Greetings from the Dean

Welcome to the "virtual home" of the Trulaske College of Business at the University of Missouri. Perhaps this is your first visit to our college's website, maybe you have been connected to Mizzou's business school either on campus or online occasionally in recent years, or perhaps you have been involved with the college as long as I have been dean. Whichever the case, I hope you find the information on our college’s website to be of interest and value to you.

This academic year is my nineteenth as dean. Why have I been in this role for so long? First, many parties, including the college's faculty, have allowed me to do so - and I am thankful for that. Second, it has been tremendously gratifying to be part of the steady expansion and marked enhancement of MU's business school. I truly believe that the Trulaske College of Business is preparing tomorrow's leaders in business and accounting...today.

To do that, we strive to be at the intersection of rigorous academic programs and contact with the business world. This intersection is where theory meets the real world, which is why we stress professional-development activities for our students, involving the business community as much as possible. I believe this intersection represents the distinctive hallmark of a Mizzou business and accounting education.

Our college's degree programs are both challenging and innovative. In addition, we have developed a wide range of programs that help our students gain vital knowledge, sharpen professional skills, and develop ethical values not only in their courses but also outside the classroom. Examples include:

• our Professional Development Program, a required, comprehensive program that provides experiential learning opportunities to foster professional growth;
• our Speakers Series featuring an incredible array of executives, entrepreneurs, and scholars who visit Cornell Hall each year to share their knowledge and experiences with our students;
• the Cornell Leadership Program for undergraduate students with exceptionally strong records;
• the Vasey Academy that provides minority students with exposure to the business world and our college;
• the Flegel Academy of Aspiring Entrepreneurs that allows a select group of students to pursue their interests in entrepreneurship;
• projects that our MBA students conduct for business clients; both summer and in-term internships; field trips to corporate sites;
• and study-abroad programs both between sessions and during the summer.
• Of course, our educational activities are facilitated greatly by having a world-class facility, Cornell Hall.

In the book Good to Great, Jim Collins stated, "To build a great company, you must get the right people on the bus." I believe this axiom applies to a business school as much as it does to a corporation. The "right people" for our college are bright, energetic students; talented, dedicated faculty members; conscientious, student-focused staff members; and involved, generous alumni and business partners. All of these people, as well as our university's leaders, have been instrumental in the ongoing strengthening of MU’s business school.

If you have questions or suggestions, either about the Trulaske College of Business or the website, please share them with me.

Sincerely,

Bruce J. Walker
Lansford Professor of Leadership and Dean