UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
2007 – 2008
AGENDA
February 21, 2008
1. Approval of Minutes
2. Report of Chair
3. Mandate on Center for Consumer Research returned from HSB College
Council with recommendation for approval
University Council Minutes of Meeting
January 17, 2008
In attendance: Professors Jeanne Brady, Audre Brokes, Jay Carter, Peter Clark, S.J., Piotr
Habdas, Thani Jambulingam, Alfredo Mauri, John McCall, Michelle Rowe, George Sillup, W.
Richard Sherman, Sam Smith, John Tudor, Dr. Cary Anderson, Ms. Marybeth Harrington, Ms.
Sue McFadden, Ms. Hollyanne Pronko, Mr. Richard Chambers, Mr. Timothy Castanza, Dean
Joseph DiAngelo, Dean William Madges, and Provost Brice Wachterhauser. Guests included
Associate Provost, Paul DeVito and Professor Herschel.
1. The meeting convened at 11:34 a.m. A motion to approve the minutes of the
previous meeting was made by Professor Sillup, seconded by Professor Mauri. The
minutes were approved by a vote of 12 – 0 – 2.
2. The Chair reported that the new University Student Senate officers serving on
University Council are:
Holly Anne Pronko
Timothy Castanza
President
Vice-president for Student Affairs
Richard Chambers
Vice-president for Academic Affairs
3. The next agenda item was the proposed mandate on Departmental Guidelines on
Rank and Tenure. The Chair explained that in recent years the Board on Rank and
Tenure has encouraged departments to more fully articulate how they evaluate
candidates in their fields. The departmental discussions and evaluations of candidates
drive the understanding of the broad standards in the Faculty Handbook. Professor
McCall clarified that FPP is being asked to write a statement for the Faculty
Handbook to specify the department’s responsibility for producing guidelines. FPP
should also discuss how and when changes to departmental standards will be
reviewed in the future – by the Dean and Board on Rank and Tenure every 5 years,
for example? Professor Smith questioned how specific the guidelines should be. The
Provost suggested they should be more specific than the Handbook in order to better
explain how departments will apply the Faculty Handbook criteria to individual
cases. It was noted that departments should begin this discussion now and not wait
for the findings from the FPP. The vote to send the mandate to FPP with a return date
of September 2008 was 16 – 0 – 0.
4. A motion to adjourn passed at 11:51 a.m.
2007/2008 - 06
PROPOSED MANDATE
FOR
UNIVERSITY COUNCIL
TITLE: Center for Consumer Research
OBJECTIVE: We propose to establish The SJU Center for Consumer Research, to be housed in the
Haub School of Business. The Center will leverage the research expertise of the faculty, connections to
industry, the Mission of the HSB, and the experience of the Director of the Center to establish a “think
tank” on issues related to consumer lifestyles. We envision this Center as a place in which ground breaking
research, seminars, and other projects will help forward-thinking organizations better understand the
evolving needs and concerns of today’s consumers. We are fortunate to have received startup funding for
the Center through a generous gift from Michael Hagan, CEO of NutriSystem, Inc.
REASONS FOR PROPOSED MANDATE: An SJU Center for Consumer Research will
be an organizational umbrella to encourage interdisciplinary research projects (e.g. the dynamics of food,
pharmaceutical and apparel marketing that influence consumers’ obesity and body image, the accelerating
fusion between food retailing and entertainment marketing, or the huge trend toward consumer
empowerment in choices ranging from healthcare to the development of packaged goods and soft goods).
RECOMMENDED FOR STUDY BY WHICH BODY?
_____ Faculty Senate:
Academic Policies and Procedures Committee
_____ Faculty Senate:
Faculty Policies and Procedures Committee
_____ College Council:
College of Arts and Sciences
___X_ College Council:
Haub School of Business
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Full-time Undergraduate
_____ Standing Committee on Student Affairs, Part-time Undergraduate/Graduate
_____ Administrative/Staff Council
Signature:
____Joe DiAngelo, Dean, HSB____ Date:____9/25/07______________
Please forward to the Provost who serves as Chair of the University Council, along with
complete documentation to substantiate the need for the proposed mandate.
The SJU Center for Consumer Research
A Proposal
Prepared by:
Michael R. Solomon
Professor of Marketing
Haub School of Business
Saint Joseph’s University
September 14, 2007
DRAFT 2
SJU Center for Consumer Research
Description of the Proposed Center
We propose to establish The SJU Center for Consumer Research, to be housed in the
Haub School of Business. The Center will leverage the research expertise of the faculty,
connections to industry, the Mission of the HSB, and the experience of the Director of the Center
to establish a “think tank” on issues related to consumer lifestyles. We envision this Center as a
place in which ground breaking research, seminars, and other projects will help forward-thinking
organizations better understand the evolving needs and concerns of today’s consumers. We are
fortunate to have received startup funding for the Center through a generous gift from Michael
Hagan, CEO of NutriSystem, Inc. The Director and Assistant Director of the Center will be
appointed by the Dean of the Haub School of Business.
We’ll summarize the Center’s raison d’etre with this statement: People don’t buy things
because of what they do; they buy things because of what they mean. Our choices of products
and services, whether food, furniture, or fax machines, reflect a pattern of consumption that
jointly defines a lifestyle. We can best understand the drivers of consumers’ individual decisions
when we view these choices through the more macro lens of lifestyle; how they work in concert
to create social identity and communicate that identity to others. As the popular saying goes,
“You are what you eat (or drive or wear…).”
A lifestyle perspective forces us to be holistic. It makes us recognize that while on the
surface a food company is vastly different from an apparel company, which is different from a
pharmaceutical company, which is different from an entertainment company which is different
from a non-profit organization, at a deeper level these endeavors have more in common than is
first apparent. Each is a thread consumers use to weave together a lifestyle that expresses their
desired social identity. Although this gestalt perspective is most likely apparent to most laymen,
ironically the large majority of business executives and policy makers tend to neglect it as they
grapple with issues specific to their own industry. In reality, many of these concerns are common
– at least in the abstract – to their counterparts in many diverse organizations.
This gap between theory and practice creates interesting opportunities for synergy and
discovery. It allows us to transcend the “silos” that academic business disciplines and their
counterparts in the commercial world build. When we reach across disciplines and product
categories, we can leverage the many pockets of expertise within the Haub School and SJU
overall that relate to consumer behavior issues. Within HSB for example we will embrace both
extant competencies in Food Marketing and Pharmaceutical Marketing as well as the Marketing
Department’s emphasis on further developing its programs in sports and entertainment marketing,
marketing communications, and international marketing (as well as my own work in fashion and
consumer behavior). And, clearly there are numerous ways to involve Arts & Sciences faculty
whose scholarship overlaps with lifestyle topics, ranging from social scientists (n.b., I am trained
as an experimental social psychologist) to theologians and education researchers. The Center will
support the Haub School’s Mission to master the “…principles and practices of business in a
diverse, ethical, and globally aware context” as it develops research programs and outreach
activities that celebrate today’s multicultural and global consumer. We hope to leverage our focus
on emerging Web technologies to provide programming that transcends geographic boundaries
and involves colleagues from other disciplines as well as other countries. For example, I was
recently appointed as a Professor of Consumer Behaviour at Manchester Business School in the
U.K. (now ranked #3 globally); this connection will foster research relationships between MBS
and SJU.
The Center for Consumer Research integrates the crucial pillars of SJU’s Mission:
Ethics: The lifestyle rubric embraces SJU’s strong ethical commitment as well as the
Haub School’s international focus (Note: Prof. Wood and I recently received an Arrupe Center
Fellowship to study the ethical and consumer behavior consequences of false representations on
blogs and product websites). People’s desires for a more satisfying lifestyle (as culturally
defined) drives the expansion of transitional economies --and a host of ethical issues arise as
developing countries import the ethos of consumer culture. In addition, individuals’ choices of
products like food, activities like exercise, expressive purchases ranging from cosmetics to cars,
and even charitable participation all reflect values, desires, and cultural priorities. At the end of
the day, quality-of-life issues are consumer lifestyle issues as well.
The Center will enhance the University’s Mission to instill “…transforming commitment to
social justice.” One tangible focus of this ethical emphasis will be the promotion of socially
responsible consumer choices that encourage environmental sustainability. The Center will
promote research and social programs that encourage “green” lifestyle choices in several
domains including food, apparel/textiles, and home design. To this end, several initiatives are
already underway:

I have been named as a Core Advisor to The Mass Roots Project. This new initiative is
funded by the philanthropist Pierre Omydar (the founder of eBay). The initial goal of the
Project is to devise a Universal Product Label that will enable consumers to clearly
identify products that meet a set of criteria for environmental sustainability. According to
the Mass Roots Project’s mission statement:
Our overarching goal is to reverse negative trends in environmental and
social health. We want to preserve biodiversity, reduce human-caused climate
change, and, at the heart of it, enable people to reconnect to their communities
and ecosystems. To do this, we want to address the issues at the systems level, by
empowering consumers to drive social and environmental change through their
daily choices. The results will be seen everywhere: improved human health,
higher biodiversity, decreased impact from global warming, and a positive future
for our children.

I am collaborating on research with the House_n Consortium at MIT; an
academic/industry network that promotes new approaches to design and the integration of
useful technologies into the places where we live, work, and play. We are designing an
online modular configurator that will allow laymen to design and furnish living spaces
that maximize environmentally sustainable parameters and reduce the occupant’s carbon
footprint. In one spinoff of this project, we are currently writing a proposal for a
MacArthur Grant in partnership with the Sulake Corporation of Finland. This company
created the Habbo Hotel; an online environment for teenagers that lets users design their
own living space. It is currently the largest such community in the world, with roughly
78 million participants. Our goal is to integrate our work on sustainability feedback to
educate users about the environnmental consequences of their living choices by giving
them access to a “green score” based on the carbon footprint they generate.

I am Principal Investigator on a three-year grant, “Strategic Sustainability and the
Triple Bottom Line,” funded by The National Textile Center, U.S. Department of
Commerce (total funding = ~ $320,000). We are collecting U.S. consumer data
regarding attitudes toward and awareness of sustainability, as well as a parallel
dataset from textile industry executives. Several case studies of “triple bottom line”
firms (that maximize economic, social and environmental profit) are underway. We
are also beginning discussions with The European Union about replicating this work
in Europe.
Teaching: Rigorous and relevant teaching is of course central to SJU’s mission. The
Center will contribute to the University’s emphasis on cura personalis when it involves both
undergraduate and graduate students in its programs. We have already included four outstanding
undergraduates and two M.B.A. students in research related to the Center for course credit (six
more undergraduates are currently enrolled for Fall 2007). Student Fellows will have the
opportunity to participate in research programs the Center spawns and to interact with senior
executives by attending programs we host. In addition we plan to involve students who are
taking courses in event planning, food marketing, etc. in the implementation of our on-site
academic and executive programs. We will also be developing teaching initiatives in conjunction
with our leadership of the SJU Virtual Campus Initiative, described below.
I am the author of several prominent textbooks, including a Consumer Behavior text that
is the most widely used in the world. The book has also spawned regional editions in Canada,
Europe, and Australia and has been translated into many languages. As part of a new opensource book project now under development that will include free hard copies (with additional
online pedagogy available) to students around the world, we are currently in discussions to
receive funding from The Hewlett Foundation. The project will investigate emerging teaching
techniques (such as developing curricula in Second Life and other virtual environments) and how
best to make these congruent with the cognitive styles of today’s students. This topic relates
directly to the Center’s objectives as it focuses on the changing media environment and the
blurring of boundaries among online gaming, social networking, and online education.
Research: An SJU Center for Consumer Research will be an organizational umbrella to
encourage interdisciplinary research projects (e.g. the dynamics of food, pharmaceutical and
apparel marketing that influence consumers’ obesity and body image, the accelerating fusion
between food retailing and entertainment marketing, or the huge trend toward consumer
empowerment in choices ranging from healthcare to the development of packaged goods and soft
goods).
Several synergistic research initiatives are already underway:

In addition to the Department of Commerce grant on sustainability mentioned above, I
am the P.I. on two other multi-year grants:
o
“A Visual Approach to the Assessment of Apparel Brand Personality and its
Relationship to Brand Equity,” National Textile Center, U.S. Department of
Commerce, ~ $110,000 per year for three years
o

“Masculine Style(s): Shifting Identities and Textile/Apparel Industry
Opportunities,” National Textile Center, U.S. Department of Commerce,
~$350,000 per year for three years
Prof. Wood and I are also developing consumer research initiatives with several
other SJU faculty, including Profs. John Stanton (Food Marketing), Nancy Childs
(Food Marketing), and Thani Jambulingam (Pharmaceutical Marketing).
Outreach: The Center will be an outreach vehicle that will host conferences and
executive education programs. For example, in 1985 Prof. Solomon organized and chaired the
first interdisciplinary conference on The Psychology of Fashion (at New York University) that
attracted over 500 academics and practitioners from diverse fields including product design,
advertising and merchandising. Similarly, An SJU Center for Consumer Research will be a
vehicle to enable academics, students, and industry professionals to synergistically address the
consumer-related issues and problems organizations face today. Our first conference (described
below) will be held in May 2008.
Current Activities
We have already initiated two projects in anticipation of the Center’s inception (pending
approval):
1. SJU Virtual Campus: Prof. Natalie Wood and I wrote a proposal to create a Saint Joseph’s
campus in the virtual world called Second Life. To date we’ve received funding commitments
from the Office of University Communications, HSB, the EMBA Program, The Office of
Development and the SJU Teaching Institute. The rapid growth of the virtual world phenomenon
heralds a major lifestyle change for millions of consumers as well as for many businesses -- and
simultaneously creates many research opportunities. We hope to involve numerous SJU faculty,
administrators, students and alumni in this initiative and also to use this digital platform to
develop research projects and programs.
2. Virtual Identity Conference: Prof. Wood and I have been selected by the Society for Consumer
Psychology (a division of the American Psychological Association) to co-chair the 2008 annual
Advertising and Psychology Conference, to be held next May in Philadelphia. The selection of
our proposal was competitive. The conference typically attracts about 100 leading scholars and
we will also co-edit a book composed of selected papers from the meeting. This meeting will
spotlight SJU and our Center
Planned Activities
The following are initial possibilities for roundtables, conferences and/or research projects
the Center for Consumer Research might sponsor. Obviously other topics will emerge as we work
with SJU faculty and external supporters.



Changing body image and ideals of beauty in men and/or women:
o Note: This dovetails with my current U.S. Department of Commerce funded
work on masculinity. I have also published extensively on ideals of beauty
for women and my Consumer Behavior text was the first to discuss such
topics as body image and eating disorders.
Metabolic Syndrome (aka Syndrome X or Metabolic X Syndrome)
o Note: I am working with a startup company (Fitness Factors) as part of a
panel of physicians, exercise physiologists and other health professionals to
develop nutrition and exercise products and assess consumer feedback prior
to launch. One focus is on combating Metabolic Syndrome; a cluster of
conditions that occur together and increase risk for heart disease, stroke and
diabetes. I recently completed a campaign for Bayer Healthcare that
promoted aspirin usage to prevent heart attacks among people over age 40,
where I served as national media spokesman.
Consumer values research and emerging trends in consumer behavior (e.g. trends in
weight loss and appearance modification).
o Note: Obviously Michael Hagan’s NutriSystem connection makes this
attractive.










Lifestyle branding strategies and research techniques
o Note: I have helped to develop online applications to examine brand equity
issues for such companies as DuPont, Calvin Klein, and Pittsburgh Paint and
Glass
Self-service state-of-the-art technology in grocery and retailing
o Note: This area dovetails with faculty interests in Food Marketing.
M-Commerce (advertising on cellphones etc.)
o Note: I am currently working on a pilot project with a major carrier in this
area.
Consumer acceptance of organic food, sustainable clothing, home furnishings;
Consumer acceptance of genetically modified foods
Avatars and Graphical Interfaces: The Next Consumer Frontier
o Note: Cf. our current initiatives in this area as described above.
The Consumer/Technology Interface: Home of the Future
o Note: I am currently serving on the Advisory Panel of Living Tomorrow,
Inc., a European organization that builds facilities to showcase emerging
technologies and encourage innovation across industries.
Integrating Sports, Food and Entertainment Marketing (advergaming, branded
entertainment, product placement, etc.)
Obesity and marketing to children
o Note: I am currently working with Prof. Nancy Childs (Chair, Food
Marketing) on research related to this topic.
Consumer compliance with pharmaceutical/medical regimens
o Note: I am currently working with Prof. Thani Jambulingam (Pharmaceutical
Marketing) on a grant proposal related to this topic.
Ethics in cyberspace
o Note: Profs. Wood, Brent Smith (Marketing) and I were recently selected as
Arrupe Fellows to conduct research in this area.
Outreach Activities
A large number of senior executives have committed to serving on a Thought Leaders
Advisory Panel for the Center. They will be an invaluable resource for directing us as we
prioritize programming priorities and solicit funds for research and programming. Confirmed
members to date are listed here:
Joe Barstys
Manager, Retention Marketing
Subaru of America
Bill Bieberbach
VP Corporate Development
RonJon Surf Shops
Danielle Blugrind
Director, Consumer and Brand Insights
Taco Bell
Peter Bongers
CEO
Living Tomorrow, Inc.
Camille Candella
Marketing Director
MAGIC (Menswear Apparel Guild in California)
Joe Chernov
VP, Communications
Bzz Agent, Inc.
Joseph D’Amore, M.D., VP
Fitness Factors, Inc.
Tim Dunphy
Sr. Marketing Manager – Consumer Insights
Black & Decker
Chas Fritz, CEO
Neomedia Technologies
Paal Fure
Managing Director
Vizeum (Norway)
Mike Gilman
CEO
Data Mining Technologies
Marc Gobé
CEO, President and Creative Director
Desgrippes Gobé Group
Dee Dee Gordon
Co-President
Look-Look, Inc.
Michael Hagan (SJU alum), CEO
NutriSystems
Florian Haller, CEO
Serviceplan Group (Germany)
Harvey Hartman
CEO
The Hartman Group
Dick Heilman
Director, Strategic Marketing, Automotive OEM Glass
PPG Industries
Rick Hendee
VP, Marketing Services
Cotton, Inc.
Alexander Julian, President
Alexander Julian, Inc.
Brian Kurtz
Executive VP
Marketing Boardroom Inc.
Nina Lentini
Editor
Marketing Daily
Anne Marie Luthro
VP Sales & Marketing
Envirosell, Inc.
Steve McCallion
Director
Ziba Design, Inc.
Chris McCarthy
Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer
Landis Strategy & Innovation, LLC
Carolyn McKernan
Marketing Research Manager
REI
Mary Lou Quinlan (SJU alum), CEO/Founder
Just Ask a Woman
Jeff Shelstad
Co-Founder
Flat World Knowledge, Inc.
Dick Silverman
Director of Special Projects
Fairchild Fashion Group
Jordan Stanley
President
Stanley Marketing Works, Inc.
Art Stewart
President/Senior Counsel
Stewart Strategies Group, LLC
Kay Unger, President
Kay Unger New York
John Wittenbraker
Managing Director, Brand & Communications
GfK Custom Research North America
Lee Zeidman, President
Zeidman=Corporate Communications Consultants
Funding Resources and Timeline
Michael Hagan, CEO of NutriSystem, Inc. generously provided $100,000 to fund our
startup. Pending approval of our proposal, we intend to disseminate press releases announcing the
formation of the Center in late September/early October 2007. Mr. Hagan has expressed great
interest in some of the initiatives described above and we anticipate that he will be further
involved in funding support for the Center as these develop.
We plan to pursue additional funding from several sources en route to becoming selfsustaining via income from conferences and other outreach activities:
Academic/Research funding: As previously noted I receive substantial funding from the
U.S. Department of Commerce. My three current projects each have at least one more year of
funding eligibility. I am currently working on grant proposals for a $250,000 MacArthur
Foundation grant and for support from The Hewlett Foundation.
Corporate funding: As of now I have 33 senior executives (several at the CEO level) on my
Thought Leaders Advisory Panel. To engage them initially I did not ask for any financial support
but once we begin our work I hope to approach several of them to fund research and/or co-sponsor
relevant conferences. In addition, I plan to request a corporate contribute from each Panel member
as a requirement to serve once I can establish the value to members of their participation.
Infrastructure and Administrative Support
We hope to occupy office space within the Marketing Department, pending a reconfiguration
currently in the planning stages. Prof. Phillips (Department Chair) supports this allocation. We
have hired a part-time Administrative Assistant. The Marketing Department has contributed a desk
and PC for her. We hope to conduct advisory panel meetings and possibly some programming in
the virtual environment of Second Life as we build out our SJU campus there. As necessary we
will subcontract event-planning functions to other SJU units such as the Academy of Food
Marketing.
CENTER FOR CONSUMER RESEARCH, HAUB SCHOOL OF BUSINESS
ESTIMATED 3-YEAR BUDGET
YEAR 1
Revenues
Gifts-Unrestricted
YEAR 2
100000.00
YEAR 3
50000.00
Gifts-Restricted
Grants
10000.00 50000.00
50000.00
SJU Virtual Campus Initiative
10000.00 10000.00
10000.00
Conference Revenue/Corporate
Programs
Corporate membership fees
10000.00
20000.00
25000.00
50000.00
Total Revenues
120000.00 95000.00 180000.00
Personnel Expenses
Faculty Salaries
24000.00 24700.00
25500.00
Teaching Release Time
10800.00 10800.00
10800.00
Administrator Salaries
Support Staff Salaries
30000.00
3600.00
3600.00
3600.00
38400.00 39100.00
69900.00
Student Personnel
Total Personnel Expenses
Fringe Benefits
1836.00
1889.55
10950.75
Non-Personnel Expenses
Supplies
5000.00 10000.00
10000.00
Travel
5000.00 15000.00
20000.00
Advisory Panel
2000.00
3000.00
5000.00
Total Non-Personnel Expenses
13836.00 29889.55
45950.75
Sub-Total Expenses
52236.00 68989.55 115850.75
Indirect Expenses
(From Finance)
Capital Equipment
Over $5,000
Construction/Renovation
Information Technology
Total Capital Equipment
0.00
5000.00
5000.00
5000.00
5000.00
Total Expenses
52236.00 73989.55 120850.75
Net Results
67764.00 21010.45
59149.25