University Relations
April 25, 2008 Communique
UCCS College of Business receives Community Enhancement Award
The Colorado Springs Economic Development Corporation awarded its 2007 Community Enhancement Award to the UCCS College of Business this week.
The award recognizes people or organizations that contribute to the economic vitality of the greater Colorado Springs area.
“Under the guidance and leadership of Dean Venkat Reddy, the College of Business has launched several new initiatives to further connect the college to the greater business community,” Mike Kazmierski, president and CEO, Economic Development Corporation, said.
“This award is the result of a team effort,” said Reddy. “Our faculty, staff, alumni and the administration of the university have fully supported these innovative programs. By giving us this award, the community also gives us an obligation to continue improving our college.”
Kazmierski cited Reddy for creating and driving “a vision for the college and its role in enhancing the business climate for employers and in building bright futures for its students.” Kazmierski noted Reddy’s vigorous marketing of the college to the business community, and using successful alumni to drive the mission.
In reaching out to the community, the college has developed programs that respond to market forces and business needs. The Professional Golf Management program, accredited by the Professional Golfer’s Association of America, prepares students for careers in the golf industry.
The growing College of Business Alumni Association is organizing discussions between the faculty and local companies to learn how the college can better prepare graduates for the work force. The results will help shape the curriculum and auxiliary programs offered by the alumni association.
In November, the college’s Distance MBA program will celebrate 10 years of graduates. One of the earliest online MBA degrees available, the program is the oldest online MBA program accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the leading accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting.
In 2006, the College of Business, in partnership with the College of Engineering and Applied Science, launched the multi-disciplinary Bachelor of Innovation degree. The BI is the only degree of its kind in the country with a core curriculum in innovation and entrepreneurship classes offered by both colleges.
This fall, the college will introduce a Sport Management track to meet the needs of the $213 billion sports industry. The program will draw on the faculty of the College of Business, and will also take advantage of the Colorado Springs area’s rich sports culture, including the United States Olympic Committee, the national governing bodies of Olympic sports, and the many professional sports organizations located along the Front Range.
“We are in the business of building successful futures,” Reddy said. “By that, we mean ‘successful futures’ for our students, faculty, staff, alumni, university, and greater community.”
The College of Business graduates more than 350 students each year, with more than half remaining in the Colorado Springs area. More than 3,400 alumni live in the Pikes Peak region.
The College of Business enrolls 1,100 undergraduates and 450 MBA and Distance MBA students. The college is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, an organization that accredits less than 15 percent of business schools worldwide.