Am.com – Professor William Ryan, left, with UConn’s School of Business, hands a certificate to graduate Richard Coore. The student was recognized for three majors: Business Administration, Human Development & Family Studies, and Psychology. UConn Waterbury held it’s senior reception Friday night at the downtown campus.
More than 100 UConn business students were inducted into the Beta Gamma Sigma scholastic honor society during a dinner and ceremony on Sunday evening.
Beta Gamma Sigma recognizes students with the highest academic achievement at the undergraduate, masters and doctoral levels. Students from Storrs, Stamford, Hartford and Waterbury attended the ceremony in the Dave Ivry Seminar Classroom at School of Business. Keynote speaker was Dean John A. Elliott.Continue Reading
Republican American – The UConn-Waterbury School of Business and Main Street Waterbury will hold a workshop for the business community on Sept. 15. The session, titled Exploring Pivot Points: Creating Space for Opportunity, will be from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the school’s multipurpose room at 99 East Main Street.
This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 3, Issue 1 (Fall 2012)
Dr. Karla H. Fox Reflects on Past Success, Contributions, and Continued Service
A distinguished educator and administrator at the University of Connecticut since 1976, Dr. Karla H. Fox retired from her faculty position as of August 1. Here, she reflects on her time serving the University and the School of Business, sharing some of her continuing projects and activities in her new position as Special Assistant to the Provost.
Teaching and Research
Reflecting on the past three decades, Dr. Fox proclaims, “[the University of Connecticut] is a dramatically different school than when I started [working here]. UConn has transformed into a truly research-focused institution. We’ve reversed the “brain drain” of 30 years ago, and now we’re a top school of choice for many students.”
In the 1990s, the School of Business made a strategic decision to become a technology leader among business schools nationwide. “It shows,” says Dr. Fox. “We’ve become much more professional in the way we present teaching and instruction, partly because we have access to the latest technologies.” During her time as Interim Dean, Dr. Fox contributed to this availability by implementing the latest in conference technology, enabling meetings or classes to run across campuses and to better link the undergraduate and MBA programs in Storrs, Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury.
“Building upon the School’s history of excellent academics, we now have an expanded emphasis focused more on research and outreach,” Dr. Fox notes. Securing the approval of then Provost Peter Nicholls, Interim Dean Dr. Fox led the School in hiring 24 new faculty and staff members last year. “Hiring was critical; it enabled us to bring up new programs and strengthen others, such as the Master of Science in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM) program [in Stamford], which we were able to expand to Hartford,” she notes.
Outreach and service have entered the forefront in the last five years, according to Dr. Fox, who plans to continue efforts in this area.
Outreach: Stamford Initiatives
Dr. Fox’s involvement with the Stamford campus has come full-circle. She was one of the main individuals responsible for developing the new Stamford Downtown Campus in the mid-1990s. “That was really exciting!” she exclaims. “I can’t help but reflect on this—fast forward 25 years later, and here I am, working on the expansion of programs offered on that very campus.”
During the transitional period while she was Interim Dean, one of the initiatives Dr. Fox engaged in was the renewed emphasis of activities on the Stamford campus, including the establishment of the Stamford Learning Accelerator, new academic programs, economic development initiatives, and relationships with Fairfield County leaders. She has also dedicated time to the Digital Media Program both in Storrs and Stamford, putting the program on secure footing to facilitate approval from the Board of Trustees in 2011. Dr. Fox will continue to foster and develop these initiatives in her ongoing role.
“We minimized the vacancy of the former UConn/GE edgelab space in Stamford to just 4 months. The repurposed facility is now vibrant and thriving as the Stamford Learning Accelerator (SLA),” says Dr. Fox. “Although the funding to build out edgelab came from GE, it was originally conceptualized to be what the SLA now is—a learning accelerator where the triumvirate of students, faculty, and businesses work together on real-life projects.” She adds, “We’re now able to work on several projects for leading corporations and potential entrepreneurial ventures.”
Dr. Fox will help to implement an expansion plan at the Stamford regional campus in the areas of business and digital media. A new major in Financial Management, to begin the fall of 2013, will be considered by the UConn Board of Trustees at its November meeting. Future projects under discussion include offering undergraduate business programs in the areas of risk management and global business; increasing the academic presence of digital media; and expanding certificate programs in business and digital media.
In addition, Dr. Fox will continue to serve as Interim Director of the Connecticut Information Technology Institute (CITI) program in Stamford, which offers certification or education for both businesses and individuals in business-related technologies or specialties such as project management.
Dr. Fox will work to support academic initiatives in the University’s emerging plan for economic development with Mary Holz-Clause, UConn’s Vice President for Economic Development. She is also working very closely with The Business Council of Fairfield County and the Stamford business community. Dr. Fox concludes that “the issue now is economic development, providing good jobs for everyone in Connecticut so we can get our educated graduates to stay in the state.”
Karla H. Fox
Among her many involvements at the University of Connecticut School of Business, Dr. Karla H. Fox—professor of Business Law with specializations in the Uniform Commercial Code, employment law, and business ethics—has served as Executive Director of the Full-time MBA Program, Associate Dean, and Head of the Business Law program. Dr. Fox most recently led the School of Business through an exciting year of growth as Interim Dean.
Dr. Fox has also served as head of the Music Department in the School of Fine Arts from 2008-2010, Associate Vice President for University Affairs from 1999-2004, and Executive Director of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. A recipient of the 2010 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) Service Excellence Award, she is also a member of the Connecticut and North Carolina Bar Associations, and is a past president of the University of Connecticut chapter of the American Association of University Professors, as well as a former member of the University Senate and Senate Executive Committee.
This article first appeared in the UConn Business magazine, Volume 2, Issue 1 (Fall 2010)
Forbes Ranks UConn MBA Program 12th Among Public Business Schools in United States
The University of Connecticut School of Business’ Full-Time MBA Program was ranked in the top 50 U.S. MBA Programs in Forbes’ 6th biennial MBA Program ROI rankings. Among public institutions alone, UConn ranks 12th nationally and is ranked 27th among all U.S.
institutions. UConn’s MBA Program is ranked #1 for ROI among public business schools in New England and is one of only five business schools in New England to be ranked in the top 30 nationally, along with Dartmouth, Harvard, MIT and Yale.
Undergraduate Program Ranked in Top 25 Public Biz Schools by US News & World Report
The UConn School of Business received high rankings in “America’s Best Colleges 2011” by US News & World Report, breaking into the top 25 among public business schools for the first time. The School is now ranked #24 among all public business schools, an increase of 3 spots over last year’s ranking. The School is ranked in the top 50 at the national level, and the Real Estate specialty is ranked at #9 in the nation. UConn
remains the #1 public university in New England.
Master of Science in Financial Risk Management (MSFRM) Program Launched at Stamford Campus
The School of Business officially launched its new program that offers a Master of Science in Financial Risk Management. Referred to as the MSFRM, this Stamford campus degree was several years in development and reflected corporate input which resulted in the program’s unique focus on the practical vs. the theoretical.
The focus on the practical application of existing theories also drove the planned unique classroom experience, which relies to a great extent on “Professionals in the Classroom”. This group of about 15 senior executives in the financial industry will appear in classrooms to add relevant, concrete examples of the application of theory to real world situations.
Designed as a part time, evening program so executives can attend while maintaining their positions in the financial industry, the program takes 15 months to complete and must be taken “lock-step.”
The focus on the practical application of theory, coupled with the involvement and guidance of GARP (Global Association of Risk Professionals), has resulted both in corporate interest in providing projects to students as well as prospective employment opportunities to program graduates. For more information, please visit msfrm.uconn.edu.
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration to be Offered at the Regional Campuses
The University of Connecticut School of Business announces the Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA), a new undergraduate degree program offered at the Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury campuses. The Bachelor of Science in Business Administration (BSBA) provides a general business major to regional campus students.
This interdisciplinary general business major will provide another option for regional campus students interested in a business major. Previously, only a Bachelor of Science in Business and Technology (BSBT) was available to undergraduate students at the regional campuses. Although the core business curriculum of the BSBA is similar to the BSBT, the BSBA requires additional work in marketing, finance and management.
The primary goal of the proposed BSBA is to prepare business leaders who are effective general managers. Therefore, this major will prepare students for broad based careers in nonprofit and public sector organizations as well as for profit businesses. Regional campus students, faculty and staff, community college faculty, high school guidance counselors and the Connecticut business community overwhelmingly support the addition of the new general Business Administration major at these regional campuses.
Well over 90% of students surveyed at the Hartford, Stamford, and Waterbury regional campuses responded positively to the proposal of offering a general Business Administration major as a second option in addition to the Business & Technology major. Over 90% of Connecticut community college respondents also supported this degree.
Upon graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, students are well prepared for professions requiring general management competencies and knowledge. “Graduates earning business administration/management degrees saw a 4.7 percent increase to their average salary offer, raising it to $45,887. These graduates are also consistently high in demand,” according to responding National Association of Colleges & Employers (NACE) Job Outlook 2009 employers. Business administration and management is also ranked top 5 in demand according to this research. For more information, please visit The Office of Undergraduate Advising.
MBA Program Redesign Features a Career-Centric Curriculum
The School of Business is launching its highly anticipated redesign for the full-time MBA program in Storrs this Fall. The new structure features a more personalized, career-centric curriculum that gives MBA candidates a larger say in their academic plan.
Designed over a two-year period, the new curriculum will restructure traditional concentrations such as finance, management, marketing, information technology and real estate, allowing students to develop more individualized plans of study within those broader disciplines.
The underlying principle of the redesign is to have students more closely tailor their course work to their long-term career paths, preparing for a job market where increased cross-specialization is becoming more prevalent. The concept of individualized concentrations is on the cutting edge of MBA curriculum design and is currently rare among MBA programs across the country.
The new design also requires students to participate in experiential learning projects in one or more of the Business School’s learning accelerators. Not only does the new curriculum keep UConn’s MBA education relevant and fresh, but it also significantly differentiates UConn MBAs in the marketplace – providing them with an extra edge for professional success. For more information, please visit mba.uconn.edu.
The UConn School of Business Institutionalizes Strategic Global Partnerships
The University of Connecticut School of Business has been working to solidify strategic global partnerships with international business schools. Although the School has enjoyed
relationships with international schools in varying capacities, this past year, the School has taken the important step in institutionalizing the partnerships to further gain international recognition, generate top-quality academic research on global business problems, and have a real-world impact on business practice and education worldwide.
The School currently has official partnerships with the following institutions: