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CSUF_BizEd2012.pdf 1 7/25/12 4:06 PM That's how Richard Davis describes Mihaylo Richard K. Davis '83 "Forward-thinking and future-focused." C M Y CM MY CY CMY K Mihaylo College of Business and Economics at Cal State Fullerton is the largest accredited business school on the West Coast, and our alumni are the driving force of business in the region. Our highly ranked MBA programs – full-time, flexible and MBA for working professionals – prepare graduates for careers around the world. Learn more at mba.fullerton.edu. Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer U.S. Bancorp Ready to work. Ready to lead. ® critical thinking, political science, technology, history, and oral and written communication are just as important for our future leaders as the business disciplines. After all, how much finance or management can we really teach a 21-year-old? We certainly must give our undergraduates a founda- tion in the core disciplines, but we have to send them out in the world to really get their hands dirty. At the Haub School, half of our undergraduate curriculum—60 cred- its or more—is devoted to liberal arts subjects such as philosophy, his- tory, and science. Of the 40 courses our students take to graduate, only 16 are required business courses. Employers value the fact that our graduates have a broader view of the world, can think on their feet, write effectively, and understand the nuances of complex topics. At business schools, our job is not to produce well-oiled "busino- crats" who see the world in black- and-white, through the prism of business principles alone. Rather, we should graduate well-rounded professionals who know the world and its contexts, as well as the basic business disciplines. Practice What We Preach AACSB's recent initiatives are an acknowledgement that, to meet the challenges of the increasingly dynamic global environment, its members must practice what they preach when it comes to continu- ous improvement. We must make the necessary changes to ensure that the association maintains its relevance and supports qual- ity business programs worldwide. As I've indicated, that may mean designing more flexible PhD for- mats, embracing more liberal undergraduate curricula, and creat- ing more paths to achievement for schools in developing nations. In other words, it may mean something too many of us fear: change. But let's face it. We need more passion for change in our industry—not change for change's sake, but change that truly reflects the direction of the global market. When I become too set in my ways, a senior faculty member at my institution likes to remind me of this crucial point: "Academics like to change the world—just not their world." As we forge ahead, we need to be mindful that we must change our world if we want to change the world. It's the right thing to do, and the right time to do it! The fear of change is our biggest threat. Joseph DiAngelo is dean of the Erivan K. Haub School of Business at Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He will chair the AACSB International's Board of Directors for the 2012–2013 academic year. BizEd September/October 2012 53