The Economic Forecasting Center (EFC) (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/efc/index.html) was established in 1973 for the research and development of econometric models related to national, regional and local economies. The EFC publishes eight newsletters, including quarterly forecasts of Atlanta, the state of Georgia, and the nation. EFC director Dr. Donald Ratajczak consults with organizations such as the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress, the Congressional Budget Office, the Council of Economic Advisors and the Georgia Department of Transportation. His forecasts receive international coverage in media such as The Wall Street Journal, Business Week and The New York Times. Ratajczak has appeared on Wall Street Week and CNN, and writes a weekly column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and a bi-monthly column for the CLU Journal. The EFC was the 1994 Recipient of the Blue Chip Award for Economic Excellence.

The recently launched Center for Digital Commerce (http://cis.gsu.edu/digicomm/) will help shape the direction of electronic commerce for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. The purpose of the center is to provide educational programs and expertise for companies that conduct electronic commerce and to help the State Legislature formulate effective policies in this area. The center, intended to be a major resource for the state in attracting and retaining industry, is funded through the Georgia Research Alliance and matching funds from the private sector. It is anticipated that a variety of research methods will be employed to better understand and document the emerging phenomenon of digital commerce. In addition to traditional research approaches, direct involvement in implementation projects, think-tanks, and policy formation activities will provide both practical as well as theoretical perspectives on digital commerce. This, in turn, will inform the center's educational initiatives.

The International Center for Entrepreneurship (http://robinson.gsu.edu/rec/index.html ) established in 1985 creates and provides innovative teaching, outreach and research programs that advance the theory and practice of entrepreneurship. Center resources and programs are focused on the life-long learning needs of student entrepreneurs, practitioners, and entrepreneurial organizations. Curriculum includes such topics as: venture initiation, entrepreneurship and the internet, international entrepreneurship, and family business management. The center is another vital link for students between the business community and the university.

The Decision Sciences Institute (http://www.decisionsciences.org ) is an interdisciplinary, international organization dedicated to the advancement of the science and practice of education and research about business decisions. The institute promotes excellence in teaching and scholarship, and seeks to serve current and future developmental needs of doctoral students, faculty, and academic administrators. Through national, international and regional meetings, competitions, and publications such as the Decision Sciences journal, the institute provides an international forum for presenting and sharing research in the study of decision processes across disciplines, in both traditional and emerging areas of study. Specifically, the institute seeks to define the scope of quantitative methods to functional and behavioral problems of administration and the degree of sophistication that should be achieved by graduates of collegiate schools of business administration. The institute is located within and receives extensive support from the RCB and GSU. Five regional subdivisions in the United States are operated within the institute. Each has its own elected officers and representative on the board of directors, holds annual meetings, and publishes a conference proceedings. In addition to these five regions, the institute has added a newly formed Asia-Pacific Region.

Created in 1996, the Center for Business and Industrial Marketing (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/marketing/Centers/CBIM/index.htm) exists to support research and enhance practice in the field of business-to-business marketing. The center works with its commercial partners and research affiliates to: provide information to CBIM partners about the functioning of business markets; promote a closer linkage between business research and practice; and encourage interaction among leading decision-makers of member firms. Currently, the center's efforts are focused on four key topics: marketing strategies and operations, buying strategies and operations, channels of distribution, and transportation and logistics. The center is affiliated with the Institute for the Study of Business Markets (ISBM) of Penn State University. Dr. Wesley Johnston, professor of marketing at GSU, is director of the center and is also the editor of the Journal of Business and Industrial Marketing.

Established in 1969, the Center for Risk Management and Insurance Research (http://rmictr.gsu.edu/) studies and disseminates information trends and issues in the broadly defined areas of insurance and risk management. Recent studies include insurer insolvencies, catastrophe risk management, insurance deregulation, international trade in insurance, derivatives, and studies of the health insurance market nationally and in Georgia. The center also supports certain educational activities. Most recently, it hosted seminars for international scholars on topics such as social security and insurers' use of derivatives financial instruments. The center is expanding its research and information activities in a major initiative focused on restructuring of the insurance industry and its regulation. The Insurance Research and Education Initiative (IREI) is designed to significantly enhance decision makers= understanding of insurance and have a substantial positive impact on business choices and public policy towards the industry.

Established in 1987, the Center for Mature Consumer Studies (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/marketing/Centers/CMCS/index.htm) focuses on the problem of marketing to older consumers. The center conducts research, both commercial and academic, both fundamental and applied, to understand and track developments regarding mature consumers, who have unique needs and are attuned to distinct information sources, but also may enjoy substantially higher disposable and discretionary incomes than consumers in general. The center also serves as a clearinghouse for information about the mature consumer market. For five consecutive years, the center has been cited by American Demographics magazine as one of the 100 best sources of consumer information in the United States. Based on his impact on the academic literature, the center=s founder, Dr. George Moschis, has been cited as one of the most influential figures in consumer research today.

The Real Estate Research Center, established in 1978, has the broad mission of helping GSU's RCB play a leadership role in advancing the real estate discipline as a distinct asset class. The center pursues its mission through a combination of education, research and service. The center places special emphasis on applied research in an effort to bridge the gap between the industry and academic communities. This applied focus operates on project selection and research dissemination, allowing the center to address significant industry issues and have the potential to improve best practices while also producing academically solid and publishable leading edge research. The center develops strategic alliances with these trade associations, real estate companies, service providers and data vendors. These strategic relationships help increase the center's linkage to industry as well as create cost-effective access to data that can be used in fundamental research and teaching. The center pursues its mission by assuming leadership roles in key industry and academic groups, using industry contacts, technology, and strategic relationships to enhance efficiency and maximize its impacts. (Website: http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/realestate/rerc/index.html)

The Small Business Development Center (SBDC) was established in 1979 and serves small businesses in the Atlanta area through one-on-one consulting, educational programs, and information services. The SBDC offers assistance to entrepreneurs at all stages of their company's growth. Housed within the Robinson College of Business, the SBDC uses the expertise of RCB and GSU as well as Atlanta business professionals. Regularly scheduled program topics include: legal issues, business plans, tax forms and procedures accounting/bookkeeping, financing, procurement and EDI, financial statements, marketing, selling a business, and entrepreneurs' roundtables. According to the 1994 SBDC client survey in Georgia, the average SBDC client firm significantly outperformed all Georgia businesses with higher percentage growth in both employment and sales. (Website: http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwsbp/)

The Center for Executive Education (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/executive/execed/index.html) will be a major strategic initiative of the college during the next five years to advance leading-edge management practices and to enhance our reputation among senior business leaders. The center's revenue base has improved from $30,000 per administrative employee in 1992 to roughly $200,000 in 1997. The center's mission is to design and deliver non-degree educational programs that meet the lifelong learning needs of alumni, corporate partners, and an increasingly global management community. While, during the last couple of years, the center has focused most of its efforts on the design and delivery of customized programs, a number of changes are needed to grow the center and increase its contribution. The needed changes include a greater focus on high quality retail programs that will serve a broader base of customers and an increased focus on marketing. The Center for Executive Education expects to double its revenue base during the next three years.

Founded in 1972 and housed in the RCB, the purpose of the Georgia Council on Economic Education ( http://www.gcee.org/default.htm) is to help teachers prepare students in the public and independent schools of Georgia for their economic roles as workers, consumers, and citizens. The council organizes workshops on hosting work-to-school programs at regional schools. The workshops use real-world examples, context-based learning activities, and peer-age instruction to help students interpret economic events through the application of economic concepts to the workplace, public policies, and daily life. The GSU Center for Business and Economics is also housed within the council.

The GSU Marketing RoundTable (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/business/marketing.html) brings together the top marketing officers of the two dozen largest firms based in the Atlanta area. The RoundTable facilitates professional development by giving these key decision-makers the opportunity to network and to keep abreast of the latest developments in Marketing. Member firms also enter into a special relationship with the faculty of the Marketing Department of the RCB. In exchange for financial support and access to corporate resources, the members receive advice and research assistance from the faculty. Dr. Kenneth Bernhardt, founder of the RoundTable concept, is director of the Marketing RoundTable. The Marketing Awards for Excellence--the "MAX Awards"--are given annually for the most outstanding marketing innovations introduced in Georgia in the prior calendar year. Criteria for these awards include technological innovation, innovation in market structure, evidence of actual or potential marketplace success, and societal impact. Qualifying entries are judged by members of the GSU Marketing RoundTable's senior marketing executives.

The CFO RoundTable (http://robinson.gsu.edu/business/cfo.html) was created to provide a locally domiciled vehicle for the continuing professional development of CFO's of the Atlanta area's large public companies but with access to nationally reputed premier-level experts and to foster growth of a local network of top level peers in corporate financial management facing kindred challenges and having mutual professional interests. The RoundTable develops soft-money underwriting of the scholastic purposes of GSU's Department of Finance and, in return, makes available the resources of the department and the university in support of Atlanta's financial community in a variety of formal and informal ways. The RoundTable is comprised of the principal financial officers of approximately 30 major companies within Atlanta's financial orbit, which include experts from the securities industry, securities exchanges, the financial reporting industry, rating agencies, leading academic researchers, figures in governmental agencies, and experts from leading companies outside Atlanta.

The Controllers RoundTable (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/business/controllers.html) was organized in 1993 through assistance of the RCB School of Accountancy Advisory Council. Its purpose to provide service to controllers from the larger corporations in the Atlanta area. The major benefit to members is professional development through interaction with peers and experts brought in to meet with the RoundTable and to act as facilitators. Other benefits include availability of resources from the School of Accountancy, including such items as access to library resources and data tapes, assistance in identifying articles and other references of interest to members, and priority treatment in identification of outstanding prospective graduates and interns or part-time employees. Membership in the RoundTable is limited to controllers from major companies within the Atlanta area.

Founded in 1991, the I/S Executive RoundTable (http:www.robinson.gsu.edu/business/information_systems.html ) is a group of executives who have senior-level responsibilities for information services within their respective organizations. Membership is limited to 30 organizations in order to ensure that there is ample opportunity for interaction among the members. The RoundTable membership has two direct benefits: one, to the members and to their companies, allowing one-on-one interaction with nationally recognized figures in the I/S field and networking with fellow I/S executives in the greater Atlanta area; and two, to the CIS Department, providing a crucial source of funds for sustaining and nurturing the health of one of the truly outstanding I/S programs in the country.

Formed in 1992, the Program for Applied Accounting Research (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/accountancy/professional/paar.html ), was designed to foster cooperative research efforts between faculty and practitioners in an effort to encourage and support high-quality, timely applied accounting research. The degree of participation by the practitioner depends on the practitioner's interest in the project and available time. Activities may range from a short meeting with the faculty researcher to discuss the project to involvement in all phases of the study and participation as a co-author.

The editorial offices of the journal DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems (http://www.cis.gsu.edu/~dbase/) are housed in the RCB's Department of Computer Information Systems. This journal is a quarterly publication of the Special Interest Group on Management Information Systems of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM-SIGMIS). The publication is the primary vehicle of communication to the membership, presenting articles of practical research significance and relating experiences in the area of business uses of information systems. The journal seek to provide an accessible, flexible, and timely forum for information on both well-researched topics and those less common, perhaps leading-edge topics which may not yet have found their way into the literature. The journal welcomes the opportunity to publish materials that are controversial or which may as yet be untested. Co-editors in chief of the journal are Ephraim McLean and Mark Keil, RCB professors of computer information systems.

The State of Business (http://www.robinson.gsu.edu/about/magazine.html ) is an alumni magazine published by the RCB three times annually. The magazine was begun in 1994 and has a current circulation of 41,000. Perceived as a "working person's school," the college has traditionally been chosen by students for convenience instead of stature. In recent years, however, the college received national recognition for its programs and faculty activities. The main objective of the magazine is to raise the perception of the college in the eyes of our graduates and the business community. The magazine is targeted at RCB alumni (35,000 of the 41,000), as well as faculty, staff, students, donors, state legislators and Atlanta-area business leaders. In addition, the magazine is the primary periodical sent to other schools, and therefore, is influential in shaping the opinions of our peers, the business school deans and MBA program directors who vote on national rankings. The essential strategies are to produce a professional publication that addresses current business issues using faculty and alumni experts, and to showcase the college as a dynamic and important member of the Atlanta community.