E. J. Ourso College of Business Strategic Plan
Innovation. Opportunity. Impact.
We are turning our focus to what matters most — the opportunities our degree programs present and how to best prepare, connect, and support our students in their pursuit of these opportunities.
This plan represents a renewed focus on increasing the quality of our core responsibilities in teaching, research, and service. Ultimately, this plan is positioned to significantly improve the future of our students’ careers, the business enterprises they will lead, and the ability of our faculty to continue advancing scholarship in their respective fields. It is our blueprint for advancing an institution that will address the rapidly evolving challenges and opportunities faced by our region, state, nation, and the global economy — and in the process, become one of the most desirable and formidable business education experiences in the country.
Enriching the Student Learning Experience
The impact we have on our students is, by nature, the impact we have on the future of our community and the global economy.
We are redoubling our focus on professional readiness and post-graduate opportunity. Our students are the lifeblood of our institution — both the reason and the vehicle to drive progress. As such, there is no effort in service of improving our value to students that is not worth pursuing. Our plan centers on the development of opportunities to fund, nurture, and impart the knowledge and experience that will confidently launch our students into their careers. The impact we have on our students today also begins a lifelong cultivation of their loyalty to our college as a worthy investment of their ongoing time, talent, and treasure.
Objectives & Initiatives
Support curricular and co-curricular opportunities aligned with critical competencies necessary for short-term and long-term professional success.
- Develop a robust in-house assessment framework through the creation of an Assistant Dean for Institutional Effectiveness position which will have the responsibility for managing Assurance of Learning (AoL), faculty credentialing, strategic planning evaluation, and other continuous improvement efforts within the college
- Expand student support fund(s) to support and expand co-curricular learning opportunities
- Establish a graduate and undergraduate student mentoring program to enhance student career readiness
Ensure undergraduate and graduate students receive comprehensive academic and professional development support services necessary for the successful completion of our academic degree programs.
- Expand graduate student support services through the establishment of a Graduate Office of Business Student Success
- Strengthen undergraduate support services within the Office of Business Student Success
Support faculty and staff efforts to develop and offer innovative learning opportunities to business students.
- Expand instructional innovation through the establishment of a faculty support fund for pedagogical development
- Expand service-learning course offerings by working more closely with the Center for Community Engagement, Learning, & Leadership
- Expand undergraduate research opportunities by working more closely with the LSU Discover Undergraduate Research Program
Increasing Research Productivity and Expanding Interdisciplinary Collaboration
Our body of research will strengthen the university’s priorities, generating impactful and timely knowledge that is applicable to local business communities and beyond.
Our world-class faculty represent a wide range of academic and subject-matter experts. We seek to elevate the college’s expertise and research presence locally and nationally by expanding our scholarly activity and ensuring its relevance to business leaders and policymakers.
Objectives & Initiatives
Increase scholarly activity across the E. J. Ourso College of Business.
- Develop, fund, and allocate mid-career research support awards
- Establish a funded collaborative research initiative to identify and support efforts to engage academic partners both within the college and across campus
- Support efforts to establish an Applied Research Consortium to coordinate economic development and policy research across the campus
Increase research expenditures and funded research activity.
- Establish a funded collaborative research initiative to identify and support efforts to engage academic partners both within the college and across campus (e.g., collaborative research symposia, guest speakers, etc.)
Leverage the college’s collective research expertise to develop content that supports the university’s strategic priorities and is valuable and relevant to business leaders and policymakers.
- Encourage, develop, and promote content creation (e.g., webinars, symposiums, podcasts, lectures, professional reports) that addresses developing and enduring topics relevant to the business community and university (e.g., cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, healthcare/housing policy, energy transformation, supply chain management)
Expanding Support for Statewide Business, Industry, and Economic Development
Louisiana is our laboratory. We prepare our students to apply what they learn within our walls to strengthen our economy, innovate from within, steward our vast natural resources, and create shared prosperity and upward mobility for every corner of our state.
Our programs are rooted in building on Louisiana’s heritage and leadership in its key industries — oil, natural gas, energy, agriculture, entrepreneurship — while infusing the innovation necessary to ensure their sustainability. Our success in preparing our students and motivating them to stay in our market will have a measurable and transformative impact on Louisiana’s ability to capitalize on the constantly evolving global economy.
Objectives & Initiatives
Serve as a center of subject-matter expertise for business communities across the state.
- Expand the college’s marketing efforts and access points for business community members seeking subject-matter experts
- Encourage, develop, and promote content creation (e.g., webinars, symposiums, podcasts, lectures, professional reports) that addresses developing and enduring topics relevant to the business community
Serve as the learning provider of choice for future and current business leaders both regionally and nationally.
- Reposition the college’s curriculum portfolio as it relates to distinct learning communities, building awareness around key degree programs (e.g., Executive Education, PhD programs)
- Identify curriculum expansion opportunities where appropriate and feasible
Positively impact the national, state, and local economy through teaching, research, and outreach efforts.
- Build upon existing efforts to provide research and/or training expertise to members of the business community (e.g., Executive Education programs, Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Entrepreneurship Bootcamp, Louisiana Governor’s Fellows Program, Certified Public Manager Program)
Preparing our Graduates to Compete in a Global, International Economy
Diversity of thought and lived experience is essential to preparing our students for a leadership role in our global economy.
We are deeply committed to providing a platform for diverse perspectives and thought leadership from our students, faculty, and staff. This priority is designed to create a generation of intrepid visionaries who go out into the world and impart their learned experiences for the betterment of their communities.
Objectives & Initiatives
Take proactive steps to increase the diversity of students, faculty, and staff across the college.
- Develop a DEI strategic recruitment plan
- Establish a faculty diversity fund to support the direct recruitment of underrepresented faculty groups
- Create a Faculty DEI Coordinator position within the college to provide strategic guidance for DEI planning and programming efforts
Support a learning, teaching, and research environment that is inclusive and engaging of all communities within the college.
- More fully integrate DEI programming activities throughout academic departments
- Establish a DEI Distinguished Lecture Series
Take proactive steps to ensure our students are prepared to succeed in an increasingly diverse and global labor market.
- Establish a student study abroad support fund to increase the percentage of college students with international experience upon graduation
- Incorporate global perspectives into our curricular and co-curricular activities (e.g., joint symposia or learning opportunities with academic programs outside of the U.S.)
- Create a globalization coordinator position that facilitates international experiences and broader globalization efforts
Engage a diverse group of industry partners at the regional, national, and international levels that will enhance the overall academic experience for our students.
- Establish and grow partnerships with organizations that expand our range of diverse perspectives
- Establish a DEI Strategic Advisory Board and Internationalization Strategic Advisory Board
“ We set our sights on the future and dedicate ourselves to achieving excellence with impact. ”
Explore the Full Strategic Plan Our Mission & Vision