Dean's Message  |  Mission Statement  |  Self Study

Our Mission Statement

To assist individuals in acquiring the knowledge, attitudes and skills needed to be productive and responsible citizens in the global economy. The College serves students and communities primarily from the Island and State of Hawaii, as well as students from the U.S. mainland and the Asia/Pacific region. We are committed to: 

• Providing a personalized, high-quality baccalaureate business and economics education
• Inspiring the development of ethical values and leadership skills within a context of cultural diversity
• Offering opportunities for hands-on learning
• Having a focus on smaller organizations
• Offering academic programs responsive to community needs
• Supporting faculty excellence in teaching, research and service, with primary emphasis in teaching.

Our Vision

The College of Business and Economics will become an important source of management expertise for Hawaii and the Pacific by focusing on management within smaller organizations and by utilizing the organizational, cultural and environmental diversity of its island setting. It will provide opportunities for hands-on learning within the community and for research collaboration with faculty. It will grow and acquire the resources to develop programs that address student and community interests. The College will maintain and further build a faculty with strong qualifications and a commitment to serve the needs of the unique student body at the University and the unique community that is Hawaii.

Upon graduating, our students should have the following knowledge:

• A common core of knowledge that enables them to understand and apply: Basic concepts and principles of business operations and leadership, particularly a sense of how to prioritize, delegate and coordinate organizational tasks to fit the organizational mission, business environment, and community context.
• Individual and group decision-making processes for assuring efficient, effective, and ethical outcomes.
• Integrative knowledge of how the decision process relates to the various contexts within which business operates (technological, economic, social, cultural, legal, ethical, and international). 
• Specialized business knowledge that they can apply in their subsequent careers.
• An understanding of the entrepreneurial process.
• An understanding of the critical role of sound, ethical business and personal judgment in creating and maintaining successful business relationships.

Upon graduating, our students should have the following attitudes:

• Conviction that they have received a quality education, appropriate to their personal and career goals.
• Appreciation of the goal-orientation and self-motivation needed to be a successful business leader.
• Confidence that they are prepared to take on the challenges of the global marketplace.
• Recognition that an on-going commitment to learning is critical to continued success and satisfaction in their career.
• Confidence that they can respond to the diverse values and needs of their co-workers, clients, and other stakeholders, while working with those of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds.
• Recognition that community service will be an important component of their future professional responsibilities.
• Confidence that they can make effective and ethical decisions, even under conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity, value conflict, and incomplete information. 

Upon graduating, our students should have the following skills:

• Individual and team-based analytical/critical thinking and integrative problem-solving skills.
• Effective, confident written and oral communication skills in one-on-one and group settings, demonstrating professional demeanor.
• Facility in computer-related applications and current methods of business analysis and presentation.
• Job search and interview skills.

Quality Standards and Program Evaluation/Improvement Processes

Through self-evaluation of curriculum, student performance, and faculty qualifications, the College of Business and Economics, in association with its Advisory Council, attempts to continually improve the quality of the educational experience, as reflected in the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of our students. The Business Administration program has an undergraduate education focus, with faculty primarily engaged in teaching. Faculty creative contributions are oriented toward applied research, which includes externally reported business and economic development outreach activities in the state and region, as well as more traditional refereed publications and instructional development research. Faculty service encompasses departmental, school, university, community, and professional association levels of activity. On average, 80 percent of the business faculty's effort is devoted to teaching, while research and service activities combined account for 20 percent. The distribution of effort may differ somewhat among faculty members, depending on their particular interests and stage of career development.