Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/61380
"It's difficult to recruit and retain academically qualified individuals in an increasingly competitive market. Larger, resource-rich schools can offer incentives to induce faculty members to leave small schools where they might otherwise be content to stay." —Doug Grider, Lander University, Greenwood, South Carolina gram, but Arnold believes it will find its true niche by fulfill- ing the promise implicit in its new slogan of "Applied Business." The b-school has just codified a plan that bases as many class assignments as possible on real-world projects for deans work to improve conditions or find innovative solu- tions. For instance, at UT Permian Basin, the entire university is housed in one large building, and the school of business takes up space on the second floor. When Franklin first arrived, faculty members were located on several different floors, and junior faculty had limited exposure to senior professors. Now, all the business school offices are clustered on one floor, and all the classrooms are contained on two upper floors. At IU Kokomo, the business school does not have its own external supporters fully expect a school to cover its basic 'utility' bills, and that's how IT is perceived by many donors." He doesn't face such restrictions at Lander, where the modern building is equipped with smart classrooms and portable technology. Even in cases when the facilities are not ideal, however, vitae over a five-year period and see three or four interactions between you and the real world,'" he says. "This means they should be working with local businesses on contract research, training, or consulting. 'Economic development' is in our university mission. To me, that means going out to the businesses here and making them better." building, but certain classrooms have been identified pri- marily for business education use. Furthermore, these class- rooms have been designed to best suit the needs of business students, with tables that can be reconfigured for lectures and small-group discussions. One of the rooms also fea- tures a financial ticker so students can engage in i simulations. "We feel very good about the facilities we have," says nvestment Niranjan Pati. However, he notes that additional facilities could be rented any time the school would not be able to provide a specific environment to fill a need—yet one more example of small-school deans finding creative ways to solve difficult dilemmas. their communities, Pati believes that one of their greatest advantages is hard to quantify—a "value-added" metric that is not judged in any current ranking system. "We add value to the learning experience," he says. "Students are at certain levels when they come to our schools, and we need to look at how much we have added by the time they get out. We can use inputs like the quality of the student when he enters and the cost of his tuition. On the output end, we can look at the learning experience he has had over time at the insti- tution. What is the rate of return on such an investment? That doesn't appear in any rankings." In the same way that not everyone is cut out for life in a sentations to community organizations, participate in corpo- rate open houses, and write articles for local newspapers. IUK students participate with the Small Business Development Center to promote downtown revitalization. It's crucial for small business schools to publicize their efforts and successes, says Pati, to make sure the public knows the educational advantages they present to the community. While small schools have much to offer their students and small town, not every student or facultymember is suited for existence at a small school. But for those looking for close relationships and the chance to make a true impact in a com- munity, small schools offer a big opportunity. ■ z BizEd MAY/JUNE 2004 43 Small Is Big Small schools not only fill an educational niche; many of them fill a business niche within their own communities and forge close ties with local business leaders. In some cases, that means the dean must be very visible. For instance, Grider gets involved in civic organizations, particularly the Rotary Club, and serves on development boards, bank com- mittees, and the advisory board of a local technical school. In other cases, the students and faculty must be visible. At IU Kokomo, Pati encourages his faculty to make pre- real clients. To facilitate that goal, Arnold recently organized a forum in which about a dozen local businesspeople made presentations to faculty members, outlining project ideas that might be suited for student teams. He hopes every student will have completed ten real-world projects by graduation— and he wants his faculty to attempt something similar. "I've told the faculty, 'I want to look at your curriculum