Looking Ahead With a New Strategic Plan

In his fall 2009 convocation speech, Chancellor Robert Coombe credited the Daniels College of Business with taking decisive steps to improve the relevance and quality of its degree programs.

“The faculty of the Daniels College has worked hard to develop a wonderful new strategic plan. ‘Daniels Tomorrow’ is a very thorough, honest and forward-looking document,” Coombe said.

In the past academic year, “Daniels Tomorrow” began full-scale implementation.

“We made remarkable progress in a number of areas, the first of which is ensuring that our programs are exemplary and market-driven. Every single one of our degree programs, with the exception of the master of science programs, has gone through extensive review and curriculum change,” said Daniels Dean Christine Riordan.

Daniels transformed its fatigued part-time MBA into a lauded Professional MBA program that Business Week ranked No. 53 in the country and No. 8 in the region. Daniels also partnered with DU’s Morgridge College of Education to create an MBA in school leadership; completed a nine-month review of the Executive MBA; laid the foundation for a curriculum overhaul of the undergraduate degree program; created classes in Peru, Argentina and Ghana; and expanded and strengthened partnerships with companies such as Newmont Mining, CH2M Hill and Deutsche Bank that allow students to conduct actual business projects overseas. In addition, plans are in place to hire 25 faculty (13 of the positions are new) and upgrade the Daniels building in the coming months.

Daniels also has established processes to reduce the size of its undergraduate program from 2,200 to 1,800 students by fall 2014. Undergraduate students who enter in fall 2010 and want a business degree will have to apply to business school via a secondary admission process during their second year.

Although the number of graduate students will increase slightly during this time, rising by roughly 100, the net result of this effort will be top-quality students, small classes and more personalized attention.

Daniels also made great strides toward its goal of becoming a community of choice.

“We expanded all of our boards, enhanced our alumni strategy and focused on inclusive excellence. It was really about building a network and community that includes students, faculty, staff, alumni, friends and corporate partners,” Riordan said.

More than 60 companies are now members of the college’s corporate partners program. Each makes a financial commitment to the school and participates in student consulting projects and recruiting.

Progress has been swift and significant during the first year and a half of “Daniels Tomorrow.” With four years remaining in the life of the plan, Daniels will continue to pursue its vision of being a “premier private business college globally recognized as a leader whose educational experiences, outreach and knowledge creation transform lives, organizations and communities.”