Alumni, Friends, and Supporters of the College of Business:

As we close on the academic year, we reflect on a semester of innovation, celebration, and transition.

We started 2019 with a record-setting number of students enrolled at UCCS. The spring semester totaled 11,729 undergraduate and graduate students on campus. 1,636 of those students are enrolled in the College of Business. We are happy to witness the continued growth and expansion of our academic programs within the College and across UCCS.

Along with a growing student population, we continued to broaden our program offerings and opportunities. As of fall 2019, students will be able to pursue a business analytics minor. The business analytics minor will cover descriptive, predictive, and prescriptive analytics in hands-on, project-based courses. Business analytics is a high-demand skill for all business professionals in a modern workforce and we are delighted to offer this competency for our students.  

The ROAR program will also launch in fall 2019. R.O.A.R., an acronym for Relationships, Opportunities, Acumen, and Readiness, is a mandatory curriculum for all incoming College of Business students that will cover career exploration, preparation, interviews, and mentorship to ensure career readiness upon graduation. We are excited to supplement academic education with professional development to prepare a smooth transition from college to workforce.

Once our students enter their post-collegiate careers, they are welcome to join our new College of Business Young Alumni Association. The Young Alumni Association hosts events, social hours, professional development opportunities, and support for all business alumni that have graduated in the last 10 years. All UCCS alumni are invited to attend their kick-off event on June 20, 2019.

In March, we celebrated the second cohort of UCCS Mini-MBA graduates. Each participant presented their individual capstone project presentations at the program’s Final Event, and with a grand reveal, we announced the cohort’s combined financial impact of $1.8 million with their respective companies. This program exemplifies our passion for preparing motivated and driven working professionals for successful business careers and we are proud of their accomplishments.

In April, the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at UCCS held the inaugural Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium Summit at Western Colorado University. Each of the 10 participating Southern Colorado Higher Education Consortium schools were in attendance to focus on the topic, “Ethics in the Outdoor Industry.” UCCS continues to develop platforms for ethical discussion across industries and we are proud to be a catalyst for ethical conduct in Southern Colorado and beyond.

In May, the University of Colorado Board of Regents named Mark Kennedy the 23rd president of the CU System. As stated by Chancellor Reddy, “We are now committed to sharing our priorities and values with him in greater detail as he begins his work for CU.” Read the full statement here.

May is a time to recognize the hard work and perseverance of our graduates. We are fortunate to be a part of their journey and graduation was a wonderful opportunity to commemorate their achievements. Please join me in congratulating the Class of 2019 as they embark on a new chapter in their lives.

As the Class of 2019 begins their professional careers, we also take time to recognize a lifetime of career achievements. This Friday, the College of Business will honor Lifetime Entrepreneurship Award winner James C. Berger at the 11th Annual Luncheon, titled, "A Celebration of Entrepreneurship." As we move into the second decade of this longstanding Colorado Springs tradition, we are excited to introduce a new award, the Next Generation Entrepreneur Award, to Hannah Parsons. Read about the honorees here. 

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.

My very best,

Stephen P. Ferris

Dean, College of Business