Last Week's Meeting
Rotary was on the road last week at the Williamson College of Business Administration on the campus of Youngstown State University. In her introductory remarks, President Sharon commented that the Williamson School has played an important role in the development of downtown Youngstown since its ribbon-cutting and opening in 2010. Not only was the building a $3.4 million investment in the campus, the city of Youngstown contributed $1.2 million for the Hazel Street link from the University to downtown.
Dr. Kelly Wilkinson, Dean, welcomed Rotarians to the Williamson College of Business Administration. We discovered that Dean Wilkinson has a connection to Rotary – her father was a member of the club in Pocahontas, Arkansas.
As students observed our meeting, Dr. Wilkinson noted that it was the loyal alumni, former students who still love YSU, that brought her here. Dr. Wilkinson took over as dean in December 2021.
Dr. Wilkinson sees the role of WCBA as one of innovation, engagement, and impact. Already, the school is among the top 5 business schools in the country for career readiness, and top in ethics and integrity. Faculty and staff are open to diverse and new ways of thinking, and are in the process of modernizing the curriculum in order to be a lifelong learning center for the community.
Dr. Wilkinson wants to develop a mentoring program with the business community, so upon graduation, students know what to expect in the workplace. She would like to see in the future, that each student receives $3,000 in “development funds”, which can be used for study abroad, internships, or even buying the appropriate clothing for interviews and that new job.
Although enrollment is down 4% this year in the Business School, more than 500 students are enrolled in the online MBA program. There are fewer high school seniors graduating, so there is a smaller pool of applicants for all colleges. Current WCBA students have an average GPA of 3.0, an accomplishment of which to be proud. And despite news reports to the contrary, the accounting program at YSU is not going to be cut! As the profession itself undergoes change, YSU will be meeting that challenge by bringing the curriculum up to date.
In other news:
- A Rotary golf outing at Stambaugh raised $500 for Ukraine relief;
- Beerfest committee needs members;
- The “Night for Ukraine” fundraiser in District 6650 is almost halfway to its $100,000 fundraising goal.
