The academic year began with two new deans leading HPU colleges that have close ties to the local business community: Business Administration and Communication. I will have more to say about Dr. Steven Combs, the new dean of Communication, in the next Kalamalama. This week I want to highlight some of the innovations brought to the College of Business Administration by its new dean, Dr. Charles Steilen.

At the undergraduate level, the College will be launching Business Administration Day in March as a way for first and second year students to become familiar with the global opportunities now available for those who are planning on a career in business or in some other type of organization. Topics will include the opportunities and challenges of starting their own businesses and how the new HPU Entrepreneurship Center can help them with their goals.

The Entrepreneurship Center is already helping students through the Business Plan Contest, which is intended to provide students from all disciplines the opportunity to use their creativity to develop new ideas. Students are coming up with new products and services, or they’re working with local businesses to develop either new products or new markets for existing products. Along these lines, the College is also partnering with the Career Services Center to identify more internship opportunities in the local business community.

At the graduate level, the Executive MBA program (EMBA) has recently been the focus of a very different approach to graduate business education. Participants in the program use their own companies to create case studies that have a personal connection to their lives. An important feature of the program is the way each course builds upon the prior one, so students can experience firsthand how their courses are integrated into a single program.

MBA students now have the opportunity to come together outside the classroom with the formation of the new MBA Club that will organize events and seminars designed to connect graduate students to the business community. I want to congratulate Dr. Steilen as well as his faculty and staff for coming up with innovative ways to bring the world of business to HPU and its students.