From the Halls of Austin Peay

Recently, I listened to a talk about "principled leadership." My understanding is this leadership style is doing what is right even if it doesn't feel good. The speaker went on to describe examples of individual profiles of courage. The stories talked of courage as the ability to fight natural tendencies - to run or fight vs stop and doing the principled action.

These powerful stories chronicled individual profiles in courage are revealing. They describe telling a person difficult facts while expressing concern for them. It’s the process of caring even when you are telling someone what they really do not want to hear. Principled leadership, the kind you own not just show, is the essence of the profile in courage. She talked about the single parent raising children, a profile in courage. The student taking care of an alcohol dependent mom or dad or a husband taking care of their Alzheimer afflicted spouse praying for one more lucid moment, or the solder’s spouse holding it together while they defend us all. These profiles in courage expose the principled leader. They are ordinary people striving to take care of those around them. They are leaders that see things as they could be and ought to be. They are optimistic, persistently optimistic leaders that choose to give of themselves, over and over. I see these profiles in courage, these leaders everyday walking the halls of the College of Business. Optimistic and principled, weary yet encouraged. What a privilege to be among them.

One last thing, I'm writing this to articulate the tough decision that leaders make every day... quietly, gently, and firmly. I'm convinced that some of the greatest leadership is never observed just done. In the home, in school, or in the workplace, I stand in awe of what I have seen.

Dean Bill Rupp

Exciting Times this Spring!

We continued to implement our mission by focusing on excellence in teaching and research, learning beyond the classroom, and encouraging our students to find their passions. Below is a summary of our accomplishments and event action items over the last few months:

In February 2013, our students finished #1 in the Tennessee Valley Authority Investment Challenge. The Austin Peay portfolio averaged an 18.52% return, ahead of second place Western Kentucky at 17.34% and third place Belmont with a 17.33% return.

Our up and coming sophomores visited four Nashville companies: Ingram Content, AJAX Turner, Ernst & Young, and Curb Records to view their operations and link theory to practice through discussion with their executive teams.

In fall 2012 and spring 2013, our faculty presented their research to the community in the Dean’s Research Forums. Congratulations to Dr. Grimmett, Dr. Kim, Dr. Said, Dr. Pearson, Dr. Meyer Dr. Cockrell, Dr. Nyonna, Ms. Wolfe, and Ms. Meyer for their successful presentations.

The Zeta Phi chapter of our business fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi, was named Chapter of the Year in the Southern region for a 3^rd time and received the 1^st Place Fraternity Standing Award for receiving 100,000 Annual Chapter Report (ACR) points.

In April 2013, our Dean’s Ambassadors visited the bond trading floors of Vining Sparks and First Tennessee Capital. They visited Wepfer Marine, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and Sun Records. This experience changed lives and career directions.

With gifts from Delta Dental of Tennessee and Civic Bank of Nashville we launched the Free Enterprise Center for Entrepreneurship in May 2013. The Center for Entrepreneurship will be the hub for the entrepreneurship minor, the business plan competition, and community workshops, summer day camp, and a week-end boot-camp.

The Free Enterprise Center for Economic Education is designed to help teachers and students with a better understanding of capitalism and free market enterprise. In cooperation with Tennessee Jump$tart Coalition, the Federal Reserve Bank, and Tennessee Sister Universities – East Tennessee, Middle Tennessee, the Center is engaged in teacher workshops, a Free Enterprise Speakers series, curriculum development, and resource materials for teachers and students.

Assessment performance continues to improve as curricular improvements in the areas of concern take effect. The MFT Spring 2013 results place the College in the 59th percentile with all areas above the 50th percentile except for management at the 46th percentile. Additionally, the accounting curriculum is performing exceptionally well with the total population of graduating seniors in the 61st percentile. This can be attributed to the close the loop actions of the faculty, the adoption and implementation of a co-requisite learning software, MyAccountingLab, and the addition of faculty led accounting labs available to all Principles of Accounting students.

Four academically qualified faculty members agreed to join the College of Business, significantly strengthening the management, marketing and economics areas. With the addition of these faculty members, the AQ/PQ ratios are met for fall 2013 and forward.

Three new College of Business advisory board members joined. The annual giving to the Dean’s

Excellence Fund by the group exceeded $41,000.

Exciting times, indeed!