Dean's Message
 J. Patrick O'Brien
A fact of life of management education in an institution of higher education
is that accomplishments of the past have only fleeting value. For a business
school to be successful it must continuously improve; it must continually
adapt to changing market conditions.
It is my pleasure to report to you that the faculty, staff, and administration
of your College of Business Administration (CBA) are indeed engaged in
this process of continuous improvement. Some of the more important changes
that are being initiated in the college include the following:
- Two years ago the CBA faculty established an internship requirement
for all CBA undergraduates. The internship requirement becomes effective
for juniors in the fall of 2003. Internships have long been encouraged
in the college, but recent surveys of alumni make it clear that internship
experiences are so valuable that a student's educational experience
is incomplete without them. Internships allow students to close the
gap between theory and practice as they apply what they learn in
the classroom and hone their skills in the workplace and in. Companies
interested in Loyola internships are invited to contact the CBA for
information.
- This fall also marks the introduction of Loyola Lagniappe, the
college's executive mentoring program. Senior-level executives in
the New Orleans market are volunteering to mentor groups of 10 to
15 students each. These mentors will provide students "something
extra" beyond academics as they address practice, real-life issues
such as personal goal statement development, time management, financial
management, leadership, social interaction, and more.
- Commencing in the fall of 2003, all undergraduate international
business majors will be required to engage in an international experience
prior to graduation. This requirement can be satisfied by participation
in a semester exchange program, a study-abroad program, or an international
internship. The objective is to ensure that all international business
majors have an immersion experience in a different culture.
- In the fall of 2004, a new full-time MBA program will join the
college's 36-year-old part-time program. The part-time program provides
great flexibility to women and men who have family and career responsibilities.
But currently half of the students enrolled in our MBA program prefer
to pursue their degree on a full-time basis. To better accommodate
their needs we are initiating a full-time program with a structured
curriculum that emphasizes global issues and entrepreneurship, and
can be completed in just 16 months.
Many of the changes made in the college have been the result of your
suggestions. You, as alumni, continue to be an integral part of the Loyola
University New Orleans College of Business Administration family and
your opinions are highly valued. I encourage you to continue your support
and insights so that we can continue to be an integral part of the Loyola
business family and achieve our goal of being recognized as one of the
premiere business schools in the nation.
—J. Patrick O'Brien Dean
College of Business Administration
Campus Box 15
6363 St. Charles Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
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