What A Run!

Greetings on this beautiful fall day —

This past weekend, I went out for a couple of runs, one as part of a charity event with a group on the Greenway here in town, and one in relative solitude, out in farm country. Each beautiful fall run brought an opportunity for reflection on the many gifts we all have in our lives. And each run also reminded me of why we do what we do each day here at the CoBPA: to support our students as they gain new knowledge, skills, and opportunities to create successful careers and meaningful lives.

Speaking of running, last week required lots of it! The campus was a whirlwind of activities, starting with more than 2,000 visitors for UND’s annual Admissions Fall Open House. Prospective students and their families also had the opportunity to visit the CoBPA and take a mock class hosted by alumnus Greg Syrup, who shared the numerous high-impact, “real-world” learning opportunities students can get involved in beyond the classroom while attending UND. The session had an investments twist as well, as students were able to take part in a Shark Tank activity and learn about Angel Investing.

While we had prospective students exploring the possibilities for their future, we also focused on the College’s future, as we hosted the distinguished alumni that comprise our CoBPA Advisory Council. This highly motivated group reflected on their experience and shared industry expertise as we continue to pave the way for the future of business and policy education.

We had working and sharing sessions with our current Student Ambassadors and other scholarship recipients, some of our talented teaching and research faculty and department chairs, and with our advising staff, all geared around themes related to our developing Strategic Plan – a roadmap for our College that will include key elements of advancing our curriculum and online programs, a focus on student success, big ideas in applied research and innovation, and a dynamic approach to alumni and supporter engagement founded on our exciting vision for a new building to support twenty-first century business and policy education.

From our prospective and current students to our alums, friends, and Advisory Council, it all comes full circle! We continue to be grateful for the pride and commitment that our alumni have for the College and look forward to the future generations of business students to lead the way!

Wow, what a run we’re having together!

-Steve