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35 BizEd September/October 2014 corporations are using innova- tion and technology to become more sustainable. A program called Redevelopment in Haiti and Dominican Republic explores how universities, government, and industry in those countries are rebuilding businesses with an emphasis on innovative industries. Encouraging Engagement Schools, students, and society all benefit from professors' research, consulting, and service projects. So what can school administrators do to promote more faculty engage- ment? Respondents to the Business Practices Council survey had these three suggestions: ■ Provide time. For example, at the University of Mannheim Business School in Germany, professors are allowed to dedicate one day a week to consulting and research projects. In fact, that's true across the nation because Germany's Framework Act for Higher Education defines "knowledge transfer" as a main pur- pose of German universities. Sabbaticals also give faculty time to connect with organizations and individuals. At the University of Baltimore, strategy and international business professor Christine Nielsen headed to the Philippines to estab- lish the nonprofit NEW Pathways to Enterprise, which is devoted to social enterprises; she also launched IdeaShops, which awards business supplies to startups. Tigineh Mersha, chair of the department of manage- ment and international business, took a sabbatical in Ethiopia that resulted in an article about nurturing entrepreneurs in Africa. At the McCoy College of Busi- ness Administration, tenured faculty with at least six years of experience can apply for faculty development leave—for one semester, if they take a full sabbatical, or for an entire year if they work half-time. While faculty can use the leave to pursue a variety of activities, most use it to work on special projects for business organi- zations. For example, one accounting professor used his leave to consult with Ernst & Young at its training facilities in Bangalore, India. The McCoy College also uses an externship program to make sure faculty are engaged with business. During the 2012–2013 academic year, five faculty members applied for externships. ■ Provide funding. Sometimes what faculty need to engage with the community isn't time, but money. The McCoy College Devel- opment Foundation distributes approximately US$80,000 each year to support faculty develop- ment activities, and faculty submit competitive proposals for awards. Activities range from acquiring software skills to attending work- shops on improving teaching effec- tiveness to spending time collabo- rating with business organizations on specific projects. Sometimes the money is best used to fund travel that allows pro- fessors to attend conferences, col- laborate on scholarship, act as visit- ing faculty, host exchange students, or participate in other activities that will enhance the institution or aid its student recruitment efforts. At Frostburg State University, the College of Business offers a program that sponsors interna- tional travel. Over the last three years, at least one-third of the faculty and administration have been sponsored in their travels to China, Taiwan, India, Peru, Ecua- dor, Hungary, Oman, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The trips have resulted in partnerships with institutions in China, Taiwan, and France; they also have led to a new offering in international hospitality that allows students to spend sub- stantial time in Taiwan. ■ Assess the results. The Uni- versity of Mannheim regularly measures faculty engagement with the corporate community, evaluat- ing the number of applied research projects, number of publications for practitioners, and number of workshops held for companies. The school also considers the num- ber of professors who serve on company or governmental boards. School officials believe such activi- ties promote professors' interaction with the management community and ensure that the school's pro- grams have practical relevance. Win-Win-Win Whether they're focusing on research, service, outreach, or con- sulting, faculty have many oppor- tunities to interact with business leaders, government representa- tives, and other academics. When such activities are facilitated by the university, the school's visibil- ity is heightened, the classroom is enriched, the surrounding business community is strengthened, and everybody wins. AACSB is continuing to solicit input from schools about how their faculty are engaging with the wider community and bringing those experiences back to the classroom. Send detailed examples to Bob Reid, AACSB's executive vice presi- dent and chief accreditation officer, at bob@aacsb.edu.