This semester marks the start of my sixth year as the dean of the College of Business at New Mexico State University. It has been a privilege to lead this college and advance its mission to transform lives by providing highly respected programs, instruction and scholarly activities that drive economic, social, educational and community development for New Mexico’s diverse population.
Student success remains at the core of our mission. One of my top priorities since joining the College of Business in 2014 has been to improve the social mobility of students who pursue degrees in our college. To achieve this and further our mission of transforming the lives of our students, we have implemented several initiatives that engage in our primary areas of interest: recruiting, retaining, educating, graduating and placing our current and future students.
Part of ensuring student success means engaging with students before they enter college. For the past two years, the College of Business has hosted a summer camp for high school students in partnership with the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative that offers a firsthand college experience and delivers an introduction to the concepts of principle-based ethics in a business context. As of this year, 80 high school students have participated in the camp and a related competition.
Over my time as dean, the College of Business has worked to maintain and expand many of our student-centered programs that have gained regional and national recognition. These programs include PGA Golf Management, Insurance, and Doctor of Economic Development, which is the first program of its kind in the United States and provides advanced-applied training for economic development professionals, some of whom has gone on to become city managers, state leaders and professors after graduating from the program.
At the same time, we have also established a popular entrepreneurship minor program that has enabled the College of Business to engage with students from all over the university. We are in the process of creating a new bachelor’s program in energy economics, which will give students a practical understanding of the oil and gas industry and prepares them for jobs in this booming industry.
As I look toward the future, we will work to maintain the rigorous accreditation standards required by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the premier accrediting agency and service organization for business schools worldwide, and align the college’s mission with that of the university’s strategic plan, NMSU LEADS 2025.
I welcome you to our college. Whether you are looking for a place to start your business education or pursue a graduate degree, the College of Business at NMSU offers you unique opportunities for business discovery.
James J. Hoffman
Dean, College of Business
