Businesses operating in todays global marketplace are looking for employees who are thinkers and problem solvers.
To underscore its emphasis on turning out dynamic leaders, the name of the business school at the University of Puget Sound has been changed to the School of Business and Leadership (SBL).
One reason for the change from School of Business and Public Administration, according to Paul Huo, director of the SBL, is that the school no longer offers courses in public administration.
More importantly, the business faculty wished to have a name that recognized both the importance of the acclaimed Business Leadership Program and the new interdisciplinary courses in leadership.
We plan to further expand the leadership concept to other tracks of business education in order to capitalize on the cross-disciplinary strengths of our liberal arts environment and on a field of study that has experienced a growing market demand in the past two decades, Huo said.
The new mission statement, drafted by the business faculty and approved by the Board of Trustees, reflects this idea:
The mission of the School of Business and Leadership at the University of Puget Sound is to provide our students with a unique and innovative business education that prepares them for success as leaders in a complex and dynamic global environment.
We seek to offer all graduates an edge in an increasingly competitive job market, Huo said. It is important to us to send a clear message to employers that we care about meeting their desire for high-quality employees who excel at teamwork, critical thinking, problem solving, and interpersonal communication – essential characteristics of 21st century leaders.
Huo added that SBL will continue to offer courses on a full spectrum of business subjects, and will continually revise the business curriculum in response to vital changes in the global business environment and shifting market demands.
Our new name, the School of Business and Leadership, is an outcome of our strategic repositioning that we are convinced will help guide our ongoing efforts to serve all students better, Huo said.
The University of Puget Sound is a 2,600-student, private, liberal arts college in Tacoma.
