Richard C. Thompson, PhD
Dean, School of Business
To all Business Administration Students, Faculty, and Staff;
With most of North America and large parts of Europe experiencing record heat waves, the phrase, “dog days of summer” comes to mind, and with it, curiosity as to its origins. Most accounts include references to the star Sirius, the Dog Star, whose ascendancy each year coincides with summer’s hottest days in July and August. However, attributions differ. Use your favorite search engine and you will find that the expression is tied by some to ancient Egypt, and by others to ancient Rome. It’s good to keep discrepancies such as these in mind when you’re doing research on the WWW. Better to turn first to Jones e-global library® as an information resource. All of its contents have been screened for accuracy by professional librarians.
At any rate, we are definitely in the midst of the dog days, and many of you are busy enjoying the weather with your families and taking hard-earned, well-deserved vacations. This typically makes for a slow enrollment period at JIU, one we use to implement major changes and create our plans for the following year. Some changes you have already noticed, predominantly the introduction of a new student information system that is tightly integrated with our website. There are other changes coming along this summer for the rest of the website as well; stay tuned to the website and JIU BizBlog for news of these changes.
JIU School of Business
Last spring, the JIU Board of Directors approved the creation of the JIU School of Business, which integrated four, previously independent degree programs into one academic unit. Those programs are:
Bachelor of Arts in Business Communication
Bachelor of Business Administration
Master of Arts in Business Communication
Master of Business Administration
This merger will allow for greater efficiency in the management of our resources and bring an even stronger and more focused emphasis on the business and leadership education needs of our students and employers. For the near term, look for a number of improvements to the curriculum that further address your need for a personally meaningful and professionally oriented education. As we make these adjustments, we will communicate them to you through a special folder I will create in the JIU BizBlog. Moving into 2007 and beyond, look for more options for specializations within your degree program and the introduction of entirely new degree programs as well.
Enjoy your summer, but don’t let the heat fool you; fall is just around the corner, and now is the time to start thinking about your next courses. If you have questions about which courses are available, the BizBlog always has the current (2006 and 2007) schedules available. Your intrepid Academic Service Counselors—Andy King, Melissa Schwartz, and Trich Hemmersbach—are also here to assist you.
With regards,
Richard C. Thompson, PhD
Dean, School of Business
rthompson@international.edu