Dean's Welcome

After 50 years, Stephen Dennis to take part in 2020 fall commencement as a Golden Grad

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to all who make the College of Business an incredible place to work, learn, and grow.

As shared in the presentation, Colorado Springs is well positioned to overcome today’s challenges and remain a strong and prosperous business community.

Earlier this month, we held an event with the Colorado Springs community to discuss the variety of opportunities to engage with the College of Business. Faculty, staff and administrators put together an excellent presentation to highlight student and career development, volunteer, philanthropic, professional development, ethical, and research opportunities available between the College and the community.

As Chancellor Reddy mentioned earlier this week, this is a historic fall semester at UCCS. But despite these trying times, I am confident that we will continue to provide a quality business education for our students.

We recently published the 2019-20 College of Business Annual Report, which details our accomplishments, programs and initiatives from this past year – many of which would not be possible without the support from our community partners and alumni.

I would like to reiterate my excitement for serving as the new dean of the College of Business. It is a pleasure to be joining you in Colorado Springs and I look forward to meeting many of you at our upcoming virtual events.

Last Friday, we participated in a historic celebration for the Class of 2020. Instead of adorning our academic regalia and gathering at the Broadmoor World Arena, we honored our graduating students in a Virtual Commencement ceremony.

We have also felt the overwhelming support from you, our alumni and community, and we are thankful for your compassion and understanding as we continue to navigate these uncertain times. However, our current challenges are not keeping the College of Business from moving forward.

The current circumstances of COVID-19 have undoubtedly impacted us all. Last night, Chancellor Venkat Reddy announced an extension of remote learning and remote work until the end of the Spring 2020 semester.

Starting next semester, we will introduce an undergraduate emphasis in cybersecurity management that may be pursued as either a Bachelor of Science in Business or as a Bachelor of Innovation in Business Administration degree. In addition, we will introduce two new Masters of Business Administration emphases in cybersecurity management and sport management.

As we begin a new year and a new semester, there is the familiar sense of possibility, growth, and transformation. In that spirit, many of us will resolve to make improvements in our personal and professional lives.

As we close on the year and prepare to celebrate the Class of 2019, we reflect on another exciting and innovative semester at UCCS.

We are delighted to announce that the UCCS PGA Golf Management program maintained their accreditation with the PGA of America following an on-campus evaluation on Oct. 24-25, 2019.

As Colorado Springs continues to grow and evolve, we hope to deliver the next generation of ethical and accomplished business professionals to help build our city to its full potential.

We are very fortunate to house the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS, which is a resource for principle-based ethics education that serves our students, educators, and business community across southern Colorado.

Fall 2019 is shaping up to be a fast-paced and exciting semester here on UCCS campus. We have several significant events in the upcoming weeks and we hope you can join us for some or all of these activities and celebrations. 

In the College of Business, we are committed to aligning our academic offerings with the desires of our student body to ensure each student has the opportunity to pursue their dream career.

Your experience and expertise serve as models of excellence for our students and we hope to keep you engaged with the college so that future generations of students will also benefit from your shared insights.

It has truly been an honor to serve as your dean this past year and I thank you all for the opportunity to lead the UCCS College of Business.

The final weeks of the Spring 2019 semester are to be of transition and celebration.

On June 30, 2019, I will be departing from my role as dean of the UCCS College of Business. It has been an honor to serve UCCS and the Colorado Springs community this past year.

This past week, I was able to attend the AACSB Deans Conference in Vancouver, Canada. The conference covered a variety of topics, with a thematic message of adaptation, open thinking, and innovation. I believe the UCCS College of Business can embody these themes to help deliver the future leaders of business.