Message from the Dean

Saludos a Todos!

We are almost at the end of the Spring 2008 semester and the 2007-2008 academic year. What a great semester and academic year! We have accomplished a great deal attributable to our great faculty and staff, excellent students, and supportive businesses and individuals. What a formidable team we have to bring further recognition to CoBA and UTPA.

This academic year we have accomplished a lot. We have developed this newsletter (The Leader), conducted the first business symposia during HESTEC week, developed the entrepreneurship cluster and the health care administration cluster, helped sponsor the South Texas Border Region Business Outlook and Forecast luncheon, initiated a CoBA staff advisory council, and worked with the CoBA Business Student Advisory Council (BSAC). We also sent faculty to AACSB seminars to learn about developing and implementing assurance of learning goals and about maintenance of accreditation to get ready for our AACSB visit in academic year 2009-2010.

Our faculty worked closely with industry and individuals in the community which led to 12 new scholarships for our students. We also worked with the Office of the Vice President for University Advancement and conducted an annual fund drive which yielded monies for student development, faculty development and entrepreneurship activities. More development efforts are planned for the coming year.

Our faculty has engaged in a significant amount of research during the past year. They published 116 articles in refereed journals and 33 in conference proceedings and took part in a large number of academic presentations. They also brought to the College slightly more than $1.5 million dollars in grants. Likewise, our PhD students published 7 articles and made 26 professional presentations.

Our student organizations were very successful as well. Our MBA Association and NSHMBA chapter attended the NSHMBA national conference where we received the prestigious “Brillante Award for Educational Excellence.” Our student organizations held professional development seminars, insurance seminars, and participated in civic and social activities aimed at helping the local community.

As you can tell, we have done a great deal during this 2007-2008 academic year—and these are not all of our accomplishments. I am sure that our next academic year will be even more successful, bringing yet greater recognition to CoBA and UTPA, and especially to our students.

I look forward to seeing you at commencement to congratulate our students and their families and to celebrate their success!

Saludos,

Teo Ozuna, Dean