New administrative structure will spur innovation in education in Wright State’s Raj Soin College of Business

The Raj Soin College of Business consolidated its six departments into the School of Finance, Accountancy, Management Information Systems and Economics and the School of Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Management.

The Wright State University Raj Soin College of Business has introduced a new administrative structure designed to promote the sharing of knowledge and best practices to accelerate innovation in business education.

The new structure also aims to foster engagement between businesses, faculty, staff and students to ensure the college’s curriculum remains aligned with the latest business practices.

The Raj Soin College of Business consolidated its six departments into two interdisciplinary schools: the School of Finance, Accountancy, Management Information Systems and Economics and the School of Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Management. The new structure went into effect Jan. 1, 2024.

Each school is led by a chair and has multiple field leads supporting its various disciplines.

The School of Finance, Accountancy, Management Information Systems and Economics includes the following degree programs: Accountancy (B.S.B.), Economics (B.A. or B.S.B.), Economics (Combined B.A. or B.S.B. and M.S.), Finance (B.S.B.), Finance, Business Analytics Concentration (B.S.B.), Financial Services (B.S.B.), Information Systems (M.I.S.), Management Information Systems (B.S.B.), Management Information Systems, Business Analytics Concentration (B.S.B.), and Social and Applied Economics (M.S.).

Daniel Asamoah, Ph.D., professor of information systems, will serve as chair of the School of Finance, Accountancy, Management Information Systems and Economics.

The School of Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Management includes the following degree programs: Entrepreneurship (B.S.B.), Human Resource Management (B.S.B.), International Business (B.S.B.), Logistics and Supply Chain Management (M.S.), Management (B.S.B.), Marketing (B.S.B.), Marketing Analytics and Insights (M.S.), Marketing, Business Analytics Concentration (B.S.B.), and Supply Chain Management (B.S.B.).

Kendall Goodrich, Ph.D., professor of marketing, will serve as chair of the School of Supply Chain Management, Marketing and Management.

The Master of Business Administration program will continue to operate at a cross-disciplinary level. MBA students can attend classes either full-time or part-time and on campus or online and choose from 10 different concentrations.

Raj Soin College Business students’ progress to graduation will not be affected by the reorganization of the college. Existing majors, minors, certificates and courses are not affected by the new structure.

The structure of the new schools is designed to facilitate the creation of new interdisciplinary programs, enable the sharing of courses across majors and enhance operational efficiencies, said Donald Hopkins, interim dean of the Raj Soin College of Business.

“Restructuring the college’s administrative operations will not only lead to more efficiencies but will also provide additional opportunities for students to pursue coursework from other disciplines to broaden their field of study,” Hopkins said. “We are focused on providing a forward-thinking business education that allows us the flexibility to create new interdisciplinary programs that meet the evolving needs of students and business partners.”

The college’s new structure is also expected to lead to new initiatives for student success, better management of committee and service assignments for faculty, and enhanced engagement with internal and external stakeholders.

Donald Hopkins, interim dean of the Raj Soin College of Business, wants the college to incorporate data analytics and artificial intelligence throughout the business curriculum.

The college also expects to promote programs and opportunities to students more effectively by shifting from six departments that housed multiple fields of study to a broader school structure that emphasizes all fields of study.

The Raj Soin College of Business will pursue opportunities to develop new degrees and certificates to meet the needs of students and provide them with the skills to succeed in their chosen careers and in professional or graduate programs.

Plans are already underway to create an undergraduate degree in sports management and a STEM MBA program.

Hopkins said he also wants the college to incorporate data analytics and artificial intelligence throughout the business curriculum.

“That’s where industry is going, and employers have told us they want new employees with skills in those fields,” he said.

The college has already seen an influx of international students enroll in its Master of Science in Marketing Analytics and Insights program and looks forward to creating more types of these programs, Hopkins said.

This year, the college will begin offering a new undergraduate certificate in defense acquisition and contracting to support students who have an interest in working at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and other local organizations that support the defense industry.

With the number of jobs in program management, acquisition and contracting fields at the Air Force base, Wright State wants to ensure students understand and are prepared for careers in those areas, Hopkins said.

The Wright State Raj Soin College of Business is fully accredited at both the undergraduate and graduate level by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International, the highest accrediting body for business colleges globally. Less than 5% of business programs in the world achieve this standard of excellence.