Welcome . . .

and thank you for your interest in Fort Hays State University. To be a top-notch business school, you have to start with talented, dedicated, and enthusiastic faculty. We at the College of Business and Leadership are fortunate to have had instructors like this for many years – knowledgeable, credible teachers who maintain their scholarly relevance and are truly interested in their students’ education, lives, and careers. Our faculty care about students—professionally, personally, and for a lifetime.

Next, you need innovative and progressive programs that meet the needs of both students and the business world. Programs at the College of Business and Leadership are outstanding, with high praise received for Financial Planning, where our student teams have been finalists for several years running; Accounting, where graduates are in high demand both locally and across the state; and Leadership Studies, who have received national recognition for their advanced curriculum and focus on civic involvement. We also have new programs in Customer Service, Quality Management, Human Resource Management, and E-Business for Entrepreneurs and Small Business, as well as programs that meet our students’ distance-education needs like the Virtual Bachelor of Business Administration in Management and the Master of Business Administration in Leadership, both available completely online. We constantly monitor our programs to ensure that our students’ educational needs are up to date in the ever-changing world of business.

You also need good students, and our students are among the best. College of Business and Leadership graduates are in strong demand with job placement rates over the past five years at or above 98%. Fort Hays State University students are well grounded in the liberal arts, and instructors in the College of Business and Leadership are very successful at instilling the business and leadership skills these students need to live up to their potential and to match their ambition. As our employers constantly tell us, graduates from the College of Business and Leadership not only hold their own when compared to other graduates, but often surpass other business school graduates in both performance and career advancement.

Then you need a supportive and technologically advanced setting that nurtures learning. Here at McCartney Hall, we are undergoing the final phases of a complete renovation to have a state-of-the-art facility that supports quality business education. All classrooms are fully mediated with the latest business software and instructional support systems. And Fort Hays State is transforming to a mobile computing environment where students will have wireless connectivity via personal laptop computers and pocket PCs. The College of Business and Leadership incorporates the very best of high-tech and high-touch.

Finally, you need strong relationships with the community, employers, and business leaders. The Dean’s Executive Advisory Council is comprised of 22 individuals who bring unique experience, independent judgment, an external perspective, and a desire to enhance the reputation of the College of Business and Leadership and Fort Hays State University. These executives possess a strong belief in and commitment to higher education and enthusiastic support for the College of Business and Leadership and Fort Hays State University; high standing within their communities and a wide network of contacts; the time, energy, and the willingness to be part of the our strategic team; and the necessary organizational skills and the ability to interact persuasively with others. Additionally, we are building student-centered relationships with employers with a record number of business students placed in internships over the last year. And our students are leading the way in community involvement with a high proportion of service-learning and civic-engagement class activities.

Clearly, the College of Business and Leadership has the recipe for greatness. And we never forget that student success is our business: Professionally. Personally. For a lifetime.

Steve Williams, Dean
Professor of Management
Contact Information:
Office: McCartney Hall 101
Office Phone: 785 628-5339
E-Mail: swilliams@fhsu.edu