McCombs Alumni Network News

From McCombs TODAY

Dean Tom Gilligan is meeting with faculty, students, staff and advisory council members to outline a strategic plan for the future of the McCombs School. The plan will be founded on Gilligan’s four top priorities for the school (see below).

In a letter to faculty and staff, Gilligan said, “McCombs is a strong academic institution that, with focus and investment, can be recognized as one of the world’s most influential business schools.”

Gilligan formed a Strategy Guidance Committee that convened for the first time Dec. 3, 2008, allowing the committee members to ask questions and provide suggestions about the planning process. The committee will analyze information from across the school and propose tactics to support the themes and concepts of the plan.

Planning will continue throughout the spring semester, including a Dean’s Forum and online survey where the McCombs community can offer feedback. The plan is expected to be finalized in May 2009.

McCombs Strategic Priorities

Excellence

• Research at McCombs should have a demonstrable impact on business and management thought, practice, and policy-making.
• Teaching at McCombs should be effective and innovative, and lead other institutions of business education.

Distinctiveness

• Some of our academic pursuits should be truly distinctive in the realm of business education.
• These sources of distinctiveness should be unique to McCombs and difficult for other schools to imitate.

Integration

• Our academic programs should integrate knowledge in ways useful to students.
• Research that creates and integrates knowledge across disciplinary boundaries should be rewarded.
• Where relevant, knowledge produced throughout the university should be integrated into McCombs academic programs.

Community

• McCombs should be a community that offers students, staff and faculty the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential.
• Our alumni, friends and business partners are valued members of that community.