Charting the Future 

• The emergence of new financial models for banking and debt management
• Increased demand for alternative energy sources and the development of green industries
• Health care’s need to broaden coverage while reducing inefficiencies and costs
• An aging population in the developed world and an exploding population in the underdeveloped world

These are just a few of the major, complex challenges facing business leaders today. But with challenges come opportunities, and business schools should be at the forefront of addressing the challenges and creating new opportunities. That is where the Smith School chooses to be. We care about the world’s big problems. And we have the intellectual capital, creativity and entrepreneurial vision to contribute to big solutions.

To be relevant both now and in the future, business leaders must understand the global economy and the forces reshaping it. They must have the ability to work effectively with diverse cultures and markets. And they must adhere to the highest standards of corporate ethics and social responsibility.

The Smith School is educating men and women to become agents of positive change in the world. We want to broaden their horizons, exposing them to new business practices, different cultures and new ways of thinking.

Our goal is to help every Smith graduate apply business acumen within and beyond traditional business disciplines, to create value for their organizations and their communities, in ways we haven’t yet imagined.

Our Vision

Our vision is to be a world leader in understanding and using today’s evolving business models in order to prepare students to enter global, complex, fast-moving marketplaces as agents of both economic prosperity and transformative social change.

Our Core Values

Creativity, innovation and entrepreneurial spirit – Innovation with a purpose brings value, and creating value is at the heart of the enterprise. At Smith, we value innovation as key to business education in the modern world.

Integrity and accountability –Integrity, accountability and reputation management are essential to free markets and the conduct of global business, and are cornerstones of the Smith community.

A global view embracing diversity – The world is increasingly more interconnected; this requires an understanding of and an appreciation for cultures and people beyond the school’s walls. At Smith, we value the rich contribution of people of many backgrounds and perspectives, and recognize that excellence cannot be achieved without diversity.

Taking Responsibility for the Future

Academic Excellence
Smith will be at the forefront of understanding and exploiting the modern world’s evolving business models. We will increase the strengths of our academic programs on all fronts and faculty quality across all departments.

Growing Global Citizens
Tomorrow’s business leaders need to grapple with emerging markets and the growing integration of the world’s economies. We will immerse our students in complex and evolving marketplaces where critical thinking, creativity and entrepreneurship are at the core of the enterprise.

Social Value Creation
We will lead in the University of Maryland’s efforts to address issues of environmental sustainability and global citizenship. Smith is committed to institutionalizing our social impact programs to better prepare students to lead in a world that needs both economic prosperity and transformative social change.

Leading in the Nation’s Capital
We will increase our engagement with the vast array of non-profit organizations, governmental agencies and socially conscious for-profit companies in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. We will be thought leaders in the newly constituted financial world, and provide education and advice for productive and effective public/private partnerships.

Outcomes

• The Smith School of Business will consistently be considered one of the top global business schools as measured by the international reputation of the faculty in research, thought leadership and teaching; the professional success of our alumni; the world-class education received by our students; and the high quality of all of our internal and external operations.
• The school’s status in research and thought leadership will place it among the top 10 business schools in the country in research. In addition, each area of business specialization will be considered to be among the top 10 among its scholarly peers.
• The full-time MBA program will consistently be among the top 20 business schools in the United States when the combined ranking by Business Week, U.S. News and World Report, and Financial Times are considered. We will increase the size of the full-time program by half. Student placement and salaries will be at or above those at our peer institutions.
• The part-time MBA program will be among the top 15 business schools in the United States. We will enhance the flexibility for the part-time MBA students including possibilities for acceleration, classes in different locations including international ones, global field study trips, company-based experiential learning.
• The undergraduate business program will consistently be among the top 15 business schools in the United States when the combined ranking by Business Week and U.S. News and World Report are considered. We will continue to provide specialized experiences through the innovative Fellows program. Further, every student who desires a global experience will be able to go on a global field study trip subsidized by the Smith School.
• The doctoral program will be among the top 10 in business schools. The quality of incoming PhD students will be at or above those at our peer institutions, and at least half of these students will be placed in the top 30 business schools as faculty members.
• We will be considered a leader among global business schools in designing and delivering socially responsible MBA programs, and graduate and undergraduate experiences.
• We will grow our programs aimed at rising senior executives in Fortune 1000 companies, and leading-edge public and non-profit enterprises in the United States and around the world. The revenues from non-degree executive programs will increase five-fold, and we will double the size of our EMBA program. The EMBA program at the Smith School will be ranked in the top 25.
• The Smith School endowment will be $100 million, allowing us to close the gap between it and the endowments at our peer institutions. We will reach and surpass the campaign goal of $90 million in 2011.
• We will be considered the best business school in the Washington, D.C.,-Baltimore corridor by informal consensus.

Essential Building Blocks for Success

Faculty and staff
Our faculty are the single most important factor determining the reputation, impact and visibility of the Smith School. We will vigorously recruit, retain and support faculty and staff of the highest quality. From competitive compensation and investments in infrastructure, to support for research and family-friendly policies, we will compete with the world’s best business schools for outstanding faculty.

Alumni
Our alumni are talented, influential, highly placed, and eager to help us enhance our reputation. Working as partners with the Smith community, we will successfully double our endowment to $100 million, build greater pride in the Smith School among our alumni and friends, and more widely and effectively communicate our successes.

Culture of collaboration
We will pursue partnerships within the University of Maryland, with the vast array of non-profit and governmental agencies in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan region, and with industry leaders and corporations to enhance our educational offerings and the reputation of the Smith School brand.

Resources and administrative efficiency
We will be disciplined in allocating existing resources in support of our priorities, generating additional revenue, and relentlessly seeking greater efficiency in everything we do. Transparency and accountability will underlie all our actions.

Implementation

This vision is...

Ambitious - It places the Smith School at the forefront of the world’s most significant issues.

Aggressive - It will require a great deal of additional funding, above and beyond our normal and expected revenue increases.

Achievable - With the support of our alumni, University of Maryland administration, faculty, staff and students; and in collaboration with our key stakeholders.