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New dean stresses globalism and individualized business
education
Virginia Business
March
2005
Last
summer, Dr. Randy Boxx was named the dean of Shenandoah
University’s Harry F. Byrd Jr. School of Business.
The school is named for Winchester resident former Sen.
Harry F. Byrd Jr. whose ties to the city were forged
during his roles as newspaper publisher, businessman
and politician. Currently the business school serves
approximately 200 undergraduate business students and
60 graduate students through programs at its Winchester
and Leesburg campuses. Last month Dr. Boxx sat down
with Virginia Business to discuss his goals for the
business school.
What
brought you to Shenandoah University?
I first visited the campus about five years ago as a
consultant to the former dean — Stan Harrison.
At the time I was the dean of the Else School of Management
at Millsaps College in Jackson, Miss. Through the years
I kept in touch with Stan and President [James] Davis
and when Stan retired last year, the opportunity came
up and I applied.
Name:
Dr. W. Randy Boxx
Title: Dean of the Harry F. Byrd
Jr. School of Business, Shenandoah University
Birthplace: Mount Olive, Miss.
Education: Degrees from the University
of Southern Mississippi
Current residence: Winchester,
Va. |
What
is the mission of the business school?
Our mission statement is quite clear - to educate our
students to become successful, principled leaders with
a global perspective. And I would emphasize the global
perspective because in today’s business world,
that is fundamental. My vision for the school is to
be recognized as a provider of individualized business
education driven by entrepreneurial thinking, global
understanding and ethical practice.
How
is your mission accomplished?
The mission is carried out through our commitment to
a set of guiding principles and values. Our goal is
for the business school to become a valued center of
excellence in an environment of integrity and continuous
improvement.
How
does Shenandoah differentiate itself among Virginia’s
other institutions of higher learning?
Our Northern Virginia campus in Leesburg competes with
24 other colleges in the area offering business degree
programs. And our main campus in Winchester is competitive
with schools across the county. To grow enrollment we
have to offer something special. In my first few months
I spent time visiting with business leaders in Northern
Virginia and Winchester to understand their needs —
in terms of business graduates. Using their input, we
began to match our curriculum to the needs of the real
business world.
We have a simple philosophy here — create a superb
learning environment where students can succeed. Whether
they are attending our Winchester campus or our Leesburg
campus, we want them to have an outstanding educational
experience, exposed to contemporary curricula with a
strong emphasis on the global business environment.
Our students enjoy a 10-1 faculty ratio and have access
to many professional and cultural outlets, including
study-abroad programs, world-class guest lecturers,
competitions and internship programs. Our approach is
“What can we do for you?”
What
changes are in store for the business school?
Besides the new mission and vision statements, we are
excited about the facility we are planning that will
be the new home of the business school. The 40,000-square-foot
building will include computer facilities, conference
spaces, lounge areas, different classroom configurations
as well as offices for private conversations and open
spaces to provide a robust learning environment for
our students.
Future business success depends on students’ proficiency
in the use of information technology. Wherever students
and faculty are located, laptop and desktop computers
will be used to access application software, check e-mail,
retrieve and deliver assignments and access other Internet
resources. Multimedia presentation stations will be
available in all classrooms and hands-on computer experiences
will be built into courses.
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