The Higher Education Review

When it comes to Bschools, one of the major challenges today is the traditional emphasis on research, specifically the empirical orientation of much of the research. Since much of the research is based on historical data, the solutions tend to highlight past circumstances and yield little in helping students (and scholars) address the current and future challenges in the marketplace. Fortunately, the current thinking of AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) has adopted a different stance, placing emphasis on ‘research that matters’, measured by the degree that the research positively impacts society.

An HBCU (Historically Black College/ University), AAMU College of Business and Public Affairs strives to be recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in teaching, research, outreach, exceptional academic programs and globally competitive students. The institute has a diverse student body, faculty and employee base. “Our students body consistsof a broad range, including first-generation college students to thirdgeneration students who are following parents and grandparents that have attended and graduated from the University.

We have a student body that has a healthy representation of foreign students, and we are engaged in increasing those numbers as we emerge from COVID related travel encumbrances. The University is in the process of evolving from R-3 status to R-2, indicating a greater emphasis in research activity across the four colleges”, speaks Dr. Charles W. Richardson, Jr., Dean and Professor of Marketing in the College of Business and Public Affairs at Alabama A&M University.

AAMU College of Business and Public Affairs has two principles that guide conception, development and offerings of academic programs. The first is the perspective that education and work are inexplicitly linked. As Willard Wirtz, former U.S. Secretary of Labor, once said, ‘There are not two worlds, education and work, there is one world - LIFE’. “At Alabama A&M University College of Business we take a supply chain

orientation to our academic offerings, incorporating input from corporate and community partners to develop and provide academic programs that are current in their content and delivery, providing learning outcomes that are relevant to the corporate sector. Our uniqueness is grounded in the principles anchoring our approach that utilizes ‘Centers of Excellence’,” highlights Dr. Charles W. Richardson.

Equipped to Prepare for Better Future
AAMU College of Business and Public Affairs resides in a spacious building that has more than adequate space to serve the students. The classrooms continue to be upgraded to reflect the technological advances and to accommodate current pedagogical practices. “One example is our combining in-classroom attendance with online participation where one class accommodates both modalities. We have numerous spaces that allow students to meet with peers and faculty, creating an atmosphere of a learning environment where everyone teaches and everyone learns”, says Dr. Charles W. Richardson, Jr. The students are trained by industry experts and the pedagogical approaches vary by instructor, giving each of them the opportunity to adapt to the course material as well as the student preferences and needs in instruction and evaluation.

AAMU College has seen an increase in faculty candidates that have terminal degrees and also have been employed in the corporate sector. They bring real life experience to augment their academic training. “We are starting with our perspective on recruiting faculty. By being guided by our accrediting body, we are searching for individuals that have both academic and practical experience, and we are seeing more and more candidates that fit that profile.

I spent 25 years in the corporate sector prior to my transition to academia, which has proven to be very valuable in the area of program development as well as addressing the learning outcome of our business programs. Problem solving versus memorization of time-dependent facts are the outcomes needed by our prospective employers. Institutions that fail to make that transition are destined to fail”, shares Dr. Charles.

Diving towards Growth Opportunities
At AAMU, specific efforts are made to engage the students in external activities, such as business case competitions and other similar events. The college also has deep ties with the community, including a Business

Advisory Council that provides guidance in program and course content, skills development, full time employment and internship opportunities. The Council has members representing corporate and government entities as well as the non-profit sectors.

AAMU students generally perform well, on an individual as well as ateam basis. These events provide opportunities for students to engage with employers to pursue opportunities for internships and long-term employment.

The college also supports a wide array of student activity clubs, typically aligned with corporations and/or special interest groups aligned with a specific industry. Financial aid is generally managed by the office of Student Affairs. The College also has funds that are used to support student matriculation including scholarships, work study assignments and internships.

Set up with the mission of ‘Service is sovereignty’, AAMU College of Business and Public Affairsenthusiastically embraces this mission, understanding and promoting that ‘It is better to give than to receive’. “We are in a service business, dedicated to serving and supporting our students and their families”, adds Dr. Charles.

"The students are trained by industry experts and the pedagogical approaches vary by instructor, giving each of them the opportunity to adapt to the course material as well as the student preferences and needs in instruction and evaluation"

Speaking about the future plans, Dr. Charles says, “We are consistently working on ways to advance and improve the outcomes for our students. Since change is a constant, and in order to be successful in the long run, we must not only embrace change, but we MUST initiate and champion change, while not being overly chaotic, and at AAMU, we leave no stone unturned when it comes to staying updated”.

Dr. Charles W. Richardson Jr., Dean & Professor, Aamu College Of Business And Public Affairs
Dr. Charles W. Richardson Jr. currently serves as Dean and Professor of Marketing in the College of Business and Public Affairs at Alabama A&M University. He previously served as Dean of the School of Business and Associate Professor of Marketing, at Claflin University and Associate Professor in the Marketing Department at Clark Atlanta University.