Gordon Ford College of Business

Dr. William Tallon, Dean
Dr. Robert A. Reber, Associate Dean

Grise Hall
Office 445, Phone: (270) 745-6311
e-mail: gfcb@wku.edu
web page: www.wku.edu/gfcb

The Gordon Ford College of Business traces its roots to the Bowling Green Business University, founded in 1884 as the Southern Normal School and Business College. In 1907, the Southern Normal School became Western Kentucky State Normal School, and the Bowling Green Business University began a long history of nationally noted programs. In June 1963, Western Kentucky University assumed the business programs of the Bowling Green Business University, and in 1964 the Bowling Green College of Commerce became a division of the University. The name was changed in 1972 to the Bowling Green College of Business and Public Affairs; and following department realignment in 1979, it became the Bowling Green College of Business Administration. To honor the generosity of Gordon B. Ford, the college was renamed the Gordon Ford College of Business in December of 1998, becoming the second named business school in Kentucky. All business programs offered by the College are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Mission
The mission of the Gordon Ford College of Business is to be a leader in providing high-quality and applied business academic programs to enhance the economic well-being of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and beyond. We do so through dedicated student-focused teaching, relevant and high impact research, and value adding outreach activity.

Gordon Ford College of Business programs focus upon:

• functional interdependence and the global environment of business
• values conducive to personal and professional career development
• development of critical-thinking and problem solving skills and knowledge needed for ethical decision-making
• knowledge and application of information systems and current technology
• effective listening, speaking and writing
• lifelong learning and quality improvement

In fulfilling the college and university missions, a highly qualified faculty emphasizes effective teaching and active student learning. Faculty demonstrate competency through continuous intellectual activity in business, applied or instructional research with relevant professional service activities and involvement with business, industry and government organizations.

Baccalaureate programs are designed to build upon a firm liberal arts education with professional theory and applications necessary for creative and rational decision-making in the business world. The Gordon Ford College of Business offers undergraduate majors in Accounting, Business Economics, Computer Information Systems, Economics, Finance, Management, and Marketing. The Master of Business Administration provides professional education for individuals seeking successful careers and executive leadership positions.

Advising for Gordon Ford College of Business Students
Gordon Ford College of Business students must receive advising until they gain admission to the college, earn 90 credit hours, and file an application for graduation. Advisors are available in the Undergraduate Advising Center (Grise Hall 453; 745-3290). The office provides academic advising and assistance with degree requirements. Advisors also provide information on study abroad, internship opportunities, and student/professional organizations.

Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation
Grise Hall 234
Under the direction of Dr. R. Wilburn Clouse, the Mattie Newman Ford Professor of Entrepreneurship, the CEI serves to assist in the delivery of undergraduate and graduate courses in entrepreneurship, new venture management, and economic growth and development. Specifically, the CEI is dedicated to:

• Provide training and consulting services to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners.
• Engage faculty from various disciplines across campus to conduct interdisciplinary research in entrepreneurship.
• Facilitate outreach and networking activities by engaging domestic and international entrepreneurs to promote an entrepreneurial culture in the region.
• Provide internship and part-time work opportunities for entrepreneurial students at WKU.
• Link the entrepreneurial community of South Central Kentucky and the region with WKU.
• Provide on- and off-site training and mentoring services to small business owners and their employees.

The CEI also serves as a home for the award-winning Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and the Small Business Institute® student organizations.

Gordon Ford College of Business Majors
In order to be admitted to the Gordon Ford College, students must have:

1. earned a minimum of 60 hours;
2. completed ACCT 200 and 201, CIS 141, ECON 202, 203, and 206, MATH 116 or higher, and COMM 161 with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the courses listed above; and
3. a minimum overall GPA of 2.5. Students with lower than a 2.5 grade point average will be allowed to take only those upper-division courses in the Gordon Ford College of Business they are repeating.
   

Undergraduate degree programs are not accepted by the college from students who entered WKU prior to the 2005 fall semester or students pursuing a second baccalaureate degree until the student has been formally admitted. Once a student has been admitted, he/she is encouraged to declare a major. Students receiving a baccalaureate degree in the Gordon Ford College of Business at Western Kentucky University must complete a minimum of one-half of the business curriculum in residence.

Enrollment Policy for Upper-Division Courses – In order to enroll in upper-division business courses, students must have a minimum of 60 earned hours and a 2.0 overall grade point average. Enrollment in upper-division business courses is limited to a maximum of 12 credit hours for students not admitted to one of the baccalaureate programs in the Gordon Ford College of Business. A complete set of regulations concerning enrollment in the Gordon Ford College is available in the Undergraduate Advising Center (Grise Hall 453).

Accounting Majors – Students interested in pursuing a major in Accounting must have a 2.5 GPA in ACCT 200 and 201, and must complete ACCT 200 and 201 with a grade of “C” or higher. Accounting students must also earn a grade of “C” or higher for any course serving as a prerequisite for any major required course.

Economics Majors – Economics majors pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree are not required to take ACCT 200 and 201.

Gordon Ford College of Business Minors – A student who is not pursuing a major in the college may enroll in upper-division courses leading to a minor in the college provided the student has earned a minimum of 60 semester hours.

Appeals and Requests for Exception – Requests for exception to the enrollment and/or admission policies for the Gordon Ford College must be submitted in writing to the Gordon Ford College of Business Admissions and Appeals Committee.

Registration – Under most circumstances, students are approved to register for upper-division courses in the college without making application. Eligible students who experience problems with registration should contact the Undergraduate Advising Center (Grise Hall 453).

Transfer Policies
Students pursuing a major in the Gordon Ford College of Business must earn a minimum of one-half of the major in residence at Western Kentucky University.

Students wishing to transfer to Western Kentucky University need to follow general education guidelines as listed in the catalog. This strategy should minimize the risk of losing credits toward graduation. Courses that are offered only at the upper-division level at Western Kentucky University should not normally be taken at other schools. Students are advised to consult the Western Kentucky University department chair of their major program or the Undergraduate Advising Center (Grise Hall 453) regarding the transferability of any upper-division course. Students who plan to enroll or who are presently enrolled in junior or community colleges who envision transferring to WKU to complete a baccalaureate degree in the Gordon Ford College of Business should follow a program of general education and prerequisite courses similar to the catalog requirements for freshmen and sophomores on the WKU campus. The Gordon Ford College is an active participant in the statewide transfer agreement for business programs for KCTCS students completing the A.A. or A.S. degrees. Students enrolled in the Kentucky Community and Technical College System (KCTCS) should contact their advisor for specific information on transferring courses to the Gordon Ford College of Business and Western Kentucky University.

Introductory courses in accounting (6 hours), economics (6 hours), statistics (3 hours) and an introductory computer course with microcomputer applications (3 hours) taken at accredited schools are readily transferable to Gordon Ford College of Business programs. Courses in linear mathematics (3 hours) and calculus (4 hours) are also generally transferable to Gordon Ford College of Business programs.

After a student has enrolled in the business program at Western Kentucky University, courses may be taken at another institution only with the prior, written permission of the department chair who administers the student’s major or minor program in business.

Minor in Business Administration
The business administration minor (reference number 332) provides a basic exposure to business for students whose majors are outside the Gordon Ford College of Business. It involves courses from each of the college departments and is administered through the Office of the Dean.

The minor requires 30 semester hours consisting of:

• ACCT 200
• ECON 202 or 203
• CIS 141
• MATH 116
• FIN 330
• MGT 210
• MKT 220
• 9 hours of upper-level business electives with at least two fields represented.

Credits for ECON 202 or 203 may be applied to Category C of the General Education requirements and credits for MATH 116 may be applied to Category D.  Students with a minor in business administration receive a 3-hour waiver in upper-division coursework.

If the student’s major program requires a computer course and/or a course in statistics, the advisor for the business administration minor should be consulted for possible adjustments in the program requirements.

The business administration minor is not available to business majors, but it is among the minor programs which are available to the student who is majoring in economics (Bachelor of Arts).

Minor in International Business
The international business minor (reference number 333) prepares students to be effective citizens and leaders in a global environment of growing economic interdependence among nations. The program is open to all qualified undergraduates who want to pursue professional positions in both small and large multinational firms.

The minor requires 33 semester hours. The curriculum consists of:

• 12 hours in foreign language courses with at least nine hours credit represented by one language;
• 9 hours from the following, with no more than one course from each set (a selection of courses with a coherent regional focus is recommended):
1. upper-level modern history;
2. an upper-level government course listed under “International Relations” or “Comparative Government and Politics (courses in the Kentucky Legislative Internship Program are excluded);
3. FREN 427 Francophone Culture; GERM 331 Business German; GERM 333 Germanic Civilization and Culture;  SPAN 331 Business Spanish; SPAN 372 Spanish American Civilization and Culture; SPAN 373 Spanish Civilization and Culture; GERM 433 Contemporary German; FREN 323 French Civilization and Culture; FREN 331 Business French.
• 9 hours from the following Gordon Ford College of Business courses: ECON 380 International Economics; ECON 385 Economic Development; ECON 386 Economies in Transition; FIN 436 International Finance; MKT 324 International Marketing; MGT 403 International Management. (Two fields must be represented.)
• 3 hours of approved elective. Strongly encouraged are courses offered through the Kentucky Institute for International Studies (KIIS) and the Cooperative Center for Study Abroad (through domestic or foreign firms approved for academic credit).

Curricula
The curricula in the Gordon Ford College of Business are rigorously structured and require students to satisfy prerequisites and major requirements in proper sequence. Basically, the freshman and sophomore years are used for courses in general education and for lower-division core or admission requirements. The junior year should be used to complete all remaining general education courses and the 300-level professional core courses. The senior year is used primarily to satisfy advanced course requirements in the major. Students pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree in accounting, business economics, computer information systems, finance, management, or marketing must follow this pattern. These majors are structured in such a way that no second major or minor is required. Business majors who are interested in completing a minor in the college should examine the departmental sections of the catalog for possible restrictions which may apply to them.

Students pursuing the Bachelor of Arts degree in economics have considerable flexibility in designing a degree program. These students are not required to satisfy the professional core. They should consult the department chair for prerequisites and sequencing requirements.

Curricula and courses of instruction are detailed in the departmental sections on the following pages. Students should carefully read the information provided by the departments before choosing a field of study. Any questions should be directed to the appropriate department chair. Although students may choose one program and later change to another one, such changes may extend the number of credit hours required for graduation.

The professional core provides a comprehensive business background as a basis in preparing students for imaginative and responsible leadership roles in business and society–domestic and world-wide. The core content responds to social, economic, and technological developments and reflects the application of evolving knowledge in economics and the behavioral and quantitative sciences. Completion of most of the core courses by the end of the junior year is essential as a foundation for advanced study during the senior year.

The professional core consists of 42 semester hours and is composed of the following courses:

• ACCT 200 and 201
• ECON 202, 203, and 206
• MGT 200, 210, 314 and 498 (or ENT 496)
• MGT 313, ECON 306, or ECON 307
• MKT 220
• FIN 330
• CIS 141 and 243

Most Bachelor of Science programs in the Gordon Ford College of Business are structured as shown below:

• General education courses 44 hours
• Professional core (Includes 6 general education hours) 42 hours
• Advanced major and elective courses 40 hours

TOTAL 120 hours

Suggested Program of Study