Activities in Support of Mission

• Analytical and Operational Support for Corporate Decision Makers
• Starting and Growing Businesses

  The Center provides support for the analytical needs, especially in the areas of funding, valuation and strategy, of both new and growing businesses. Parallel analytical help for government agencies that work with these businesses is provided.

• Turnarounds and Restructurings

  The Center provides help to managers responsible for such activities. The help usually involves either analysis of current needs and gaps or the planning of operational improvements.

• Enterprise and Corporate Transformation

  The Center supports corporations in their transformation endeavors when the opportunity is appropriate. Such support may include diagnosis of needs, design of an integrated business plan for transformation and/or the implementation of the plan. The recent economy continues to produce many such opportunities.

• Sustainable Business

  The Center believes there is a real need for financial perspectives to be brought to bear in this rapidly emerging area. While relatively new to North America, the concept of designing and operating sustainable businesses finds wider use elsewhere in the world. Sustainable business refers to the balancing of human, financial and ecological concerns so that a business can serve all its stakeholders on a continuing basis. We intend to be part of the continuing evolution of this area.

• Support for Private Equity/Venture Capital Fund Managers and Investors

  The Center's capabilities and interests include the provision of professional education, analytical support (when requested and appropriate), economic updating and conference/workshop activities. Analytical support can include the structuring and start-up of new funds.

• Analytical Support for Public Policy Makers

  Through impartial analysis in its area of expertise the Center actively supports improvements in public policy especially through public-private partnerships of different kinds and involving different levels of governments. In the areas of finance, economic development and innovation the Center is able to help frame issues and analyze needs for consideration by policy makers. The Center does not position itself as an active advocate or active promoter of specific courses of action in the public sphere.
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• Economic Updates and Case Research

  The Center provides continuing updates of economic activity in the region. These updates are based on original research. The Center believes there is also a continuing need for contemporary case research relevant to two groups. The first group is active professionals. The second includes graduate students. The Center is moving to meet these needs.

• Conferences and Public Programs

  The center provides three programs a year of a conference, panel or workshop nature.

• Graduate and Professional Education for the School of Management

  The Center contributes to graduate and professional education in four major dimensions.

• Development and Delivery of MBA/MS Courses

  Graduate courses have been developed and are delivered in the areas of private equity finance, entrepreneurial finance and international financial management. The Center is preparing to deliver further courses in the area of corporate transformations and turnarounds.

• Customized Individual Study

  The Center pioneered the use of customized individual study opportunities developed in conjunction with outside companies which support the Center's activities. These opportunities are somewhat like internships, but allow more customization of calendar schedules, credit hours, team membership, matching of student capabilities with needs and nature of final product produced. Approximately fifteen students have used these opportunities in the last two years.

• Executive MBA Program

  The Center has designed and is delivering a three credit-hour course in enterprise transformation for the Executive MBA program of the School. This is expected to evolve into a regular programmatic mainstay of the Executive MBA program.

• Outreach

  Some Center academic courses have been re-designed and proposed for delivery at other universities.

 

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