Welcome to the Business Journal Archives
Search for articles below, or continue to the all new BusinessJournalDaily.com now.
Search
Penn State Drops 'Administration' from Business College
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa -- The Smeal College of Business Administration at Penn State University is now known just as the Smeal College of Business, the word "administration" dropped from the name to better reflect the mission of business education, officials said.Last week the university's board of trustees approved the name change."We've recommended that the word administration be dropped from our name because it no longer reflects the essence of business education and leadership," said Judy Olian, dean of the college. "Business education is about pro-active leadership and in-depth analytical skills in the various business disciplines. The term administration is less apt today given the complexity of business practices and the competitiveness of business markets."The College of Business Administration at Penn State was founded in 1953, emerging out of the Department of Commerce and Finance in the College of the Liberal Arts. In 1990, the college was renamed for the late Mary Jean ('41) and Frank P. Smeal ('42), who made numerous contributions to Penn State in support of education and research in areas such as business, the liberal arts, and science.Today, the Smeal College of Business offers highly ranked undergraduate, master's and doctorate degrees to more than 5,500 students at all levels. Academic departments include accounting, finance, marketing, insurance and real estate, management, and supply chain and information systems. The college is also home to major research centers such as the Center for Supply Chain Research, the Institute for the Study of Business Markets, the eBusiness Research Center, the Farrell Center for Corporate Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Center for Global Business Studies, and the Center for the Management of Technological and Organizational Change. More than 60,000 students have graduated from the college during its 51-year history.Next summer, the Smeal College will move into a new 210,000 square-foot building designed. The board of trustees officially approved the $68 million project in March 2003, committing $39 million through the University's capital improvement funds. The drive to raise funds from outside sources currently stands at $22 million against the $29 million private fund-raising goal. "The new building will signal a new era for business education at the university," Olian said, "and it's appropriate that our name also change to reflect the changing demands of global business through leadership and practices.""