Online Moves Onward

Cindy Smith has retired after 16 years as Director of the Online MBA Program. Photo by Beth Wynn

By Joni Seitz

Online education at Mississippi State has grown impressively over the years. This fall, a business administration minor was added for non-business majors, and master’s degrees in public accountancy and taxation are in the works for the fall of 2021. Degree programs offered by the College of Business and MSU Online regularly appear in national rankings, and with 2020’s increased focus on digital learning, they are more in demand than ever. Here, we focus on a leader who built up one of our original and most successful online programs and on a more recent addition to the curriculum that has seen impressive growth in a short time.

Building a Landmark Program

Cindy Smith, Director of the online Master of Business Administration degree program for 16 years, helped propel one of Mississippi State’s flagship online programs into the future.

Its roots date to 1998, when MSU saw an opportunity to serve members of the U.S. Marine Corps in Japan who were seeking remote access to a quality MBA program. The University presented them with a viable plan for delivering course material through interactive video classrooms.

By 2005, the advancement of technology and the nationwide upward trend of online education allowed the program to go entirely online. Smith was hired that year as the full-time manager of the MBA online degree program, charged with growing it through recruitment and advising activities.

“We entered the market before there was a lot of competition,” recalls Smith. “We were very competitively priced, and a recognized brick and mortar school, so it didn’t take many years to grow to 300 students, representing 49 states and 12 or 13 countries.”

As more competitors entered the market, the program took another stride forward. ”We wanted to set ourselves apart and improve the quality of our program and our graduates,” shares Smith. “We made the decision to become much more selective in our admissions. This did have the immediate effect of dropping our enrollment numbers to about 50 percent of previous levels. But we also focused on improving best practices for online delivery, at a time when U.S. News & World Report was starting to rank online graduate programs. We were consistently ranked in the top 25 to 50 online MBA programs for many years [and are currently]. This helped us recruit students and maintain steady growth again.”

The events of 2020 have led to a significant leap in enrollment, with the fall semester surpassing 400.

Smith says students are drawn to the program because they know they will receive the same quality education from experienced faculty members online as they would on campus.

“In addition, the online MBA is not set up as a cohort, which allows our students to begin their studies any semester that suits their schedule,” she remarks. “They are mostly adult learners with families and other commitments, making this flexibility extremely important to our ability to serve them well.”

Smith’s efforts and availability have made an impact on many, the world over.

“Cindy was extremely helpful from admissions though graduation,” states alumnus Brandon Charters. “I think the key factor was that she understood pursuing a degree while continuing to meet the demands of the military wasn’t an easy task.”

Charters started the program as a U.S. Air Force lieutenant assigned to Columbus Air Force Base (CAFB). He held a bachelor’s degree in economics and wanted to explore an advanced degree to continue his professional development. At issue was the fact that he would certainly receive an assignment that would require him to leave the area before he had time to complete a traditional oncampus degree program.

After learning about MSU’s online MBA at the CAFB education office, Charters was introduced to Smith, who deftly guided him through the program information. Shortly after being admitted, he was reassigned to Kirtland AFB in Albuquerque, NM. He found the program was flexible enough to continue his education in a seamless manner. Charters completed his degree and left military service two years later.

“My experience in the Air Force, combined with the business skills I learned through MSU’s exceptional online MBA program, prepared me to speak the language of business,” says Charters. “That made a significant difference in my ability to secure employment in the private sector.”

“Brandon’s integrity and drive to succeed were apparent from the start,” shares Smith. “It has truly been a pleasure to be part of his journey. His future is bright.”

Students have always been a driving factor for Smith, who retired in July. Looking back on her years at the helm of the landmark program, she finds it difficult to say what was most rewarding.

“I enjoyed the challenge of growing the size of the program and improving the quality,” she says. “I am proud of the hard-working faculty who embraced online delivery of classes before the University had any experience with this, and before there was an infrastructure to support them. I admired the students who made sacrifices of time with friends and family - and of money - to complete their degrees while working full-time jobs.”

While her presence is missed, Cindy Smith’s influence will long be felt as her legacy lives on in the growing MSU Online MBA program.

Online BBA Takes Off

Launched in the fall of 2018, Mississippi State’s online Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree program has quickly become one of MSU’s most popular and flexible online degree programs. In the past academic year alone, the number of students doubled, and there are now more than 200 taking courses.

“The University’s name recognition and its reputation as a leader in online education are primary reasons for the online BBA’s early success,” explains Mark Jimerson, MSU Online’s Coordinator for College of Business Programs.

“We have the ability and the infrastructure to help students achieve their goals,” adds Chris Pilgrim, the College of Business’ Assistant Director of Online Learning. “One advantage to our program is that if students have transfer credits from past college work, we can apply up to 61 hours toward their degrees. We look at past coursework as a bridge to the degree a student is currently seeking.”

The online BBA is a professional, business based, comprehensive degree that can assist students’ growth into the fields of marketing, finance, management, branding, entrepreneurship, human resources and insurance. The online component provides participants the opportunity to complete their degrees on their own schedules and access courses and student support services from anywhere.

“Most of our students are raising families, working full time and juggling community commitments,” Jimerson says. “Many times, these are individuals who have taken a hiatus and are a bit afraid of getting back into the school groove. That’s why the flexibility and support we offer are so important.”

The online BBA has quickly become one of MSU’s most popular online programs.

Photo by Logan Kirkland

Dalton Spiers benefited from the flexibility of MSU’s online BBA, which enabled him to complete his bachelor’s degree in December 2019. Spiers works as an admissions and records specialist at Pearl River Community College and is following a career path in higher education.

“Many people wondered why I wanted a business degree if I plan to continue working in higher education,” he says. “My ultimate goal is to become an administrator and continue to work with students. The BBA allows me to take a business approach to education.”

Asked why he chose MSU’s online BBA program, Spiers replies that from his first request for information through to graduation he was made to feel like he mattered. He gives high marks to the MSU online community and describes it as close knit and student oriented.

“I was able to complete 100 percent of my degree online and feel like I did not miss anything,” he states. “I always felt like I was a part of the student body just like I would have as a traditional student.”

That inclusive experience comes in large part from interaction with an involved and responsive staff.

“From the moment a student expresses interest in our online BBA program, he or she is assigned a program coordinator,” says Pilgrim. “Program coordinators provide information, not only about the program, but also to address a student’s individual needs. Working with academic advisors, they help choose courses toward achieving a student’s personal career goals.”

Spiers has high marks for Jimerson, his program coordinator. He describes having a great deal of communication and guidance from him.

“Mark is the person I have to brag on!” Spiers shares. “He truly made my experience the best it possibly could be.”

Spiers had such a good experience, in fact, he immediately began pursuing the MSU online MBA.

“I enjoy engaging with passionate students like Dalton,” responds Jimerson. “It is important to take the opportunity to walk students through the online BBA experience – from their applications to submitting transcripts and applying for financial aid or scholarships. We work to support them so their entire experience as an MSU online student is a good one.”