Mission

Vision

• Conducting nationally and internationally recognized research designed to increase understanding in selected areas of economics and legal studies in business;
• Providing high quality education in economics and legal studies in business to undergraduate and graduate students; and
• Providing service to the College of Business Administration, Oklahoma State University, our professions, and to local, state and national governments.

Core Values

Excellence -We seek excellence in all our endeavors, and we are committed to continuous improvement.

Intellectual Freedom – We believe in ethical and scholarly questioning in an environment that respects the rights of all to freely pursue knowledge.

Integrity – We are committed to the principles of truth and honesty, and we will be equitable, ethical, and professional.

Service – We believe that serving others is a noble and worthy endeavor.

Diversity – We respect others’ and value diversity of opinion, freedom of expression, and others ethnic and culture backgrounds.

Stewardship of Resources – We are dedicated to the efficient and effective use of resources. We accept the responsibility of the public’s trust and are accountable for our actions.

Collegiality – We embrace a culture of mutual respect, caring and positive interaction.

Goals, Critical Success Factors, Objectives, and Strategies

Goal One: Achieve high standards of scholarship and professional recognition.

Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):

• Average annual number of refereed journal articles of 10
• Average annual number of journal editorships of one
• Submit three proposals for extramurally funded research
• One conference paper presentation per year per faculty member
• Average number of professional organization officers of two

Objectives:

• Hire two new faculty members with expertise in macroeconomics/econometrics.
• Hire two new faculty members to complement other research areas of existing strength in the College of Business Administration.
• Adopt reduced teaching loads for faculty with successful research programs.
• Encourage faculty sabbaticals that focus on enhanced research productivity.
• Provide summer support for faculty research.
• Share indirect cost resources with individual faculty members engaged in funded research.
• Utilize merit pay program to reward faculty for research achievements.
• Provide research assistants for faculty actively engaged in research, including the summer months.
• Encourage faculty to engage in externally funded research.
• Share faculty salary savings to the department.
• Create an environment for the free flow and exchange of ideas.

• Provide space, administrative support, and travel funding for those who are selected for offices and/or editorial positions in professional organizations.
• Provide funding through departmental maintenance budgets for scholarly paper presentations at professional meetings.
• Encourage faculty to present papers at professional meetings.

Goal Two: Expand student-centered undergraduate program.

Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):

• 10 percent increase in economics majors
• 10 percent increase in general business majors
• 20 percent increase in undergraduate research
• 5 students annually admitted to graduate school or law school
• 10 percent increase in annual completion of honors degree
• Involve 10 percent more students in professional activities each year
• Increase the number of students participating in internships each year to 5
• Recognize and reward undergraduate instructional excellence
• Develop measurable learning outcomes for each degree
• Respond to annual assessment of undergraduate programs

Objectives:

• Conduct annual assessment of undergraduate programs.
• Develop desired learning outcomes and vehicles for assessment.
• Evaluate and respond to annual assessment.

• Encourage faculty to contact students interested in economics and general business.
• Invigorate undergraduate student associations.
• Provide superior undergraduate advising and counseling.
• Maintain contact with students who graduate from our programs.
• Advertise the availability of scholarships for our department’s majors.
• Work with university recruiters to inform potential students of our programs.
• Review and expand the number of upper division course offerings.

• Encourage faculty to work with students interested in educational extracurricular activities.
• Work with Career Services personnel to ensure that they are familiar with the background and skills of our students.

• Stress the importance of good undergraduate teaching.
• Enhance training for doctoral students with teaching responsibilities.
• Add new faculty to enrich our programs and reduce high student/teacher ratios.

Goal Three: Enhance graduate programs.

Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):

• Ph.D. applicant pool of 3 qualified candidates for every open position
• Ph.D. stipend equal to average in peer schools per year and the university providing additional full-tuition waivers
• Placement of half of academic Ph.D. graduates at research institutions
• Research presentations at professional conferences: At least one presentation made by one-quarter of the graduates from the doctoral program
• Research publications in refereed journals: At least one publication by one-quarter of the graduates of the doctoral programs

Objectives:

• Encourage faculty to recruit graduate students.
• Recognize the best graduate teaching associate.
• Increase Graduate Record Exam score of entering class to 1250.
• Encourage completion of Master’s degree with two years.
• Encourage completion of dissertation within five years of entering program.
• Use highly visible and quality research agendas to attract first-rate graduate students.
• Allocate teaching workload of students to enhance their performance in core doctoral courses.
• Stress importance of student professional development in the discipline.
• Involve students in independent and faculty sponsored research projects, leading to co-authored scholarship.
• Maintain appropriate balance between active research faculty and the number of doctoral students.

• Distribute doctoral student resumes to potential employers.
• Encourage doctoral students to publish.
• Work with the College of Business Administration Career Services to assist our department’s graduate students with career opportunities.

Goal Four: Creation of Center for Research on the Oklahoma economy.

Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):

• Use contract money to help fund director salary and support activities
• Assign to department doctoral students to the center
• Provide secretarial/administrative support to the center

Objectives:

• Use contract money to help fund director salary and support activities.
• Assign two department doctoral students to the center.
• Provide secretarial and administrative support to the center.

• Encourage department faculty to develop proposals for external funding related to center’s activities.
• Encourage the center director to seek sources of funding.

Goal Five: Enhance outreach.

Critical Success Factors (measures of the degree of success over the next 5 years):

• Publicize faculty and alumni leadership in state and regional agency activities
• Stakeholder recognition
• Increase annual communication with alumni
• 10 percent increase in positive media references
• 10 percent increase in executive education participation
• Economic incentives for faculty engaged in outreach and extension activities

Objectives:

• Provide faculty expertise to state and regional agencies.
• Invite representatives of state and regional agencies to department to meet with faculty to discuss areas of mutual interest and opportunity.

• Deliver professional development programs for high-level managers.
• Develop and deliver custom programs to Oklahoma organizations.
• Deliver public programs to increase workforce skills.
• Faculty consultancies.

• Communicate with key audiences.
• Assure consistent look for all of department media.