Dean's report 2021-2022

For all of us here at The University of Alabama’s Culverhouse College of Business, the 2021-2022 academic year started off at a fast pace and never let off.

We started the school year with the grand opening of Hewson Hall, the magnificent 108,000-square-foot building that now anchors the western edge of campus. We knew that the building, with its expansive, light-filled atrium, would be a destination. However, the extent to which our students, faculty, staff, and friends have flocked to the building is remarkable. It is now a hub for the Culverhouse community, and all day long (and sometimes throughout the night), students work together on world-changing projects in its many collaboration spaces. At the same time, transformative instruction takes place in the classrooms.

The building is also a different kind of focal point: many of our prestige college activities, such as the Capstone Student Investment Conference, Business Analytics Symposium, and awards events, are now taking place in Hewson Hall. Furthermore, we have also added new events this past spring that reinforce our focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion: the Women in Business Conference, Women’s Leadership Dinner, and the Malone Awards all celebrated and highlighted alums and community members who have made extraordinary contributions to not just the business world, but all of society.

Speaking of other highlights: Culverhouse is now among the top 100 business colleges in North America in terms of research productivity, according to the protocol established by the University of Texas at Dallas’ Naveen Jindal School of Management. This is a huge accomplishment for us and represents a lot of hard work on the part of our team.

Finally, our student cohort this past year was the largest ever, and this fall promises another record-setting enrollment.

I am always excited to share all the great things we are doing at Culverhouse. If you find yourself in the area, please stop by.

Thanks and Roll Tide!

Kay M. Palan

Dean Kay M. Palan

kay.palan@culverhouse.ua.edu

5 th
best online master's
(non-mba)
u.s. news & world report
# 30
best mba program among public universities & 57th overall
ut dallas research productivity list
# 50
global emba
ceo magazine
26 th
Best undergraduate public business program & 39th nationally
u.s. news & world report
88 th
in united states
ut dallas research productivity list
# 26
among public mba programs
fortune
49 th
master's of marketing
qs world university rankings

2022-2027 strategic plan

Updated at the end of 2021, the Culverhouse College of Business strategic plan outlines the College’s major goals, specific objectives, strategies for achieving those objectives, and specific annual plans.

Provide transformational learning experiences both in and outside the classroom.

Adapt and innovate curriculum, educational opportunities, and programs based on College strengths and the needs of a dynamic marketplace.

Develop and maintain distinctive academic programs that attract students and for which Culverhouse is nationally known.

Expand students’ involvement with signature immersive learning opportunities.

Develop and implement a comprehensive executive education program that provides opportunities for lifelong learning and a platform for co-creating and sharing learning with all stakeholders.

Expand accessibility of graduate programs.

Evaluate doctoral education college-wide and identify/implement changes that will strengthen programs.

Provide an inclusive and supportive collegiate experience that enables students to achieve their fullest potential.

Increase undergraduate and graduate student enrollment while shifting the incoming student demographic breakdown closer to that of the state.

Improve the rates of student retention, persistence, and graduation by focusing on high-impact practices and increasing the personal connection to our students.

Create a student-centered hub that provides comprehensive, individualized support and professional development for all Culverhouse students.

Enhance impact and
visibility of our thought leadership, discovery, and knowledge creation.

Build on current capabilities across the College and embrace impactful research and scholarship.

Provide infrastructure, funding, and developmental support that strengthens and grows the research capabilities and programs to meet the critical needs of the key constituents.

Foster research capabilities among undergraduate and graduate students.

Showcase Culverhouse’s research capabilities and impact.

Cultivate an inclusive community where respect for individual contributions is a core value, enacted by all.

Recruit, retain, develop, and reward outstanding faculty, staff, and administrators to work with current and future generations of Culverhouse students.

Elevate diversity and inclusion as cultural values of the Culverhouse College of Business.

Develop effective channels to ensure an engaging and open working environment while encouraging continued growth and celebrating the accomplishments of faculty, staff, and students.

Leverage outreach and external relations activities to positively impact individuals, communities,
and business.

Establish new and strengthen existing relationships with external constituents that help Culverhouse meet its mission and support our values.

Strengthen existing relationships with alumni and increase the number of alumni who are actively engaged with the College.

Enhance presence of Culverhouse as a top business school and solidify our reputation through marketing and communication efforts.

Increase involvement in endeavors and partnerships resulting in positive societal impact, especially improving quality of life and economic development in the underserved and Black-Belt regions in Alabama.

Increase the awareness, utilization, and impact of externally-facing College centers.

Grow and manage financial, physical, and virtual (technology) resources to support the College mission and strategic initiatives.

Implement processes and tools to increase efficient use of resources.

Increase financial resources.

Prepare contingency plans for any potential disruptions to College operations and resources.

measures for success

rankings and academics

Continuous upward movement in undergraduate and MBA rankings

Undergraduate: Top 25 public
business schools

MBA: Top 20 public MBA programs

Recognized Centers of Excellence

student growth

Increased undergraduate & graduate enrollments

Increased graduation & retention rates

Increased placement rates

research

Consistent production of high quality & impactful research

Increased academic publications

Increased external funding proposals and awards

culture

Increased diversity among students, staff & faculty

Increased faculty & staff retention

Increased climate of inclusivity

outreach

Enhanced collaborative partnerships with business & industry

Increased alumni engagement

Focused initiatives impacting society

sustainability

Increased financial resources

Enhanced physical resources

Continuous AACSB accreditation for business and accounting

9641 Total enrollment

Fall 2021

undergraduate students by major, fall 2021

Female Male
Accounting 412 501
Economics 184 473
Finance 533 1578
General Business 875 1268
Management Information Systems 120 340
Operations Management 70 260
Management 334 477
Marketing 1185 828
Total 3713* 5725*

graduate students by program, fall 2021

Female Male
Accounting 72 47
Applied Statistics 4 14
Business Analytics 1 10
Economics 9 18
Finance 5 13
Operations Management 17 39
MBA 104 202
Management Information Systems 1 5
Management 57 64
Marketing 154 66
Total 424 478

enrollment stats, fall 2021

race and ethnicity

7 %
african american
1.3 %
asian american
5.1 %
hispanic
0.4 %
native american or alaska native
0.1 %
native hawaiian or other pacific
81 %
white
3.1 %
two or more races
0.7 %
unknown

* The sex and reporting race/ethnicity categories count each student only once per major. Undergraduate students with secondary majors are counted each time in this table if all majors are in the Culverhouse College of Business.

placement rates: undergraduates and mba, fall 2021

undergraduate graduation and first generation only, spring 2022

1662
total graduates, 2021-2022
$ 58791
average starting salary, december 2021
89 %
positive outcomes rate, december 2021

student impact, 2021-2022 data

70
ua business lead and career center programs offered
32
corporate sponsored programs offered
75000
professional development activities completed

the tide continues to rise

$ 126014020
Total culverhouse gifts and commitments

October 1, 2016 – May 19, 2022

$ 200 M
campaign goal
63 %
percent to goal
5229
total donors
14544
gifts
882
first time donors
2958
state of alabama donors
3377
alumni donors
210
ua faculty/staff donors
79
new scholarships
13
new faculty support
68
$500k+ donors
35
$1M+ donors

The Rising Tide, the $1.5 billion campaign for The University of Alabama, is focused on furthering UA’s mission of exemplary teaching, research, and service. Culverhouse’s target as part of Rising Tide is $200 million in order to support efforts to transform learning, society, and thought leadership within the College.

spotlight on the alabama productivity center

Housed within the Culverhouse College of Business, the Alabama Productivity Center, or APC, focuses university research and educational resources on enhancing business productivity and quality across the state. It does this by leveraging Culverhouse faculty and students to develop solutions that help businesses — large and small —increase efficiency and reduce costs.

APC was established in early 1986 and originates from a 1983 joint venture between The University of Alabama and General Motors. In 1996, APC became home to Region 3 of the Alabama Technology Network, the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, for the state of Alabama.

  • APC figures strongly in Culverhouse’s strategic vision. It does this via several mechanisms including:
  • Providing a conduit for students to engage in highly-productive experiential learning opportunities that have real-world impacts
  • Leveraging campus talent to make societal impacts across the state, including in the Alabama Black Belt

Coordinating workforce development and innovation activities throughout Alabama

APC has been recognized by the National Council for Urban Development and the U.S. Economic Development Administration as an “innovative” and “imaginative” program, demonstrating its importance as a valuable resource for Alabama businesses.

 

Since 2013, the Alabama Productivity Center has had a total of

793

interns serving

149

companies through

991

projects.

From FY2018 through FY2022, APC has facilitated

449

internship projects with 70 different companies. In 2022 alone, APC created 

112

internship projects.

Through these projects, APC has provided

$1,860,386

to the students in the form of student stipends and scholarships.

Alabama Productivity Center clients have reported

$66,127,395

worth of positive impact over the past four years. This impact includes cost savings, increased and retained sales, investments in processes and workforce practices, and avoidance in unnecessary investments.

11

alabama counties with apc projects

2022 Student Impacts

$ 43598027
total client
positive impacts
32
new jobs created
168
jobs retained

“As a summer intern at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Alabama with the Alabama Productivity Center, I was able to gain a better understanding of the career field that I was preparing for. I learned valuable lessons, which can only be obtained through working in the field.”

– Hayden D. Bevil, PC, PPM Specialist

summer programs

The Culverhouse College of Business hosts several summer programs for high school students, including those from underserved or diverse populations, to introduce them to the b-school experience at Culverhouse or to learn technical skills from seasoned faculty. Two of those programs are new for 2021-2022, the Minerva Young Women in Business Program and the Marillyn A. Hewson Cybersecurity Summer Camp. The Diversity in Business Bridge Program held its second iteration this past year, bringing 20 participants to campus.

“We had professionals come in that had majored in business, talking about how their particular degree had helped them on their career path. These were very candid, courageous conversations. The women coming in to speak to these young ladies were really open with their personal life experiences, in a way that you don’t traditionally see in panels. That was really phenomenal to watch.”

– Cherie Moman, Director, Minerva Young Women’s Summer Business Program

5
CURRENT ENROLLED FRESHMEN PARTICIPATED IN THE DIVERSITY IN BUSINESS BRIDGE PROGRAM IN SUMMER OF 2021
50 +
ALUMNI, FACULTY/STAFF & INDUSTRY EXPERT SPEAKERS
17
AVERAGE AGE OF STUDENTS ATTENDING DEI SUPPORTED SUMMER PROGRAMS

scholarships

Culverhouse College of Business continues to uphold our promise of ensuring our students have the resources to have a transformative learning experience by awarding more than $2.5 million dollars of scholarships and financial support to students in need over the past year.

$ 2665056
in scholarship money
awarded for the
2021-2022 academic year
795
culverhouse students awarded
scholarships offered by both
culverhouse and ua admissions
annual gift funds
361
available scholarships
offered by culverhouse
264
endowed scholarships
97
annual gift funds

culverhouse executives society

Serving as the annual fund for the college, the Culverhouse Executives Society is a membership-based, philanthropic affinity group that supports Culverhouse by ensuring every student receives a superior and enriching education.

CES provides support by funding programs and experiences that grow students’ professional skills, connect with employers, and ultimately set them apart from their peers.

The College also looks forward to an agenda of other exciting events on the campus of The University of Alabama, as well as across the country, to connect with alumni and friends. 

Culverhouse Executives Society Pre-Game Picnics

Alabama vs. Vanderbilt, September 24

Alabama vs. Texas A&M, October 8

Alabama vs. Miss. State, October 22

Alabama vs. Auburn, November 26

Culverhouse Executives Society Receptions*

Dallas

Houston

Birmingham

Tuscaloosa

Huntsville

Mobile

Atlanta

NYC

To get involved with CES, visit alumni.culverhouse.ua.edu or contact Emma Darling, Culverhouse’s director of external relations at edarling@culverhouse.ua.edu or 205-348-3771.

* Specific dates and locations TBD.

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