by John Michael O'Leary
Dr. Cathy Carey, Dean of Romain College of Business, discovered something about distinctiveness years ago on a tour of The Coca-Cola Company.
“They talked about how their iconic bottle was essential to the brand,” says Carey. “It was by design—the company wanted a package so distinctive that it could be instantly identifiable—whether on the store shelf, in the dark or even in pieces on the ground.”
The idea of making the Romain College of Business distinctive played into Carey’s thinking for the development of the College’s recently drafted strategic plan. As project champion, Carey worked with a five-person task force chaired by Dr. Andrew Dill, Assistant Professor of Accounting.
“We considered plans from other colleges as well as our College’s previous strategic plans,” says Dill. “We worked to balance what the dean envisioned with our thoughts for the direction of the school—and to put forth a plan that is both aspirational and achievable.”
The result, as Carey describes it, is a means for creating value through impact—four words which describe the very essence of the plan.
“Value and impact are critical to everything we do,” says Carey. “We want to develop graduates who create value through the impact they make in business. We want to inspire faculty who create value through making an impact on students, on their professions and in the community. And we are committed to making these happen in a culture that embraces diversity and inclusion. As we do these things, we will make our school distinctive.”
A staunch belief in planning is part of Carey’s own personal brand; she was determined to direct her energy toward the school’s strategic thinking in her first year as dean.
“A plan gets us all moving in the same direction,” says Carey. “It provides a basis for making decisions on every activity we undertake and every dollar we spend. And when we live up to our plan, graduates and faculty of our College will be known for the distinctive value they create through their impact in the region.”
For further reading: Draft of the Romain College of Business Strategic Plan (2020-2025).