Welcome from Dean Bruce Walker

Welcome to the April 2007 issue of Mizzou Business Online, which features several developments of significance within the College of Business.  In a very real sense, this issue captures much of the essence of our college.  You will read about a new conference and a new collaboration as well as the second year of a business plan competition and the gradual expansion of a successful program.  In addition, we will share with you wonderful news about two of the gifts – one from a couple and one from a pair of firms – that the college has received recently.  We are fortunate that many individuals and couples provide generous support that enables the college to build and sustain excellence, especially in all of our student-focused programs. 

We expect the annual conference put on by the Jeffrey E. Smith Institute of Real Estate to become one of the premier events for real estate professionals in Missouri.  We are thrilled that a real estate investor of national renown, Sam Zell, has agreed to be the keynote speaker at the upcoming 2007 conference.

Our college's Department of Finance has forged a new relationship with the CFA Institute that only a handful of business schools in the world have achieved.  The benefits of this collaboration will accrue to College of Business students who aspire to earn the very rigorous and highly prestigious designation of Chartered Financial Analyst.

Recognizing the importance of preparing students for the time when they decide to establish their own enterprises, the college offers a number of courses related to entrepreneurship.  One of these courses that involves a business plan competition for MBA students is described in this issue of Mizzou Business Online.

The college’s continually expanding study abroad program will offer internships in Asia for the first time this summer.  In this pilot program, students will work with a firm in China and now have the opportunity to be a part of the international business scene.

As always, the generosity of our friends, alumni, and business partners make many of these developments possible.  We are very grateful for all of these contributions, including the recent gifts from Tom and Betty Scott and services and accounting firms CBIZ and Mayer Hoffman McCann .

The ongoing progress of the college is very inspiring, motivating, and – I must admit – gratifying for me.  First and foremost, we are committed to providing our students with an absolutely top-caliber education, one that prepares them for success in the business world.  At the same time, we seek to expand knowledge about business and accountancy, emphasizing knowledge that has relevance to practitioners and public-policy officials, not just to other academics.  In addition, we desire – and intend – to be of valuable service to the business community.

Thanks to our motivated students, dedicated faculty and staff, and our alumni and friends’ ongoing and abundant support, the college can expect to see many more developments and successes in business education in the future.  Of course, we’ll share good news in future issues of Mizzou Business Online.  Meantime, if you have questions or suggestions, please give them to us – we want and appreciate your input.

Bruce J. Walker
Lansford Professor of Leadership and Dean