We hope you enjoyed the inaugural issue of Cameron Connections e-newsletter. The Cameron School of Business had a very busy and fulfilling fall semester with many significant accomplishments and achievements. I am continually grateful for the hard work of our distinguished faculty and staff who have made these accomplishments possible. Our faculty’s commitment to teaching excellence and research was exhibited in many ways.

It is my great honor to announce that Mr. John Whitney has been named Interim Burnett Family Distinguished Chair in Leadership. Mr. Whitney comes to the Cameron School with considerable teaching and industry experience including a position as former professor of management and executive director of the Deming Center for Quality Management at Columbia Business School. Read more about the newest addition to our distinguished faculty.
 
Another major initiative in progress at the Cameron School is revisions to our current MBA and MSA programs. The new and innovative MBA program focuses on five major themes which are Organizational Leadership and Corporate Ethical Citizenship, System Thinking and Sustainable Business Environment, Global and Domestic Business Environment, Decision Making and Value Creations and Marketing and Global Supply Chain Managements. Each of these themes provides a thread to connect the major elements of the curriculum. The revised MSA program allows students to receive credit for internships. This addition was made on the input received from accounting firms hiring our students. In revising both programs, heavy reliance was placed on input from various sources including focus group of graduating students.

Both new programs are designed to eliminate the redundancies between undergraduate and graduate courses, a concern raised by some students in focus groups of graduating students conducted by members of the Cameron School of Business Advisory Board. The proposed changes include some seven-week, 1.5 credit hour proficiency courses to allow for quicker completion of the program for incoming graduate students. The new program will offer cutting-edge courses such as system dynamics, sustainability and entrepreneurship and will further help our students react to an ever-changing, global economy. The launch date for both new programs will be fall of 2009. I will provide you with more details in the next addition Cameron Connections.

The Cameron School of Business remains active on the global scene with the help of Assistant Professor of Management and Marketing, Dr. Rupak Rauniar. The Cameron School received national and global recognition as one the first 100 participants of PRME, Principals for Responsible Management Education. Dr. Rauniar attended a United Nations Conference in New York City of 2008. The University of St. Thomas Cameron School of Business is among the first 100 educational institutions to be signatories of PRME United Nations Global Compact. Currently, five Cameron School of Business professors serve on five different PRME committees including Dr. Beena George, Dr. Charlene Dykman, Dr. Michelle Simms, Dr. Jack Simms and Dr. Rupak Rauniar.

As we look to the future, the Cameron School remains committed to providing the excellent, student-centered, Catholic education that has produced many successful business leaders. Thank you again for your continued support of the Cameron School of Business. Please enjoy this issue of Cameron Connections.

Thank you,

Bahman Mirshab, Ph.D
Dean
Cameron School of Business