NSU’s College of BT create new department

(Tahlequah, Okla.)--Northeastern State Universitys College of Business & Technology (CBT) understands adaptation is key to staying relevant in the professional world.

Following the Marketing programs recent introduction of a new initiative, a sales emphasis, the CBT has also created a new department, three previously separate departments within the college.

A collaborative effort between the CBTs dean, Dr. Roger Collier, associate dean, Dr. Kathleen Reese, and professor of Marketing, Dr. Mike Landry, which has been in the planning stages for roughly a year, has borne fruit this semester with the creation of the Marketing, Hospitality & Tourism Management and Supply Chain Management department.

I don't think that this is necessarily a unique program, but it is a natural fit, Dr. Collier said.The disciplines that are included in this new department are all related and have much to do with sales and logistics.

Within the CBT,Marketing and Supply Chain Management are strong programs, with Hospitality & Tourism Management being smaller. However, Dr. Collier noted that NSU is unique in the fact that the smaller of the programs is housed within a college of business.NSU is one of only three programs in the country that offers Hospitality & Tourism Management as a Business program.

Because of the continuous overlap among the three programs, and now with their recent consolidation, the CBT hopes to provide students with the opportunity to develop strong relationships with the business community in NSUs service areas and to produce graduates who are well regarded and highly employable.

The faculty of the new department includes, from the Marketing side: Dr. Reese, Dr. Landry, Dr. JT Tewari, Dr. Jon Shapiro, Dr. Ron Petty and Ms. Amy Bradley, from the Hospitality & Tourism Management side: Dr. Joan Williams and Mr. Kin Thompson, and from the Supply Chain Management side: professors shared with other disciplines.

Collier credits the future successes of this new department to the many years of business-related experience and the diverse backgrounds each of the professors will bring to the classroom. Collier also asserted that all three majors have strong support from the business community. This support includes collaboration with the Supply Chain Advisory Board, the Sales Advisory Board, and an internship agreement, all with Wal-Mart.

There are current trends in the business world that make this a crucial department, Dr. Collier said.The reasoning behind this is that there is an increase in job opportunities and increased economic activity in (1) Supply Chain Management, which is fueled by online shopping, (2) Digital Marketing and (3) increased emphasis on more professional sales people.This is where the jobs are in the current economy.

For more information on the new department, please contact the College of Business & technology at 918-444-2900 orcbt@nsuok.edu.