Campus Connection

A retirement reception for former CBA Dean Bruce May will be from 3-5 p.m. Wednesday, August 26 in Hall of Nations, Centennial Hall. The program will start at 3:30 p.m. In July 2012, May took over the CBA deanship after spending nine years as associate dean and two years as interim dean. He came to UWL with 10 years of teaching and international experience at the University of South Dakota. He brought a wealth of academic, business and leadership experience to the position, including teaching and leadership awards, business ownership, practice as a California business attorney and service as a U.S. Naval Flight Officer.

A dean’s last letter: It’s been a privilege to lead

In 2013, I stood in front of 300 educators from around the world in Washington, D.C. I was there to accept a national award for our college’s work in measuring and enhancing student learning. It was a proud moment and symbolic of the continued success of UWL’s College of Business Administration. Since I became CBA dean in July 2012, I’ve had the privilege to lead a college that’s steadily increased its reputation and visibility nationally. I passed that leadership role on to the new CBA Dean Laura Milner when I retired Aug. 1. The change in leadership allowed me time to reflect on what we’ve accomplished. I was in Washington, D.C., that day to accept the Award for Outstanding Institutional Practice in Student Learning Outcomes from the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). UWL was the second business school ever to receive the award, one of a series of stellar national recognitions to come. We were later listed among the top colleges in the nation for innovative assessment practices and featured prominently for our assessment practices in “BizEd,” a national business magazine. The college’s Small Business Development Center has also been recognized nationally and regionally for outreach. And the CBA sailed through reaccreditation by AACSB International in 2013, making it among the five percent of business schools worldwide to have met these rigorous quality standards. Over the years, the college has engaged a vibrant advisory board of directors, developed new programs, revised curriculum and launched a Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Because we know it takes great people to do great things like this, we’ve worked hard to hire impressive new faculty and staff from diverse backgrounds to fill vacancies and meet programming needs. They have made it possible for the college to increase program offerings while enhancing its regional and national reputation. Standing on the stage that day in Washington, D.C., two years ago, I was proud of our college. None of these accomplishments would have happened without great staff, faculty and students. Our people set an example for other business schools in how to prepare students to lead successful lives. Based on our record, the future of the college looks good. I look forward to watching the college continue to grow in quality and continue to help shape students’ lives. Best regards, Bruce