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Spotlight Sky's the Limit Auburn University College of Business, Auburn University, Alabama The schools of business and engi- neering have long had a close relationship at Auburn University. In 2000, the uni- versity made it official. First, it established its Business and Engineering Outreach (BEO), a partnership that merged the two colleges' distance education, executive education, and degree and nondegree courses. Second, it elevated its avia- tion program, the second-oldest cer- tified aviation program in the U.S., to department status, forming the Depart ment of Aviation Management and Logistics. The program, which had been part of the college of engi- neering since 1941, was incorporated into the business school in 1999. Both actions illustrate one of the unique aspects of Auburn's business program, says John Jahera, the inter- im dean for the College of Business. "We have a strong working relation- ship with our college of engineering, which has experienced a growing demand for business training over the years. We have a joint minor in business and engineering technology now in its third year," he says. The business school serves 4,260 lum in aviation management. The degree program, says Jahera, "draws more students from out of state than any other at the business school." The College's specialized pro- Above left: A Cessna-172 from Auburn's aviation pro- gram flying over campus. Above: Auburn's most rec- ognizable landmark Samford Hall, a 114-year old struc- ture that serves as the uni- versity's administrative building. Left: The Edward L. and Catherine K. Lowder Business Building, completed in 1992. undergraduates and 530 graduates. More than 200 undergraduates major in its aviation management program. Students who plan to be pilots can pursue a curriculum in flight management, which incorpo- rates access to 14 airplanes and offers three flight certifications. Or, stu- dents interested in working for the airline industry can pursue a curricu- 64 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2003 grams include not only aviation man- agement, but also a distance learning MBA, MACC and MMIS programs, and a newly established undergradu- ate major in entrepreneurship and family business. The school also offers a Physicians Executive MBA for physicians who wish to pursue upper management positions in health care, and a customized MBA program for employees of Minneapolis-based Jostens Inc., a provider of class rings, yearbooks, and graduation products. Jahera notes that the College's role as a resource for the professional community is one of its central strengths and is something on which the school hopes to build. "We would like to increase the size of our doctoral program in management, as well as enhance our MBA pro- grams," he says. However, he adds that the school would like to decrease the size of its undergraduate class in future years to maintain the quality of the educational experience the College provides. "We're facing tremendous undergraduate demand," he says, "and plan to reduce our enrollment for next fall." Auburn University College of Business is accredited by AACSB International. ■ z