A Message from Dean Tom Knothe
It’s a great time to be part of the Dahl School of Business. We have settled into our newly repurposed facility. New faculty and new programs are going full steam ahead. Last year’s job placement numbers came in well above the national average. Great speakers are lined up for this year’s Leadership@Noon lecture series, and plans are all set for our first annual "Lectureship in Business Ethics" scholar to visit campus later this year. The university’s new core curriculum is giving our business students the solid foundation that employers seek. Indeed, it’s a great time to be part of the DSOB community.
We launched three new academic programs this semester, including a sustainable management major for traditional DSOB students, a health care management degree completion program for adult learners working in the health care environment, and a certificate in nonprofit leadership development for those serving our community’s nonprofit organizations. These programs add to an already exciting portfolio of traditional, adult, and graduate programs.
The continued growth and success of the Dahl School called for a new and larger space on campus. In August, the Dahl School moved across campus to the Brophy Center, former home to the school of nursing. The prominently positioned and renovated building will ensure that the 25% growth in undergraduate majors over the last five years continues and that the highly successful MBA programs continue to thrive. It also gives Dahl School students dedicated space to hone their communication, leadership, and teamwork skills. The building underwent the first phase of a complete makeover this summer. Space previously dedicated to nursing education was converted to engaging learning environments conducive to today’s business education. One nursing lab has been retrofitted as a boardroom with an executive ambiance and cutting-edge technology. Another lab was converted to a large classroom suited for executive leadership programs complete with available laptop computers. Other areas have been turned into collaboration spaces of various sizes. There are rooms dedicated for student business organizations and the Dahl School’s Center for Sustainability. We preserved the theatre style 160 seat auditorium and have plans to update its technology in the near future. A second floor classroom was converted to a 24-station laptop computing lab. Plans also exist for building out four interviewing labs next summer. This new facility will assist Dahl School students for years to come as they prepare to be our next generation of ethical and effective leaders.