Annual Report
2023-2024
Highlights and key strategic plan updates from the academic year.
Introduction
The 2023-2024 academic year has been a memorable one, filled with innovative curricula and programmatic advancements and for the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology (CoBT).
We strive to lead by example providing business and technology education for the public good. Our faculty, staff, alums, and supporters have had an incredible impact on our students’ learning and it has not gone unnoticed. As you will read here, the achievements from the year reflect a commitment from countless teacher-scholars, staff, and industry experts who make a difference each day ensuring student success. This is showcased by our U.S. News & World Report rankings, our investments from administrative leadership and supporters, as well as the opportunities for students to engage in transformative, high impact practices inside and outside of the classroom.
This has been an exceptional year of progress and collaboration. From continued enrollment growth to the creation of new programs and organizations, we remain laser focused on advancing workforce readiness in the region and beyond. As such, the college continues to be a leader in business and technology education in the public liberal arts.
STRATEGIC PLAN OVERVIEW: LIGH A PATH FOR OUR FUTURE
Vision & mission
Strategic plan updates
FOCUS ON ACADEMIC INNOVATIO
Develop and implement a BS in finance
Expand and enrich high impact practice
Grow and sustain graduate enrollments 4
Ensure technology currency across acad disciplines
CONTRIBUTE TO SOCIETAL IMPACT
Develop partnerships with large employ
Design and implement a Center for Inno Driver growth in diversity, equity, and inc
LIGHTINGAPATHFOR OURFUTURE
BUSINESS & TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD.
Key Initiatives:
Develop and implement a BS in Finance
Expand and enrich high impact practices
Ensure technology currency across academic disciplines
Grow and sustain graduate enrollments
Key Initiatives:
Develop partnerships with large employers
Design and implement a Center for Innovation
Driver growth in diversity, equity, and inclusion
Academic innovation reflects both responsiveness to demand in the market and relevance to broader societal needs. A business education, as fully integrated with the public liberal arts, sets the environment for transformative listening, learning, and leveraging
We foster collaborative engagement and meaningful stakeholder connections
Our goal is positive and measurable societal impact for our various constituents including students, faculty, staff, local organizations, entrepreneurs, and regional employers.
The J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology aspires to be the preeminent business school among public liberal arts colleges and universities by delivering innovative programs of excellence.
Vision Mission
The mission of the J. Whitney Bunting College of Business & Technology is to develop agile business professionals and socially responsible citizen leaders who embrace intellectual inquiry through critical and analytical thinking, quantitative reasoning, technical competence, and effective communication, while building upon the attributes of a public liberal arts education.
Strategic Plan Updates
Milestones in academic innovation and positive societal impact
The strategic plan for the College of Business & Technology continues to guide our efforts in the areas of academic innovation and positive societal impact
This year, we saw the growth of our finance major, implementation of Bloomberg Terminals, the creation of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) lab, student excellence in competitions and research, and the expansion of employer education partnerships Leadership from across the CoBT contributed to the development of a student managed investment committee, grew the GC Bizcast podcast, and lended their expertise to international news publications on current events Not only this, but we made tremendous progress in our societal impact plan goals, advancing scholarship through workshops and collaborations with local minority-owned businesses. Our students, faculty, and staff continue to propel the CoBT forward as we follow the guiding light of our strategic plan
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation BS in Finance
Develop and implement a BS in finance
The finance major has successfully taken off since its inception in 2021. Two new faculty lines were created to meet the demand and the Bloomberg Terminals provide students with hands-on learning opportunities.
Monitoring growth & enrollment
The Bunting College of Business & Technology currently has 200+ finance majors. Finance is the fastest-growing major in GCSU history.
Committee
The Georgia College & State University Foundation allocated $100,000 to the GCSU Student Managed Investments Committee. The student group completes internal analysis and pitch ideas for investing their fund to Georgia College’s Foundation Board of Trustees and the their Finance and Investment Committee.
“We are proud to make an investment in these students that results in giving them workforce skills in a competitive market,” said Foundation Board Chair Jeff
A student initiative from the beginning – the club enlisted the help of Dr. Brent Evans, associate professor of economics and Dr. Eric Kobbe, lecturer of management information systems.
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation High Impact Practices
Expand and enrich high impact practices
GCJourneys
Collaborating with the award-winning GC Journeys program, the CoBT prioritizes growth in high impact practices (HIPs). Emphasis is on student professional development, engagement with practice, and global experience to include first yearseminars, capstone projects, undergraduate research mentoring, internships, career milestones, and study abroad.
HIPs contribute to positive outcomes such as higher student engagement with practice and community, career placements, a sense of belonging, greater interaction with faculty, and gains in critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills. Through partnerships with various offices on campus, along with employers and practitioners in the field, the CoBT devotes resources to encourage creative, intentional ways of sustaining and building transformative experiences
GCColumnSociety
The GC Column Society connects students with professionals and alumni. Since 2022, the Column Society has provided monthly programming on topics such as personal finance, attitudes, workplace professionalism, and changes in the business environment.
In Fall 2023, the CoBT Journeys Fellow, Dr. Mohammad Jizi, discussed the potential of aligning the talks with the strategic plan of the college The CoBT welcomed the idea and agreed on the suggested theme “Leadership for the public good”. Our objective is to develop the spirit of doing well by doing good.
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation
High Impact Practices
Community-based engaged learning
Undergraduate and graduate accounting students, led by accounting faculty Scott Burns, offered the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA) This partnership with the United Way provided free tax return preparation services and gave students realworld experience. Students provided 162 service hours
ServiceLearning
Business ethics faculty rolled out service learning projects in the fall semester, resulting in 2,880 total hours volunteered by collaborating with local non-profits and organizations in the region. VolunteerIncomeTaxAssistanceProgram
$78,536:EconomicImpactofCommunity-BasedEngagedLearning. Students volunteered 2,880 hours to 27 organizations through community-based engagedlearning
KnowledgeBeforeCollege
This initiative, suggested by GC Journeys Fellow Dr. Jizi, raises awareness among high school students on business-related subjects. Two management information systems students led a cybersecurity awareness course under the supervision of faculty member Brad Fowler and presented it to the High Achievers Program.
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation High Impact Practices Scholarship & competitions
TeachingInnovationGrants
Jessie Folk, Senior Economics Lecturer, was awarded a grant proposal for designing a GC2Y course on Cakeconomics. This course addresses history, international, economics developmental economics, and behavioral economics by taking on topics including scarcity, food insecurity, inflation, and comparative economic systems.
The Venture Capital Challenge had multiple contestants and $700 in prizes. Judges joined from the community and various GCSU CoBT boards. These judges provided a wealth of real-world experience to contestants.
The Bobcat Business Builder Bootcamp provides a place for students take the first steps to making their dreams of owning a business one day into reality. They discussed business plans, investor pitches, and heard from renowned faculty members including Dr. Ward Risvold.
BobcatBusinessBuilderBootcamp
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation High Impact Practices Career planning Guestspeakers
The Bunting College of Business & Technology hosted special guest speakers through classroom visits and student organizations The speakers and events covered many important topics: branding, sales, internship opportunities, interviewing, resume writing, graduate school, company opportunities, or the speakers' industry experiences.
Additional speakers included:
Richard King, the CEO and Founder of “Good Measures”
Doug & Frank Pendergast, owners/operators of Green’s Farmhouse Restaurant, Doug is a Harvard MBA graduate and former CEO of Krystal’s and Quiznos
Josh Sprayberry, Founder, Owner, and Chief Operation Officer, Anchors Marina
Erin Andrews, Founder of Marketing Georgia
Denny Walton, Director of Innovation at Coca-Cola North America
Retired Senior Director, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA)
Founders, Slumberpods
GregLane
DenisMandich CTO, QRYPT
LouChilds&KatyMallory
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation
High Impact Practices
Student engagement
Clubs & Organizations
Association of Computing Machinery
Dean’s Student Advisory Board
Delta Sigma Pi
Economics Club
GC Entrepreneurs
Georgia College Game Creators
Georgia College Women in Technology
Marketing and Advertising Club
Student Managed Investment Committee
Finance Club
MIS Explorers
GC Bizcast
Honor Societies
Beta Alpha Psi
Beta Gamma Sigma
Omicron Delta Epsilon
Upsilon Pi Epsilon
Hands-on Learning
Study Abroad
Internships & Career Fairs
Etiquette Dinner
Research Day & Conferences
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Lab
Bobcat Trading Room
Bobcat Business Builder Bootcamp
Elevator Pitch Competition
Venture Capital Competition
Student Leadership Tour
Grace Hopper Celebration
Global Scaling Competition
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation
High Impact Practices
Student professional development
Participant involvement numbers
GraceHopper
AccountingCareerFair StudentAthletes
Leadership&GEM
ITABSpeedNetworking
StudyAbroad
EtiquetteDinner
Accountingmajorscompleted50internshipsin2023-2024.
17 students completed mentored undergraduate research in economicsandfinance.
1,400studentsparticipatedintheElevatorPItchCompetitions.
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation High Impact Practices
Student leadership tour
Nominated by faculty members, 10 high-achieving students represent disciplines across the college to businesses, alumni, and government leaders throughout Georgia
The trip was facilitated by Professor Jehan El-Jourbagy and supported by GC Journeys
Some of the highlights included:
Milledgeville-Baldwin County Chamber of Commerce
Blackbird Coffee
Fouts Bros
Hyundai Economic Development Project
BioScience Training Center in Stanton Springs
Corcoran Austin Hill Realty
Gulfstream Aerospace
Motorcar Studio
Mercedes-Benz USA VPC
Jekyll Island Authority
Kings Bay Naval Base
Superior Court Judge Bert Guy
Nichols, Cauley & Associates
The Springer Opera House
Aflac
Skip Henderson, Mayor of Columbus
Chick-fil-A
Georgia Department of Economic Development
Wipfli
Aprio
The Roessing Firm
“I learned about how many career paths there are in Georgia, how many opportunities there are, and the importance of networking!”
- Aaliyah Turman, MIS major from Austell, Georgia.
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation High Impact Practices
Global engagement & study abroad
StudentsexploredNewZealand,Netherlands,Germany,England,Scotland,Italy,and FranceaidedbyscholarshipsfromtheDean’sExcellenceFund,AcademicAffairs HeritageFund,HalleFoundation,andothers
CorporateSustainability:NewZealand
Students met with industry leaders and nonprofit professionals to learn about corporate sustainability and leadership on the North Island of New Zealand Students met representatives from the New Zealand Green Building Council, Air New Zealand, Wright Communications and the Sustainable Business Network
Professor Jehan El-Jourbagy also coordinated cultural
king:Münster
ware used in ustomer ent, supply d the creation visiting the uarters, they how analytics ed for business mer relations tics, to HR Dr Professor s trip where nternational jects They , Germany, nds, and Paris,
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation Technology Currency
Ensure technology currency across academic disciplines
Inventoried all CoBT courses, undergraduate and graduate, to list each technology used and the depth covered.
Launched Technology Currency Website: https://www gcsu edu/business/technology-currency
Updated course name of BCOM 2285 to Professional Writing & AI
Prompting- In the rapidly evolving landscape of professional writing, harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a luxury but a necessity. This innovative course combines cutting-edge technology with strategic writing. Students will develop skills needed to navigate the intricate world of writing using Generative AI in an ethically sound manner with a special focus on crafting essential professional documents, designing compelling presentations, and leveraging generative AI tools for enhanced productivity and critical thinking.
Strategic Initiative 1: Academic Innovation
Graduate Enrollment
Grow and sustain graduate enrollments
Double Bobcats is a path allowing dual enrollment at the graduate level. The Master of Management Information Systems porgram participated in 23-24 with:
86% of eligible Double Bobcats Applied for Summer/Fall ’24
30 current undergraduate students in the Double Bobcat pathway
75% of Admitted Double Bobcats Enrolled in Courses for Summer/Fall ’24
The online Master’s Degree in Business (non-MBA) is second only to the University of Georgia statewide, and No. 43 on U.S. News & World Report’s overall list.
The Georgia College online MBA is No. 94 nationally and also second in Georgia. Again, Georgia College was one of only two schools in the state to rank in the top 100 for online MBA programs
Strategic Initiative 2: Societal Impact Partnerships
Develop partnerships with large employers
The Bunting College of Business & Technology signed an agreement with Fouts Bros that will provide opportunities for student mentorship, internships, faculty externships, and networking This partnership will help increase workforce development and readiness in the region
In addition:
Business faculty will act as consultants, helping Fouts Bros address research challenges.
Students from a variety of disciplines will participate in teams from majors, like marketing, finance, business technology, and management information systems. They will collaborate with Fouts Bros staff on existing and emerging ventures. These project-based learning opportunities will be supervised by faculty experts.
Semester and summer internships at Fouts Bros will give juniors and seniors paid additional training while providing additional personnel for ongoing projects.
Fouts may also hire a lead intern through the university’s Double Bobcat Program to ensure smooth transfers of responsibilities
Fouts Bros leaders will facilitate a professional development workshop for students as part of our GC Column Society monthly series
Strategic Initiative 2: Societal Impact Partnerships
Develop partnerships with large employers
We hosted a day-long event with Robins Air Force Base, in addition to a lunch discussion to expand and build upon the existing MOU The Robins Air Force
Strategic Initiative 2: Societal Impact Partnerships
Develop partnerships with large employers
Minority-ownedbusinessesluncheon
We hosted a luncheon of more than five local minority-owned employers; while not large in scope and scale, the employers offered feedback on ways in which we could further support their contribution and impact in the community Businesses represented a wide array of companies including funeral homes, farms and agriculture, tech, and retail All businesses had different ways to engage with the CoBT
Strategic Initiative 2: Societal Impact Center
for Innovation
Develop and implement a Center for Innovation
DevelopLeadershipBoard
New members include Doug Pendergast (former Krystal Burger and Quiznos CEO and current local business owner), Deny Walton (Chief Innovation Officer at CocaCola), Pete Morison, (retired owner and executive of Gerber Metals), Melanie Cook (local entrepreneur), and Richard King, (entrepreneur of a diabetic food company working with General Mills).
Competitions&Events
The Center supports various undergraduate competitions including the Venture Capital Challenge, Bobcat Business Builder Bootcamp, and the New Mexico Anderson School of Management Scale-Up Competition, where GCSU students took first place.
Strategic Initiative 2: Societal Impact Center
for Innovation
Partnerships & collaboration
Communityengagement
The Center has engaged with the local Milledgeville-Baldwin County chamber and developed a series of networking events, “CREATE” for aspiring entrepreneurs. The Center directors gave presentations and offered resources to attendees.
Solartechnology&entrepreneurship
Partnerships included a Solar Education Academy - several cohorts of students joined via a partnership with the School of Continuing and Professional Studies. This program was heavily attended and highly marketed across the region
Minority Youth in Business Summer Camp 2024
Strategic Initiative 2: Societal Impact
Drive growth in diversity, equity, and inclusion
Women in technology
Womenintechnologydayhostedmultiplestudentsfromschoolsintheregionto learnaboutcomputersandSTEM-relatedactivities
Grace Hopper Celebration
The Grace Hopper Celebration, the AnitaB.org flagship event, brings research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront This event is the world’s largest gathering of women technologists, where women from around the world learn, network, and celebrate their achievements. This year, it accounted over 15,000 attendees and took place in Orlando Twenty five computer science majors, data science majors, and management information systems majors attended GHC this year.
Faculty Scholarship & Publications
Faculty Scholarship & Publications
