A Plan for Excellence and ROI

Establish shared definitions for research excellence that include both rigorous academic scholarship and applied research with demonstrated business and societal impact, supported by clear and multidimensional metrics of success.

Align promotion and tenure standards with the college-level definition of research excellence, prioritizing quality, influence, and relevance while preserving the flexibility needed to honor discipline-specific standards. 

Reinforce the importance of applied research by establishing annual faculty awards recognizing outstanding impact-based research.

Systematize a college-wide approach to identifying and nominating faculty for nationally recognized honors aligned with elevated definitions of excellence.

Implement a college-wide mentorship program for early-career faculty to institutionalize research guidance and ensure faculty across all departments receive consistent and ongoing support.

Expand college-level financial support of research by creating a dedicated competitive internal research support funding pool and expanding flexible research financing, including funding for summer research and graduate student research assistants. 

Expand support for grant development and partnered research navigation, connecting faculty with external partners to facilitate applied and interdisciplinary research opportunities with industry and communities.

Align faculty workload, teaching assignments, and additional compensation practices with a focus on workload equity to better protect research time.

Pursue growth in faculty capacity and instructional models, including the strategic use of adjunct instructors and instructional resources to deliberately distribute teaching and research responsibilities in line with differentiated faculty roles, strengths, and accreditation standards.

Invest in areas of emerging research strength to position the Ourso College for national prominence, including the potential creation of centers or institutes of excellence that concentrate existing expertise, attract resources, and build the college’s reputation as a recognized authority.

Expand the dissemination and translation (e.g., webinars, white papers) of faculty research for external audiences, strengthening the college’s ability to influence practice, inform policy, and engage industry and community partners.

Advance a coordinated approach to research storytelling, elevating the visibility of faculty work and reinforcing the college’s identity as a leader in impactful business research.

Leading indicator: initiatives to increase faculty expertise, collaboration, and visibility

Peer-reviewed articles in leading journals

Leading editorial positions

Published books with leading publishers

Applied publications and engagement in society

Design and implement a cohesive end-to-end student experience that connects recruitment, application, academic progress, and career outcomes, reduces fragmentation, and ensures consistent experiences across programs and modalities.

Strengthen clarity, access, and coordination of student support systems, including advising, student support services, and student organizations, providing students with clear pathways to navigate requirements and access support.

Enhance the Ourso College experiences for each student population, including undergraduates, graduate students, and online learners, to equip each population with the tools and mindset needed to succeed.

Expand investments in student-facing support infrastructures, prioritizing advising capacity, professional development, career services staffing, and operational support roles to ensure the quality and consistency of the student experience scales with the size of the student body.

Implement a structured, mandatory early-start professional development sequence for all students, providing flexible pathways for students to build career awareness, professional skills, and industry knowledge.

Expand access to career advising and mentorship, including peer and professional mentorship models, to provide students with direct exposure to industry perspectives, guidance, and professional networks.

Expand dedicated career development staff with discipline-specific specializations and internships.

Strengthen the college’s capacity to capture and utilize student professional development and outcome data, including data related to internships, work-based learning, and post-graduate destinations, by creating simple pathways for self-reporting and exploring meaningful incentives for participation.

Elevate student organizations and clubs as a core component of the professional development ecosystem, supporting leadership development and expanding opportunities for employer engagement and applied experience.

Leading indicator: undergraduate and graduate student retention

Leading indicator: student support comparable to peers in terms of academic advising, professional development, and scholarships available to students

Graduation rates

Internship participation and credentials

Starting salaries and positive student outcomes

Establish structured support for instructors across all roles, including graduate and teaching assistants, doctoral students, and adjunct faculty, to enhance teaching effectiveness and ensure instructional quality.

Establish a mechanism for gathering faculty input into teaching environment investments, including future technology upgrades, facility improvements, and classroom design, to align institutional investments with faculty needs.

Advance a coordinated approach to digital and hybrid instruction, including best practices and targeted development support to ensure high-quality, engaging learning experiences.

Emphasize and reinforce expectations and support for out-of-classroom faculty engagement with students, reinforcing an institutional commitment to office hours and mentorship.

Develop a more intentional approach to the use of adjunct and instructional faculty, prioritizing the engagement of industry practitioners who can integrate current knowledge and real-world applications into course delivery.

Establish a clear definition of teaching effectiveness, aligned with accreditation standards, to serve as the foundation for consistent evaluation across all instructional roles.

Establish a structured, regular curriculum review process at the program level to ensure coursework
remains aligned with evolving industry needs and emerging topics.

Operationalize a coordinated college-wide approach to integrating emerging technologies and competencies within coursework, equipping students with relevant and future-oriented skills.

Define and embed cross-cutting competencies around entrepreneurial thinking and applied problem-solving with clear career development progression and self-assessment from entry into the college through graduation.

Continue investing in distinctive programming and supporting innovative educational delivery models that differentiate the academic experience.

Establish a more intentional, curriculum-connected approach to experiential learning, ensuring students have access to structured opportunities to apply knowledge to real-world contexts during their academic journey.

Design, pilot, and scale flagship curriculum-embedded experiential learning opportunities with employers to ensure alignment with in-demand skills; provide opportunities for credentialing alongside degree programs where appropriate.

Strengthen the college's capacity to develop and expand professional credentialing pathways, identifying industry certification and licensure opportunities aligned with student career goals, and embedding preparation into existing degree programs.

Expand student access to high-impact experiential opportunities, including study abroad, professional travel, and global learning experiences, by creating and funding a dedicated scholarship fund to lower financial barriers.

Leading indicator: ongoing curriculum and program review process 

Support teaching excellence through support for experiential learning (e.g., live cases, simulations, study abroad), technology integration, and course updates

Faculty-to-student ratios

Student assessments of teaching effectiveness

Distinctive programs

Establish a more coordinated and intentional approach to industry and external engagement, including hiring dedicated college staff to clarify roles, structures, and ownership in support of consistent relationship development for the Ourso College.

Strengthen coordination with the LSU Foundation and LSU Alumni Association to foster data collection and sharing, align outreach efforts, and enhance the effectiveness of stakeholder engagement.

Foster a coordinated approach to alumni engagement. 

Strengthen connections between the college’s research enterprise and industry, government, and nonprofit engagement functions to expand opportunities for collaborative research.

Create a streamlined point of entry for companies, employers, and individuals seeking to engage the college by leveraging a “one-door” model that facilitates partnership opportunities.

Expand employer integration across the college, including leveraging advisory boards and flexible advisory groups as active strategic bodies, to maintain curriculum relevance and identify emerging needs.

Establish a proactive external engagement strategy that elevates the visibility of the college in key markets through coordinated outreach, targeted engagement, and digital offerings in areas where alumni and industry partners are concentrated.

Strengthen alumni-student engagement models, including revitalizing and expanding the existing mentorship program to contribute to student learning and professional development.

Develop partnerships and connectivity within the Baton Rouge and regional entrepreneurship ecosystems to strengthen and elevate the college-connected entrepreneurial ecosystem and link students, faculty, and programs to relevant resources and opportunities.

Leading indicator: industry, community, and alumni engagement (e.g., readership, program participation, event offerings, volunteer service)

Philanthropic giving (e.g., total donations, unique donor count, first-time donor count)

Number of external partners and new employer partnerships

Establish a structured recurring onboarding and development model for faculty and staff that extends beyond initial orientation and is tailored to career stage, supporting growth from entry through leadership roles.

Implement consistent and transparent mechanisms to capture and act on faculty and staff input and assess internal culture and operations to clearly communicate resulting decisions and policies, reinforcing shared ownership and continuous improvement.

Strengthen cross-college collaboration and cohesion, including coordinating opportunities for interdisciplinary connection, shared learning, and community-building, to reduce silos and reinforce a unified college culture.

Develop a proactive capital plan for space, technology, and facility improvements that anticipates instructional and operational needs (e.g., collaborative and flexible spaces indoor and outdoor).

Establish clear, practical guidelines for decision-making and accountability at the college and departmental levels, empowering units to operate with greater clarity and confidence.

Align expectations, support, and evaluation by integrating workload considerations and performance assessment, ensuring faculty and staff are supported in delivering high-quality work while maintaining sustainable and effective operating practices.

Leading indicator: faculty and staff participation in professional development efforts

Capacity utilization

Maintain best-in-class facilities

Employee engagement scores

Staff-to-faculty ratios