Alignment of the Leeds School with Flagship 2030
(Draft 1 9/11/08)
The Core Initiatives
1. Enhancing Education and Scholarship. Increase the size and enhance the quality of our faculty
by adding 300 new tenure-track faculty in the next 10 years; create a new model for undergraduate
education to better prepare CU-Boulder students for a changing world.
With the concurrence of the Provost, the Leeds plans to invest a significant portion of the
increased revenue from the growth of the MBA program in faculty positions.
A key Leeds School campaign goal is raising $33 million for new faculty lines including
endowed chairs and professorships.
The Leeds School has redesigned its undergraduate curriculum, reduced class size, and is
increasing rigor to improve the undergraduate experience. The MBA curriculum is being
enhanced with increased offerings in entrepreneurship and sustainability. At the
undergraduate and graduate level there is an increasing emphasis on experiential learning.
Another campaign goal is the construction of a new undergraduate building to allow our
first and second year students to take their core business classes within the Leeds School
and to house expanded advising and career services which play a critical role in business
education. The new building would also house our Leadership Initiative (another major
campaign goal) which would better prepare our students for a changing world.
2. Fostering Research Excellence. Support our research mission by increasing institutional
funding and research expenditures by 5 percent each year; provide targeted investments in
cutting-edge research and creative work.
Fostering research and teaching is one of the five strategic goals of the Leeds School. Leeds
currently invests $1.5 million per year in faculty research support (summer stipends, data
bases, travel funds, and research awards). This year we will invest an additional $100,000 in
research support and plan to increase research support as out budget grows.
3. Enhancing Graduate Education. Increase the graduate student population from the current 15
percent of total enrollment to 20 percent.
The Leeds School has aggressively increased the size of the Fulltime MBA program (109%
in the last three years) and is planning to increase the size of our Evening MBA program.
We are considering specialty Masters Programs but are constrained by our small faculty
size. The teaching requirements for doctoral students have been reduced to allow them to
engage further in research projects.
4. Ensuring Access. Double merit- and need-based financial aid within five years; initiate a
statewide dialogue on expanding access to Colorado higher education.
Another campaign goal is to raise a $5 million endowment for scholarships to attract and
retain the most gifted undergraduate students. With the concurrence of the Provost, we
plan to use 20% of the increased revenue from the growth in the MBA program to fund
financial aid.
5. Supporting the Mission. Increase the university’s staff to support education, research and
creative work, service, and operations.
The Provost has funded two additional staff positions in undergraduate advising and career
advising. The Leeds School plans to make significant new investments in staff positions,
particularly in undergraduate advising and in our career center. The Leeds School has
reorganized support staff to more efficiently support faculty and students and is investing in
continued development of staff.
6. Investing in the Tools for Success. Increase investments in new technologies, new and
existing campus facilities, and library collections.
The Leeds School currently invested $1.2 million in technology in the new Koelbel Building
and spends $800,000 on technology and IT personnel per year. Investments in recording
technology in two class rooms allows classes to be delivered to remote students (including
students overseas).
7. Learning for a Diverse World. Implement new strategies for improving diversity; foster a
supportive and inclusive climate for all.
The Leeds School’s Diverse Scholars Program has grown to support 200 underrepresented
students at the Leeds School. The DSP has a greater than 90% retention rate and runs a
state-wide summer program for 11th graders to encourage them to attend college. The
Leeds School will fund a program that encourages 9th and 10th graders from Denver public
schools to attend college and pursue a career in business at the Leeds School.
8. Serving Colorado, the Community, and Our Graduates. Expand outreach programming
aimed at Colorado communities; enhance opportunities for lifelong and distance learning.
Serving Colorado, the community and our graduates is one of the five strategic goals of the
Leeds School. The Leeds School financially supports the Business Research Division which
provides business research and forecasts to improve business decisions and policy making
in the state (eg economic impact of aerospace, industry study and strategic plan for the
nanotechnology industry, the state economic forecasts (Business Economic Outlook
Forum)). Over the last two years the Leeds School has developed a Leeds Alliance initiative
which works intensively with 30 corporations in Colorado to build a deep mutually
advantageous relationship. As resources grow the school will expand the number of
companies in the Alliance.
The Leeds School Executive Education program offers public and custom business
education locally and internationally. The Evening MBA program uses technology to allow
students to participate in class while travelling.
The Leeds School has approximately 35,000 graduates and until four years ago had no
alumni director or alumni activities. The Leeds School now invests around $500,000 per
year to support alumni activities and outreach (including a monthly alumni update). Leeds
hosts more than 20 alumni events per year including international events to which we invite
all CU-Boulder alumni.
The Flagship Initiatives
1. Residential Colleges. We intend to build on our successful Residential Academic Programs
(RAPs) by creating a new campus-wide emphasis on “residential colleges,” offering a multi-year
residential academic experience for every entering student.
The Leeds School has submitted a proposal to establish a RAP in 2010-2011. The School
does not want a “business student only” RAP but envisions a RAP composed of business
students, engineers, scientists, designers etc around a theme of “entrepreneurship”.
2. Customized Learning. We will launch the “Colorado Undergraduate Academy” as an ongoing
incubator for innovative learning methods and customized learning experiences. The academy
will provide mentoring, individualized advising, and career counseling, as well as help attract
more of the nation’s best-qualified students to the university.
As mentioned above, the Leeds School in collaboration with the Provost, has invested in
expanded advising services. Such investments will be increased to better serve students.
The school has also assigned faculty within its academic divisions to provide individualized
academic and career advice to students.
The Leeds School allocated $100,000 per year beginning last academic year to support
innovative learning methods within the school. The school also has mentoring programs at
the undergraduate and graduate level for some students.
3. Experiential Learning. We will incorporate experiential learning programs more broadly in
every student’s education. These experiences may include research or creative projects with a
professor, study abroad, honors or senior thesis projects, entrepreneurial initiatives, portfolios of
creative work, full-time community service projects, or internships.
The Leeds School emphasizes experiential learning. Last year the Leeds School Career
Connections office posted 350 internships for undergraduates and 200 internships for
graduate students. Internships are also posted on the university’s career center website.
The Associate Dean for Undergraduate Studies has made the expansion of internships his
key goal for the year. The Leeds School Center for Business Integration hosts a project fair
that matches companies with student project groups and at the graduate level our
Entrepreneurial Solutions LLC provides consulting services for local companies and
organizations.
Approximately 25% of Leeds School undergraduates and all Executive MBA students
participate in an international experience. One of the school’s campaign goals is a $10
million endowment for a Business Global Studies Program. The program would foster
student exchanges such that 80% of our students have an international experience. There
are initiatives currently underway to increase undergraduate and graduate participation in
local and international community service projects.
4. Colorado’s Research Diamond. We will initiate a “Colorado research diamond” as a
collaborative enterprise among regional universities, businesses, government, and federal
laboratories. The research diamond will draw upon existing strengths to develop new
technologies, patents, and intellectual properties—and apply them to real-world needs in
Colorado and the world.
The Leeds School participates with CU-Denver and CU-Colorado Springs too provide an
Executive MBA program for the University of Colorado. The Deming Center for
Entrepreneurship works extensively with NREL and, to a lesser extent, other federal labs.
The Deming Center works very closely with the university’s technology transfer office. The
Deming Center’s Organics Industry Initiative will also be working collaboratively with
CSU. Individual faculty also have research collaborations underway with scientists from
the federal labs.
5. Transcending Traditional Academic Boundaries. We will build upon our excellent record in
interdisciplinary research and creative work to become a global leader in ventures that span
traditional academic fields. We will strengthen the university’s advocacy, support, recognition,
and financial incentives for faculty and students who engage and excel in interdisciplinary work.
The Deming Center for Entrepreneurship draws faculty from all academic divisions and
from other schools and colleges on campus to participate in interdisciplinary research,
teaching, and outreach. Professor Pete McGraw of the Leeds School co-directs the
Judgment, Emotion, Decision, and Intuition Laboratory with a professor from the
Psychology Department an interdisciplinary research center. Professor John Lynch,
recently hired by the Leeds School, will establish an interdisciplinary center for decision
making in the next academic year. The center will draw faculty from across disciplines in
the Leeds School and from across the university.
6. Building a Global Crossroads. We will establish a “Colorado Center for Global Education,
Research, and Advanced Studies” that will bring the world’s best thinkers to visit, work, and
study at CU-Boulder. The center’s competitively selected “Colorado Fellows” will address
specific global issues facing government, business, industry, communities, the state, and society
at large. In addition, we will expand student and faculty exchanges around the world.
The Leeds School supports a program in international management which, in part, brings
leading international scholars to the Leeds School and the university.
7. Creating University Villages. We will develop a new “university villages” concept to guide
plans for the build-out of major university properties. Working in collaboration with community
leaders, we propose creating mixed-use, education related spaces that meet the needs of the
university, the community, and the state.
The Leeds School’s Real Estate program has played a very active role in advising the
University of Colorado on real estate acquisitions and management. It has also participated
with CU-Boulder in exploring a number of different real estate proposals being considered
by the university. The Real Estate Center and Leeds students stand ready to work with the
university as it initiates its University Villages plan.
8. Alternative Degree Tracks. We will expand the options for earning University of Colorado at
Boulder degrees, providing greater emphasis on the master’s degree as a primary track, greater
support for students with advanced placement credits, and concurrent bachelor’s/PhD degree
programs in appropriate disciplines.
The Leeds School has a number of joint masters programs ranging from MBA/Law to
MBA/Anthropology. The School also has an undergraduate/masters degree in accounting
which is extremely popular and a joint undergraduate/masters program with the
Engineering school in telecommunications.
9. Year-round Learning. Within the next three years, we will examine changing the university’s
academic calendar to a three-semester, year-round schedule. This significant change in academic
culture would expand learning and research opportunities for both students and faculty—and
make better use of our resources, including facilities, personnel, and equipment.
The Leeds School is not able to accommodate all students who would like a business
education. The school attempts to accommodate these students by offering business courses
in the summer and is the second largest provider of summer school credit hours on campus.
10. Making Enterprise Work. We will seek greater operating flexibility and expanded resources
to meet our role and mission. A new relationship with the state of Colorado will emphasize our
public mission and our accountability under a more self reliant and market-driven model. We will
enhance our private fundraising efforts in support of university initiatives.
The Leeds School has been a vocal supporter of a more self-reliant and market driven
model for the university. The Leeds School recognizes that tuition and state support will be
insufficient to make Flagship 2030 a success. Private philanthropy is essential. The Leeds
School emphasizes fundraising as a core part of what we do (financial self-reliance is one of
our five strategic goals and a major part of the job of the Dean) and has been very
successful in fundraising over the last few years. We recognize that we need to be even more
successful in the future so that the goals of Flagship 2030 and of our own aligned strategic
plan are realized.