STRATEGIC PLAN 2030:
BUSINESS FOR A BETTER WORLD

Pursue excellence in research that improves our understanding of business and its role in advancing sustainability. 

Measuring Success

• By 2030, increase the moving three-year average number of articles published in the Financial Times 50 journals to a level that matches or exceeds the number of tenure-track faculty members. 
  • In tandem with this objective, increase the number of articles published in College of Business Target List, ABS 4, ABS 4*, and UTD list journals using a three-year moving average. 
• Maintain a percentage greater than 50% of journal articles addressing environmental sustainability, social sustainability, UN SDGs, or public policy. 
• By 2030, realize 20% of tenure track faculty serving in Associate Editor or Editorial Review Board roles at Financial Times 50 journals, with all departments represented. 

Key Practices and Initiatives

B4BW Dissertation Proposal Competition and Research Symposium 
This initiative promotes sustainability-focused research by hosting a global competition for Ph.D. students and an annual symposium where scholars present innovative work aligned with Business for a Better World (B4BW). 

Business for a Better World Undergraduate Research Fellows Program 

Faculty with a B4BW-aligned research project can receive research assistance from an undergraduate student accepted into this program. Students receive compensation, and the program includes a weekly seminar.   

Endowed Chair, Professorship, and Fellowship Programs 

The College has deployed an endowed chair, six professorships, six Dean’s Distinguished Research Fellowships, and the Woodward Family Faculty Fellowship. There are also three accounting-specific faculty fellowships. These awards incentivize excellence in research and teaching.  

Summer Research Program (SRP) and B4BW Stipends

The College provides competitive funding for faculty to extend their research into the summer months, fostering a structured and equitable process for advancing impactful research projects. 

Option of research-focused workload for those excelling 

Faculty excelling across all three workload components (with a 40% teaching load) may qualify for a research-focused workload. Requires a robust research program and high productivity (consistent with high-achieving faculty at elite, research-oriented business schools). 

Post-Doc Program  

Each year, the College seeks to employ post-docs who are highly engaged in working with our faculty. Post-docs teach two courses a year and collaborate with multiple faculty. A formalized post-doc mentoring process is in place.  

B4BW Research Tracking 

The College’s publication platform facilitates tracking the extent to which research aligns with and advances the sustainable development goals and has implications for public policy. Over the past 5 years, the percentage of research with SDG alignment and public policy implications has increased. This tracking tool drives awareness and accountability for impactful research. 

Research Expense Fund and Climate Change Research Support  

Managed by the Research Committee, the research expense fund supports various research projects. Earmarked funds for climate change research were integrated into the research expense fund to encourage research that has the potential to help address climate change.  

Membership and Leadership in RRBM 

RRBM aligns us with efforts to make business research impactful. The College of Business is a Pioneering Institution with RRBM, and Dean Walker is a member of the RRBM Working Board. Faculty articles regularly make the RRBM honor roll, recognizing their societal impact. 

Provide resources, remove barriers, and foster community to empower students to succeed.  

Measuring Success

• Achieve year-over-year growth in new scholarship dollars raised.
• Increase the percentage of undergraduate students utilizing face-to-face College of Business academic advising services to 95%.
• Achieve or exceed an 8.5/10 average on senior survey questions related to feeling welcomed and valued by faculty, staff, and peers.
• Improve undergraduate retention from 87% to 90% and graduate student retention from 85% to 90% while continuing to support strong retention across all student populations.

Key Practices and Initiatives

Integrated Student Success Model 

The College has developed a highly coordinated approach to student success through collaboration between academic advising, the Career Management Center, and co-curricular programs. This model has resulted in leading retention, graduation, and career outcomes across the university. 

First Generation in Business Summit

The First-Generation Business Summit is a free, week-long program at Colorado State University designed for first-generation high school students interested in business. Participants live on campus, develop business skills, compete in a case study competition, and connect with CSU mentors to prepare for college and future careers. 

Global Business Academy 

The Global Business Academy is a 10-day summer business program at Colorado State University's College of Business. It is designed for high school students aged 15-18 to explore business concepts through hands-on activities, leadership development, and global networking opportunities. 

Student Clubs

The College of Business has a thriving community of student clubs that support our B4BW strategic vision, including Biz Pride, the Sales Club, the Women in Business Association, the Supply Chain Club, the Sustainable Business Club, and the First-Generation Business Association. 

Accounting Tutoring Lab 

The Accounting Tutoring Lab serves students using a one-on-one tutoring model. The tutoring lab supports ACT205, 210, and 220, which are business minor and major course requirements.  

Ambassador Program 

Undergraduate student ambassadors annually introduce 500 visitors to the College and assist with student recruiting. These students also participate in Dial-A-Ram student recruiting campaigns.  

IT in Business 

The IT in Business program is a free, five-day summer experience in which high school students explore the role of technology in business through hands-on activities such as app development, robotics, cybersecurity, and virtual reality. 

Create collaborative learning experiences that equip students with the values, knowledge, and skills to navigate rapidly evolving markets and address global challenges with sustainable business models and practices.   

Measuring Success

• Increase student participation in signature learning experiences, ensuring undergraduates complete four or more and graduate students complete two or more.
• Increase curricular content addressing global challenges, business sustainability, and cutting-edge digital tools and resources (e.g., AI, machine learning).
• Achieve improvement across a majority of Positive Impact Rating dimensions, reflecting increased student identification of the College of Business as an impact-focused school and a level 5 rating by 2030. 
• Maintain high level of Business for a Better World curriculum leadership recognitions (Corporate Knights and others). 

Key Practices and Initiatives

Sustainability Concentration 

In fall 2024, the College launched a sustainable business concentration. This concentration features a series of courses designed to provide students with a broad understanding of sustainability challenges and expertise in addressing these challenges through business solutions.  

Positive Impact Rating (PIR)

The College participates in this rating system annually and has achieved “Level 4” out of five possible levels every year. (Note that no US university has achieved level 5.) The rating is based on a multidimensional survey the Business Sustainability student organization disseminates and provides the college with student feedback (qualitative and quantitative) regarding our school’s progress and opportunities as they relate to impact..   

B4BW Curriculum Integration 

Each year, the College measures the extent to which classes address B4BW topics, including the sustainable development goals triple bottom line, and signature experiences. Many programs have seen significant increases in B4BW content. For example, the Music Business program has integrated a module on sustainability into all classes. 

Signature Experience Ecosystem 

The College has expanded a coordinated portfolio of “signature experiences,” including case competitions, global immersions, client-based projects, fellowships, and micro-internships. These experiences provide hands-on learning opportunities that connect students with real-world challenges and industry partners, ensuring all students have access to applied, high-impact learning. 

AI and Digital Transformation

The College is integrating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies across curricula, including new undergraduate and graduate certificates, courses focused on AI-driven business transformation, and expanded faculty training. These efforts emphasize ethical, human-centered applications of AI and prepare students to lead in rapidly evolving digital environments. 

Tinberg Teaching Innovations Grant Program

The Tinberg Teaching Innovation Grant Program funds innovative, technology-enhanced, and experiential learning initiatives that advance sustainable business education and address global challenges. Supported by Rich and Elaine Tinberg, the program prioritizes projects that create meaningful, real-world learning experiences for students.  

Expanded Graduate and Professional Pathways 

The College continues to expand flexible and market-responsive program offerings, including new graduate certificates in global supply chain management and sustainable business, accelerated master’s pathways, hybrid MBA delivery models, and dual-degree programs (e.g., MBA-MPH). These offerings increase access, support lifelong learning, and strengthen enrollment pipelines. 

Automated Production Studio

A studio for recording, trimming, and uploading content on your own. It includes a custom backdrop and lighting, among other features.  

Hosting Case/Venture Competitions

The college hosts several case competitions, including Rams Operation Stimulus, Deloitte Women in Business Competition, JDEI Case Competition, Mulroy Real Estate Challenge, Sherman Miller Case Competition, Venture Rams Business Showcase, and the Operation Stimulus Supply Chain Competition. 

Membership in aligned organizations: PRME, GRLI, ClimateCAP

As a UN PRME signatory since 2021, we are committed to the UN SDGs, integrating sustainable practices into education and research while transparently reporting our progress. Through our GRLI associate partnership since 2022, we collaborate with a global network to drive systemic change and develop responsible business leaders. Climate CAP is a collaborative of climate-focused MBA programs. 

Awards and Rankings

Annually, we have pursued awards, such as AACSB Innovations that Inspire; we also submit materials to Financial Times, US News & World Report, QS Symonds, and Corporate Knights for their rankings.  During 2024, the College was recognized by Financial Times as one of the top 5 business schools (globally) in advancing responsible business practices. In addition, Corporate Knights Better World MBA ranked our MBA programs at #1 globally among large schools in the US.

Foster impactful career pathways and create an engaged and purpose-driven alumni community. 

Measuring Success

• Increase internship rates among undergraduates to meet or exceed national average (currently 60%) by 2030.
• Optimize the rates of plans secured within six months post-graduation with a target of 90% or above.
• Maintain at least 25% of employed MBA graduates (Impact and Online combined) within the past two years working in impact-related roles or organizations (as defined and measured by Corporate Knights).
• Establish a framework for tracking alumni engagement and affinity by 2027, including definitions and measure(s).

 

Key Practices and Initiatives

RamsConnect Mentoring Platform

The new Rams Connect Mentoring Platform enables students, alums, and industry professionals to engage in flash mentoring and join group communities, enhancing connectivity and support within the College of Business community. 

Internship Programs

Nearly 55% of College of Business students engage in internships, applying classroom knowledge in real-world settings to enhance professional development. 

Networking and Recruitment Events

With more than 65 networking and recruitment events held each year drawing up to 500 companies, the Career Management Center connects students with employers in their field. 

Mentoring Programs

Flash mentoring, graduate mentoring, and professional mentoring programs within the Career Management Center are building a multi-level cycle of mentoring engagement.  

Alumni and Lifelong Learning Pathways

The College offers continued engagement opportunities for alumni through tuition benefits, professional development programs, and expanded networking and mentoring platforms, strengthening long-term affinity and career advancement.

Utilize our academic resources to collaborate with external stakeholders and drive shared innovation and positive impact.

Measuring Success

• Increase research press (marcomm popular press count). 
• Track and increase faculty external engagement as reflected in Interfolio.
• Ensure 100% of centers, institutes, and similar units conduct at least one external engagement activity per semester.
• Establish a centralized approach to identifying, tracking, and strengthening corporate engagement across academic programs, centers, and faculty.

Key Practices and Initiatives

Corporate Sustainability Fellowship Program and EPA Partnership & Funding

Over the past 6 years, the Impact MBA has partnered with companies to place 195 MBA students in sustainability internships, completing more than 78,000 hours of sustainability work. The program has partnered with CDHPE and the Colorado Green Business Network on an EPA grant since 2020 to support pollution prevention work in companies. 

VITA Tax Prep

Each year, for the eight weeks leading up to Tax Day, accounting students and community members volunteer with the College’s VITA program to assist locals with tax returns while gaining career skills. In 2025, they secured $430K+ in refunds across 300+ federal and state returns., benefiting community members with limited incomes. 

Rockies/Plains Food, Energy, and Water Accelerator

A partnership between the CSU College of Business, CSU STRATA, and the Spur Innovation Network, this program supports startups focused on innovations in food, energy, and water systems.  

Student Venture Accelerator

New Student Venture Accelerator with 12 teams selected, five executives in residence, and $60,000 (up to $5,000 in funding per team). Sets up students for “next step” community programs & funding channels. Partnerships include Larimer County SBDC, SAGE Mentor Network, and 1M Cups Fort Collins.  

Strategic Corporate Partnership Model

The College is strengthening long-term partnerships with corporations through integrated engagement strategies that include recruitment pipelines, tuition partnerships, co-branded events, applied learning opportunities, and collaborative programming.

Community Giving and Volunteering

Since 1986, CSU has held the annual C.A.N.S Around the Oval to fight food insecurity through cash and food donations. For 18 years running, the College has been the top contributor to the cause. The College participates in numerous philanthropic programs, including coat drives, tree planting, and more. 

Business Advisory Boards

The COB engages with industry leaders through advisory boards such as the Accounting Advisory Board and the Global Leadership Council, which provide support and strategic input.  

Centers and Institutes 

• Center for Corporate Financial Reporting: Promotes quality in financial reporting through educational outreach and research. 
• Center for Marketing and Social Impact: Engages in groundbreaking research addressing issues through marketing principles and techniques. 
• Center for Professional Selling: Prepares the next generation of sales leaders by teaching students the value of professional selling through innovative education and hands-on experience with corporate partners. 
• Everitt Real Estate Center: Produces and distributes knowledge that addresses current and future real estate-related needs of Northern Colorado and the Front Range. 
• HR Edge Network: Connects HR scholars and executives to create innovative solutions for challenges like organizational culture, teams, diversity and inclusion, and talent management practices. 
• Institute for Entrepreneurship: Support 900 students via co-curricular programming, connect with broader community via programming opportunities, operate pre-college programs. 
• Supply Chain Management Forum: Provides partners with opportunities to interact with CSU supply chain faculty, outstanding supply chain students, and other company partners. 

Secure financial and operational stability and strength to sustain programs and fuel the College’s strategic priorities.

Measuring Success

• Conduct annual academic portfolio and program reviews to identify and address underperforming or high-risk programs (e.g., low enrollment, subsidy dependence).
• Maintain balanced RI student composition across resident, non-resident, and international students across undergraduate and graduate programs.
• Optimize undergraduate offerings for non-business majors to meet unmet student demand for business content.
• Maintain ≥45% SA coverage in undergraduate programs and ≥65% in graduate programs.
• Strategic and efficient utilization of capital resources.
  • 90%+ Rockwell/West classroom utilization M-F 8am-5pm (with business classes).
  • Create vibrant academic department hallways. 50% faculty utilization of office spaces 9-5 (per department chair estimation).

Key Practices and Initiatives

Budgeting for Strategic Outcomes

Annually, the College solicits proposals from all employees for initiatives that will further the College’s strategic plan. This planning approach aligns resource allocation with the College's strategic priorities to maximize impact and achieve desired outcomes. 

Participation in and Adapting to a New Budget Model

The CSU College of Business actively engages in the university's Budget Model Redesign initiative by participating in steering committees and utilizing data to inform strategic financial and programmatic decisions.  

Green Team

Implemented in 2022, the Green Team advances numerous initiatives, including transportation programs, courtyard renewal, energy works (building efficiency improvements), plants in Rockwell, and building connections with the President’s Sustainability Commission.   

Rockwell and Rockwell West Improvements

Expanded student collaboration spaces, with continued plans to enhance areas for gathering and teamwork. 

Inspire a conscientious and well-equipped community of employees dedicated to making a positive impact in the workplace and beyond.

Measuring Success

• Sustain or demonstrate improvement in employee perception and engagement (Measured by semiannual metrics within CSU and College of Business culture surveys).  
• Maintain the College of Business voluntary turnover rate at or below the annual CUPA-HR national industry average, while ensuring that no more than 50% of employee resignations are attributed to controllable factors, as measured through exit interview survey data. 
• From 2026 through 2030, increase the proportion of College of Business employees who achieve overall performance ratings of “Highly Effective,” “Exceptional,” or “Effective” (State Classified) and “Effective” or “Exceptional” (Faculty and Administrative Professional) by an average of 1.5% per year, as measured through annual performance evaluations, resulting in a cumulative 6% increase by 2030 compared to the 2026 baseline. 

Key Practices and Initiatives

SPOT Award Program

On an ongoing basis, SPOT awards reward employee contributions that exceed expectations through extraordinary behavior.  

Greening the College of Business and Courtyard Renovation

Over 50 "high impact" live plants were installed and maintained in common areas of Rockwell Hall and Rockwell West. Most recently, plant installations have been added to select classrooms. To better connect employees and students to the outdoors and enhance the workplace, the College renovated the courtyard during the summer of 2025, adding low-water pollinator plants, dark sky lighting, new seating, and improved aesthetics. 

Culture Survey

About every 1.5 years, the College’s culture is assessed via a third-party survey. Results lead to plans to address areas of growth within each unit. 

PEEP Sessions

The College’s HR team and the People Engaging in Enrichment Program (PEEP) Committee hold various sessions on connections, wellness, and sustainability. 

College Intranet and CoB News

Intranet development improved navigation so employees can easily access a wide range of helpful information. Weekly CoB news emails remain a vital means of updating employees regarding a wide assortment of news.