Dean's Last Word
T he Harbert College has enjoyed more than a decade of extraordinary success. Graduation rates and job placements are high; the student experience is second to none, and we have grown to be the largest college on campus. Our faculty has published thought-leading research, and our Centers and Institutes have enhanced business practice. Opportunity lies before us. The strategy with which we approach the next few years will be important. We must preserve and enhance the qualities and attributes that have brought success, and we must actively seek out new opportunities and develop new capabilities. Our planning must not only set a direction. It must also clarify a vision that engages our stakeholders — alumni, students, faculty, and staff — toward a common goal. To do so, it’s important for those of us responsible for articulating strategy to foster discussion, listen carefully, and ensure the common understanding that creates collective momentum. It's equally important to go beyond agreement to engagement, beyond consensus to commitment. A strategic plan is no more than a piece of paper unless those who are called on to make it a reality see it as a call to action. As we approach the next stage in our growth, let’s hold fast to those qualities that have led us this far: practicality, hard work, courage, humility. Let’s imagine and create and produce because each of our efforts, large and small, lift Harbert to the next level. War Eagle!
JENNIFER MUELLER-PHILLIPS Dean and Wells Fargo Professor Harbert College of Business
62 Harbert Magazine, Spring 2025
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