Defining Excellence in the School of Business

About the Campaign

 What are the characteristics of an excellent business education?

a) the opportunity to study abroad

b) learning from the finest faculty whose research and scholarly activities support their outstanding teaching

c) developing “people skills” in addition to quantitative skills

d) a rigorous curriculum that instills critical thinking learned in classes and through co-curricular experiences

e) all of the above

The answer, of course, is “e) all of the above,” but business education today goes beyond giving the right answers to multiple choice questions.

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business has always embraced the mission of preparing students for the challenges of business leadership. More than 20,000 alumni from the School are contributing to the prosperity of our region, state, and nation. Many are leaders in other countries, as well.

Today, excellence in business education at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville means that we benchmark programs globally but still meet the needs of our students and business stakeholders in Southern Illinois and Metropolitan St. Louis. The world that spawned our University and Business School 50 years ago is vastly different today – and we are changing to meet the challenges presented by that “brave new world.” We begin the process of continuously improving our programs by seeking feedback from our students and alumni, by listening to the needs of business professionals, and by tapping in to the knowledge generated by our faculty as they research the latest and most important developments in business.

The School offers a comprehensive and integrated approach to business education with undergraduate, graduate and continuing education programs in accountancy, computer management and information systems, economics, finance, management and marketing.  Area employers, including Monsanto, Edward Jones, The Boeing Company, along with many others, eagerly seek SIUE School of Business graduates because the School attracts hard-working, intelligent students who want to excel in the world of business. Employers recognize the value-added by our school to educate those students with the skills they need to be successful in competitive business environments.

We, as a School of Business, also operate in a competitive environment. The business of educating future leaders for firms, both multinational and local, is now a global industry and we face competition from around the world for the best students and the best faculty.

We desire, as you do, that the SIUE School of Business continues to be one of the finest schools in the United States, that we provide our students with a world-class education, and that we always provide one of the best educational values anywhere. With our Defining Excellence Campaign, the School of Business seeks to secure the resources that will allow us to excel and grow in quality while meeting the needs of our diverse constituents.