I trust that this first Dean’s Brief finds you and yours healthy and happy. I began serving as the new Dean of UM-Dearborn’s College of Business in January of this year. Every 100 days I hope to issue a Dean’s Brief (although this first one might not be so brief!) as a way to keep our faculty, staff, alumni, and friends updated about the College as well as my activities as Dean. Future Dean’s Briefs will focus on aspects of the College, such as faculty, staff, and student accomplishments, activities of alumni, happenings of the Dean’s Advisory Council, curriculum changes, and fundraising updates. I hope you will find this and the future Briefs informative and a good way to stay connected to the College.

I am honored to have been chosen as the 11^th Dean of the College of Business. Having served in a variety of positions since 2000 and as Interim Dean since April 2007, it is wonderful to be part of the College as it moves forward as a leader of our campus and our region. My background is a bit different than most business school deans, having come from a business background first, before joining academics. Less than seven percent of business school deans are women and less than five percent have significant business experience.

My first job out of college was as a second shift trim foreman making Pintos for Ford Motor Company and I spent the first two decades of my working life in the automotive industry with firms such as Ford and BorgWarner. During that time, I also co-founded and served as CEO of an international OEM automotive components firm that employed over 1100 in the U.S., Canada, Europe, and Asia. I hope that my experience in academics as well as business allows me to bring some unique perspectives to my role as Dean. Schatzel Bio click here.

Quick Update on College of Business

Earlier this spring, the College of Business was re-accredited by the International Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), a widely regarded measure of quality in business education. With less than seven percent of the world’s business schools accredited by AACSB International, this recognition confirms the College and its faculty are providing the highest quality learning environment and curricula to its students as well as responding to the needs of our region’s employers.

With an enrollment of over 1100 undergraduate and over 600 graduate students, the College of Business is now the second largest College and the largest graduate program on our campus. The College produces more business graduates, at the undergraduate and graduate level, who are Michigan residents than any other campus of the University of Michigan. Through our high quality and highly relevant degree programs, the College impacts Michigan’s GDP by serving as an important source of business talent for our State. It is a role we are committed to serving.

100 Re-Connections in 100 Days: Raising Friends and Raising Funds

A major responsibility of a business dean is to raise friends and funds for the College. By the end of 2008, I expect that over 40% of my time will be spent on these important activities. The College is lucky to have a very dedicated development group to work with, and a highly supportive group of alumni who opened many doors and hosted many events in the past months. I have been very busy meeting our alumni, business and community partners at their homes and in their businesses, and hosting events on campus. I want to thank everyone for taking the time to meet with me and for letting me share my vision for the College. My goal was to re-connect with 100 alums, business and community leaders of the College in 100 days. As of today, the count is 123!

For example, during a recent trip to Chicago, I was graciously hosted by Kim Lahti (CASL '84), Vice President, Global Treasury Management - Harris Trust and Savings Bank. Meeting in the corporate dining room of Harris Bank, many of our COB alumni joined me for lunch including Michael Sheffieck ('80), Gene Francis ('66), Paul Canchester ('80), Jennifer Provenzano ('00), Jeffrey Hoolsema ('05), and David Wejroch ('94). They shared their memories of the Dearborn campus and each emphasized how the College of Business prepared them well to be successful in their business careers. Additionally, Steven Tamaroglio (’05) organized a meeting with a wonderful group of alumni who are members of GOLD – the College’s alumni organization for Graduates of the Last Decade. These young alumni, now based and living in Chicago, included Stephen Aldrich, (’05), Adam LaPratt (’01), Jason Chess (’00), Adriana Kuropas (’02), Kelly Hatley (’00), Richard Firth (’95) and Cindy Diakow (’03). They all joined me for brunch and an enjoyable, honest conversation about life and living post - BBA.

In support of my continuing effort to strengthen ties between the College and the Michigan business community, Michael Porter (’75), Vice President of Corporate Communications - DTE Energy, has been most generous of his time and his business network. Michael has hosted me for meetings with several key members of Metro Detroit’s business community including Mary Kramer, Vice President/Publisher - Crain's Detroit Business; Clark Durant, CEO and Co-founder - Cornerstone Schools; Rich Homberg, President and General Manager - WTVS Detroit Public Television; Paul Hillegonds, Senior Vice President, Corporate Affairs - DTE Energy; Stephen Henderson, Deputy Editor of the Detroit Free Press Editorial Page and Sam Logan, Publisher, The Michigan Chronicle.

Also, Jerry Mollien (’71), VP of Corporate Tax for Masco Corporation, organized and hosted me at a gathering of over 40 Masco executives and College of Business alumni at Masco’s Headquarters in Taylor. Many other alumni and friends of the College including Carl Meyers (’79), Bryan Becker (‘69), Jim Giordano (’79), Terry McElroy (’76), Steve Economy (’65), Doug Krizanic (’81), Jim Vella (UDM, ’89) Lizabeth Ardisana (’84), Tony Mrocko (’85), Joe Dallacqua (’75), Kevin McKervey (’77), Gary Wagerson (’63), and Donald Strom (’78), have all cleared their very busy schedules to share their time and thoughts with me.

This past February, I hosted a very special event on campus, attended by over 120 alumni, faculty and staff, celebrating the University’s and the College of Business’s first endowed collegiate professorship, named in honor of Professor Richard Czarnecki, and its first recipient, Dr. Brian Green. It was an amazing evening for all who attended and honored these two distinguished and accomplished College of Business faculty.

Business schools with regional and national reputations need the dedicated financial support of alumni and friends to provide support for faculty excellence through initiatives such as the Richard E. Czarnecki Collegiate Professorship, student excellence through scholarships such as the Hartmann Family Entrepreneurship, and applied business research though centers such as iLabs, the College of Business’s Center for Innovation Research.

I look forward to working with all our alumni and friends in advancing our College and its programs to prominence. In the coming years, we hope to provide several important gifting opportunities for alumni and friends to partner with the School and build upon its remarkable strengths and enhance its fine reputation.

Representing the College

Another part of my role as Dean is to represent the College at university, community, and AASCB International events. Over the past 100 days, I have had the opportunity to represent the College at several events including:

2008 AACSB International Deans’ Conference
Serving as a session panelist at 2008 AACSB International’s Building B-Schools: Development and Communications Conference
2008 AACSB International Conference and Annual Meeting
Wayne County Executive Robert Ficano’s State of the County Address
“The Challenges of Empowering Education: Beyond Affirmative Action” – a forum featuring U-M President Mary Sue Coleman sponsored by The Michigan Journal
UM-Dearborn Reception Honoring the City of Dearborn
Honors Scholar and Faculty Awards
The College of Business’s 2008 Celebration of Success
The College of Business’s 2008 Internship Employers’ Recognition Breakfast

At each event, my key message points have been to introduce myself and to make the following observations:

The College of Business is thriving and poised to move to the next level.
We seek to have our degree programs nationally recognized as “Best in Class” for their excellence and relevance.
We are a driving force of change for Michigan’s economy through the efforts of our world class faculty, highly relevant degree programs, and applied research centers.

I’d like to offer my thanks and appreciation for your commitment to our College of Business. Your involvement and interest in all our efforts makes us a better college, now and in the future. College of Business alumni and friends serve this college in a thousand ways; through financial support, by hiring our students, participating in alumni events, and many more. But the most fundamental work you perform is as ambassadors, bringing word of this fine university and its College of Business to those that may not know it well.

I hope this and future Dean’s Briefs will help you become more involved and better informed of all of the changes shaping our College of Business for the future. For all you do, you have my thanks. There is much to be proud of and great things ahead.

Warm Regards,

Kim Schatzel, Dean
schatzel@umd.umich.edu

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