About the College of Business

Preparing Business Ready^® Graduates

Combining top quality courses with experienced faculty on campus and practical experiences with alumni mentors and business partners off campus, our students have already begun their climb to success before they graduate.

Preparing graduates who are Business Ready^® means the College of Business offers students a solid foundation of core theories, principles, and practices along with broad opportunities to become involved in co-ops, internships, community service projects, and study abroad.

Our faculty and students know that success is not a spectator sport- it's not enough to sit on the sidelines and watch the world of business; they roll up their sleeves and get into it. That's what Business Ready^® means at Western.

Vision and Mission Statements

Adopted Fall 2020

Vision

To be a leading innovative educator, empowering future Business Ready^® professionals.

Mission

Western Carolina University’s College of Business is a leader among schools of business in graduating baccalaureate and master’s degree students primarily from the lower Appalachians and the Carolina Piedmont who are Business Ready^® to meet the needs of industries, markets, and institutions.  Our faculty and students engage with our region, state, nation, and world through a broad range of scholarly activities.

What does Business Ready^® mean?

The College of Business’ vision focuses on being a leading educator of high-performance, innovative, leadership talent who are prepared to meet tomorrow’s business and the region’s evolving development needs.

Our efforts are directed at students seeking an education in business and are centered on developing the judgment skills, tools and experiences required for them to make a difference in their world.

The College of Business at Western Carolina University has committed itself to providing a learning experience characterized by faculty working together with students in an inspiring collaboration focused on helping students synthesize their curricular and co-curricular (outside of courses) college experiences and, thus, helping students to become intentional participants in their own educational journeys.  We call this approach our Business Ready^® solution.

Business Ready^® is about much more than College of Business graduates having expertise in a specific business discipline (e.g. accounting, marketing, management).  It is a matter of our graduates being equipped with the ability and support to make decisions that allow them to make a difference in their world in an effective sustainable and balanced way.  It is also a matter of providing non-business majors with the best of both worlds – developing their subject matter expertise in their chosen non-business disciplines while having the opportunity to follow a course of study focusing on the development of management and/or entrepreneurial know how.

Simply put, Business Ready^® means…Ready to engage.  Ready to succeed.  Ready to work! 

Ready to Engage.
Career-focused academic studies, co-curricular activities, community involvement. Foundation for ethical decision making.
Metrics:  Guest speakers, Degree Plus events, AoL workshops

Ready to Succeed.
Professional preparation. Enrichment of soft skills.  Development of lifelong learning skills.  Solutions to real world problems.
Metrics:  Extracurricular COB events, Degree Plus events, Student business events

Ready to Work!
Real world experience through internships, capstone projects, and global exposure.  Connection to a network of successful, active alumni and engaged organizations.
Metrics:  MGT 404 client feedback, Internship supervisor feedback (Career and Professional Services), BSE capstone feedback

Statement of Values

In pursuing our mission, the College of Business is committed to the following shared values:

• Integrity, Respect, Ethics, and Trust
• Intellectual Vitality: Passion for and Curiosity about Learning
• Engagement, Service, and Stewardship
• Globalization and Innovation
• Diversity, Inclusion, and Leadership
• Teaching, Learning, and Scholarship
• Excellence and Continuous Improvement

Philosophy

It is our philosophy that quality faculty who meet high standards in teaching, scholarly activities, and service are an absolute requirement in order to achieve this mission.

• In teaching, we adhere to the principles of the University’s QEP program with special emphasis on the impact faculty have on the lives and professional career development of their students.  Graduates will achieve their high-performance and innovative leadership potential through a curriculum emphasizing active learning, involving academic studies enhanced by practical experience gained from engagement opportunities with businesses and economic and community development agencies in the region and beyond.
• In scholarly activities, we adhere to the Boyer model in defining those activities. There are four categories of scholarship which include:
• Scholarship of Discovery
• Scholarship of Integration
• Scholarship of Application
• Scholarship of Teaching
• Besides the more traditional service venues, faculty service will include work done for the college in helping to establish or further strategic collaborations as well as engagement in economic and community development consistent with our mission.