For over 50 years, the College of Business has been enriched by those who have studied, taught and worked here

The College of Business is the youngest college on campus, but business roots run deep at CSU.

Although the College was formally recognized on Jan. 1, 1966, but the first course covering business topics was offered in 1895. This “commercial course” was intended for students seeking careers as bookkeepers and stenographers. Business courses continued for the next 50 years, and specific business classes were formally adopted into the CSU course catalog in 1945. CSU began offering a four-year business program in 1954 and, 12 years later, the College of Business was officially established.

Our Early Days

College of Business Students in the 1990s

Starting a business college in the 1960s was not an easy task. Don Dobler, the first College of Business dean, had to balance the monumental social issues of the period – the civil rights and women’s movements, the perceived corruption of big business, the Vietnam War and much more – with the fact that many people believed business courses offered little more than typing and transcription.

Despite these hurdles, Dobler and a dozen faculty members took on the challenge. Together, they built our College on the foundation that business carried out with integrity and skill can solve complex problems and make the world a better place. This small group set the tone for how the College does business today – in our teaching, in our research and in our commitment to using business to transform lives.

Business on the Rise

Ronald Reagan at Business Day

The demand for this new kind of business education was apparent from the start: Enrollment in the new four-year degree program quadrupled in the College’s first year. Our commitment to excellence in business education earned the College full and unconditional AACSB accreditation in 1970, an approval that was rare for a first-time applicant. Spurred on by this acknowledgement of our reputation for excellence, the College grew by leaps and bounds over the next 25 years.

The 1970s and ‘80s saw increases in enrollment and growth of academic departments, student organizations and College events. Prominent speakers such as then-presidential candidate Ronald Reagan and political activist Ralph Nader visited campus to speak to students, the College acquired exciting new technology and we launched innovative programs such as the Executive MBA.

That growth continued into the 1990s and 2000s. Rockwell Hall, a former women’s dormitory, became our official home in 1994, but our rapid growth meant we needed more space even before we moved in. We added the Classroom and Technology wing in 1997 and then Rockwell Hall West in 2010 to accommodate our increasing numbers of students, faculty and staff.

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The College of Business Today

Today, the College of Business continues to grow. Our Biz Ram community includes more than 3,600 undergraduate and 1,200 graduate students, almost 275 faculty and staff and a growing cohort of 33,000-plus alumni.

275

Faculty and Staff

33k

Biz Ram Alumni

4.8k

Students

We are an engaged, diverse community committed to Don Dobler’s original vision for the College: that business can transform lives and make the world a better place

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1870

CSU Founded

1895

First business courses offered on campus

1945

Business formally adopted into the CSU course catalog

1954

CSU begins offering a four-year business program

1966

The College of Business is officially recognized

1970

The College of Business becomes AACSB accredited

1994

Rockwell Hall becomes the College's official home and main building

2010

Rockwell Hall West opens

2015

Beth Walker becomes the College's first female dean