The Gordon Ford College of Business is a leader in providing a high-quality, applied undergraduate business education while meeting the needs of the business community by offering select graduate programs.
It is composed of the Departments of Accounting, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing.
Under the leadership of a new Dean, Dr. William J. Tallon, the College has developed a new vision, mission statement, and core values, and a new strategic plan is being implemented.
Our Vision:
To be recognized as an indisputable top-25 public master’s level business education institution.
Our Mission:
To be a leader in providing high quality, applied undergraduate business education and select graduate programs that meet the needs of the business community.
Our Core Values:
We, the students, faculty, and staff of the Gordon Ford College of Business, value:
- the significance of relevant higher education and lifelong learning to the effective functioning of a modern global society;
- the necessity of revising educational experiences, methods, technologies, and delivery systems to meet the changing needs of students, business organizations, and society in general;
- the importance of fairness, honesty, integrity, trustworthiness, and ethical behavior in our actions, relationships, and in the performance of business activity;
- a respect and appreciation for diversity in our classrooms, workplace, associations, and relationships;
- the importance of continuous planning, assessment, and improvement to maintain currency, relevancy, and increasing levels of quality in our educational and operational processes.
Over the past year, a strategic planning council participated in focus group sessions and met monthly throughout the academic year to develop a bold new plan for the Gordon Ford College. Many sessions were held with students, alumni, faculty members, and business representatives to draft and approve a series of documents to be used to guide the College’s actions into the future. The College has momentum, and all stakeholders are excited about the new opportunities that lie ahead. All future College decisions and actions will be made considering the following strategic intent and objectives:
Strategic Intent
Our strategic intent is to make the Gordon Ford College of Business the school of choice for highly capable and motivated students from the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. We also intend to make the Gordon Ford College the workplace of choice for faculty and staff.
Strategic Objectives
- To recruit and retain high quality and diverse students and provide them with knowledge and experiences that will expand on their individual strengths and give them a competitive advantage in the global workplace and maximize their personal and professional advancement potential.
- To recruit and retain high quality and diverse faculty and staff and provide them with opportunities and resources to develop their knowledge and skills and maximize their career advancement potential.
- To provide a professional physical work environment with associated technology andresources that accommodate the effective delivery of knowledge and learning experiences and the performance of work activity in a setting that is efficient, effective, pleasant, and promotes a sense of community within the College.
- To promote a culture that recognizes and rewards the activities of students, faculty, staff, alumni, and business stakeholders that support and advance the mission of the College.
- To craft a comprehensive communications and marketing strategy that fosters high levels of communication both within and outside the College and promotes and elevates the image of the College to all stakeholders and peer institutions.
- To develop and maintain strong, enduring, and significant relationships with all internal stakeholders to support and advance the mission of the College.
- To develop, broaden, and strengthen significant relationships with external stakeholders with a focus on alumni, business, and governmental organizations to support and advance the mission of the College.
Currently, several action teams are working together on various action items to fulfill the College’s mission, strategic intent, and strategic objectives. The strategic initiatives that are currently being developed and implemented by action teams include a new business honors program, a business living and learning community for incoming freshmen, a global learning initiative to internationalize student experiences, a college communications and marketing initiative, and many others.
Campaign Priorities
The New Century of Spirit Campaign priorities of the Gordon Ford College also directly support the vision, strategic intent and strategic objectives. The Gordon Ford College of Business focuses not just on theory, but on the practice of good business. A student may listen to lectures and excel on examinations, but the best learning environment supplements this with hands-on experiences. Establishing centers at the Gordon Ford College will create real-world collaborative opportunities for students and faculty that capitalize on close partnerships with business organizations in the region.
With active participation from the business community, the Gordon Ford College can explore new initiatives regularly to meet the needs of the market. We are committed to creating an environment conducive to learning both inside and outside the classroom.
Center for Ethical Leadership and Corporate Responsibility – Never before has focusing on corporate responsibility and business ethics been more relevant than it is now. Restoring trust and confidence in the integrity of business is so critical with efforts aimed at encouraging ethical behavior. This center will steward and promote ethical leadership and corporate responsibility throughout the curriculum and integrated within college activities.
Center for Global Business and International Engagement – WKU strives to be known as a “leading American university with international reach,” and the Gordon Ford College recognizes the economy and prosperity of our country depends on the effectiveness of our engagement with the rest of the world. This center will provide the means to develop and promote courses and programs in global business as well as provide a home for the international internship, business study abroad, and foreign student exchange programs.
Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation – An initiative that began six years ago seeks to expand the work on entrepreneurship and innovation at the Gordon Ford College. By conducting research and integrating it into our educational programs, this center will contribute to both the advancement of knowledge and the practice of entrepreneurship.
Sales Excellence Institute – Dedicated to addressing the explosive growth in the sales function in the manufacturing and service industries, this center will strengthen the competitiveness and profitability of manufacturing, retail, hospitality, and tourism through service training and education. The institute will be the home of the new Center of Professional Selling and will provide a collaborative, comprehensive, and sustainable response to the education and training needs in this growing area.
Center for Financial Investment Management – World financial markets are becoming more and more complex, and the WKU Department of Finance is at the forefront of providing students the necessary tools and space to decipher this complexity. A trading room and laboratory will be available where students can study world financial markets and conduct actual investment plans and scenarios.
Center for Supply Chain Excellence – Companies that excel in supply-chain operations perform better in most financial measures of success. This center will promote courses and programs that support the efficient movement of goods, services, and information from initial origin to final consumer.
Financial Planning and Literacy Center – With a long investment horizon before them, it can be difficult for students to recognize the advantages of becoming financially literate at a young age. This education program will help young adults master important financial decisions and gain the necessary skills to select a financial advisor, diversify when investing, select mutual funds, and practice sound retirement planning.
Business Experiential Learning Center – Bridging the gap between academics and the business world, teams of students and faculty are partnered with businesses to apply their newly learned theories and frameworks to actual business problems. WKU believes learning occurs more effectively when teaching is combined with concrete “hands on” experiences. This center’s goal is to move students from the classroom into real businesses where they can tackle real-world business issues.
Business Career Services Center – Career planning should be undertaken on a regular basis throughout a student’s college experience to help prepare them for their future. With a Business Career Services Center located within the College, students will have easy access to the talent and resources needed to help prepare them for successful academic and professional careers.
MBA Resource Center – MBA students have special needs that must be considered by a successful business school. Unlike traditional undergraduate students, these students are often at different stages of their personal development and professional careers. MBA students need access to space, resources, and information that will help them network and effectively plan their MBA experience to maximize a successful return to the business world. This center will help students prepare for a successful career by sharing information, defining students’ interests and skills, providing appropriate professional contacts, and developing a unique brand they can market to prospective employers.