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Harris: “They help us preserve what is special…keep us focused on what is important”
In preparation for the development of a revised five-year strategic plan, the Robinson College of Business has completed the process of reaffirming its core values. According to Dean Sidney E. Harris, the College adopted five core value statements that “emanate from the rich history and tradition of the College, but will also serve as beacons for our future growth and development.”
Said Dean Harris, “With strategic plan activity underway it was critical that we looked within ourselves and reaffirmed just what these values are for the Robinson College. They are the underpinnings of our culture, they help us preserve what is special about the Robinson College and they will keep us focused on what is important.”
Harris noted that while core values exercises are common in the corporate world that is not the case in academia. “Yet,” said Harris, “for any organization to flourish, everyone must be on the same page and be passionate about what the organization stands for.”
Robinson College adopted five core values. They are as follows:
EXCELLENCE
We strive to be the best in everything we do.
INTEGRITY
We are truthful, fair and accountable at all times.
COLLEGIALITY AND DIVERSITY
We respect diverse perspectives and people in a collegial environment.
INNOVATION
We encourage and support new ideas.
PARTNERSHIP
We engage our stakeholders in mutually beneficial ways.
Harris noted that developing these values was the result of an extensive nine-month effort that involved nearly 350 members of the Robinson faculty and staff. The input from these groups, received through meetings and surveys, was brought to a 19-member Planning Committee. That committee had the task of condensing the information and preparing a final values statements.
Concluded the Dean, “The values statements we’ve just adopted will help guide Robinson’s efforts to remain a leader in business education, to compete with the best and to continuously improve the ways we develop and educate business leaders of the future.”
With the core values in place, the Robinson Planning Committee will begin work on other elements of the strategic plan, which is scheduled for completion in the spring of 2005.
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The J. Mack Robinson College of Business is one of the world's best business schools. The College's Flex (part-time) MBA program has been listed in the top ten by U.S. News for the past eight years and its undergraduate business program is ranked among the top 40 in the nation (top 25 among public universities). The College's Executive MBA program is listed on The Financial Times list of the world's top ranked offerings and BusinessWeek magazine ranks it 24th in the world. Georgia State University's Robinson College of Business has an enrollment for more than 8000 students and is located in downtown Atlanta.
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