The College of Business just wrapped up a yearlong 50th Anniversary celebration. There is an irrevocable sense of nostalgia that has filled the halls of the college for the past several months. Jim Francis, director of the Business Beverage Institute and the Institute for Transportation Management, began working at the college in the fall of 1970.
He started as an assistant professor in the Department of Management and taught Principles of Management and Organizational Behavior and eventually took on the role of department chair later in his career. Francis believes that management is fundamental to any organization and that is why he has always been drawn to the department. He recalled that Don Dobler, the first dean, faced a huge challenge changing a business department into the accredited College of Business it is today.
Looking back, Francis reminisces on the management department and how it initially included what is now known as Computer Information Systems concentration. As departments and demand grew, each department was able to focus more on the students within their concentration and provide the resources necessary for them to excel. Management specifically was able to introduce sub-disciplines like Human Resource Management and Supply Chain Management.
He highlighted the fact that effective managers are rare and it is necessary to have immense knowledge to form a successful business. Beliefs like these are exactly why the Department of Management is tailored to students and many of the courses provided by the department are required business courses for all students.
Another former College of Business faculty member, Jim McCambridge, applauds the late Don Dobler for his persistence and ability to nurse the college through its infancy and set it up to be the success it is today. Business education at CSU began in Johnson Hall with a few courses taught in the Clark Building. The curriculum included classes for administrative office management with courses including typing, bookkeeping, and office management.
Although it was a good place to start, Dean Dobler and the faculty quickly realized the college needed a more rigorous curriculum in order to prepare students for a competitive career in business. McCambridge also emphasized how moving to Rockwell Hall, a former women’s residence hall converted for the COB, was a major milestone in terms of the identity and presence of the college on campus. This in turn created a sense of community and comradery among the college faculty, students and staff.
Francis recognizes that CSU stands apart from other business schools in its passion for students. Classes at CSU are not taught by graduate assistants like other colleges of business that have Ph.D. programs. Our faculty have the ability to focus on their students and devote time to their research because the student/faculty ratio is at a favorable level. He emphasized that CSU is graduating students capable of going out into the professional environment and performing at the highest level of competence.
As CSU has become a more notable institution, the professors have become specialized in certain areas and concentrations which has led to the students being more qualified in the industries in which they work for a number of years after graduation. Francis stated, “Without the support of our donors and the money gained from faculty research, we could not have been as effective as we have been and it is heartening to see that we are impacting students and growing in our capacity to deliver outstanding candidates for professional positions wherever they are needed.”
