In a global economy, it is increasingly challenging for students and business leaders to succeed amid the complex and demanding market forces.

In order to provide a wide range of knowledge and skills, an understanding of business disciplines, cultural awareness, and the ability to adapt to change, The City University of New York’s College of Staten Island (CSI) announces the formation of the School of Business.

While newly formed, the School of Business has historical roots spanning more than four decades, with a strong and growing network of professionals who have taken their place in leadership positions at prestigious organizations such as CitiGroup, Credit Suisse, and Deutsche Bank; as entrepreneurs; in government and non-profit sectors; and as career resources for current students.

The formulation of the School of Business allows the College to harness its resources and more effectively than ever prepare and shape future business leaders through the long-respected legacy of teaching, scholarship, and professional engagement of faculty from the former Business Department and the economics discipline.

Programs combine business discipline skills, exposure to the latest technology, and the breadth of the liberal arts and sciences through its comprehensive curricula, with undergraduate and graduate students taught by expert full-time and professional faculty with a low student-faculty ratio, allowing for more personalized instruction.

The full-time and adjunct faculty are dedicated to rigorous instruction, innovative pedagogy, and mentoring. In small classes, through online courses, by directing internships, mentoring doctoral students at The Graduate Center/CUNY, or leading international study experiences, the faculty strive to provide exceptional learning experiences, according to Dr. Susan L. Holak, Interim Founding Dean of the School of Business.

Named by CSI Interim President Dr. William J. Fritz to lead the new School, Dr. Holak has a distinguished career at the College, having most recently served as the Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness.

“Business is synonymous with dynamic environmental forces, technological innovation, internationalization of markets, and changes in consumer decision making,” commented Dr. Holak, and “the School of Business is the intellectual home to more than 2,400 students.  We are committed to offering rigorous business education that fosters intellectual growth and career advancement for students of diverse academic and cultural backgrounds. I am proud to build upon our decades of tradition alongside my expert faculty colleagues, working with our engaged and growing alumni base, and interacting with our dedicated, inspiring students.”

And it is these students who are, in turn, inspired through unique experiential leaning and leadership opportunities, and through student organizations, co-curricular activities, independent research, community engagement in New York City, and the annual Undergraduate Conference on Research, Scholarship, and Performance each spring, a forum where students present their compelling research topics alongside their faculty mentors.

As the College of Staten Island is home to CUNY’s Interdisciplinary High-Performance Computer Center, CSI is emerging as a leader in computational research. The School of Business makes use of the Center and offers opportunities in business analytics through coursework and independent study research.

Students in the School of Business also have an ever-expanding choice of study-abroad opportunities and international exchanges facilitated by a full-service Center for International Service.

At home, students have the opportunity to interact with the Borough’s New York State Small Business Development Center (SBDC), housed in the School of Business.

The College’s bucolic 204-acre campus and newly opened Dolphin Cove residence halls bring students from the New York City area together with others from across the United States and the world to take advantage of CSI’s resources and easy access to Manhattan.

For further information about the School of Business at the College of Staten Island, visit www.csi.cuny.edu/schoolofbusiness, email businessdean@csi.cuny.edu or call the Office of the Dean at 718.982.2920.

The School of Business is located at 2800 Victory Boulevard in Staten Island, New York City, and is the first of several new schools planned for CSI’s Willowbrook campus, fulfilling the goals in the institution’s 2011-2016 Strategic Plan and demonstrating the College’s growth, evolution, and response to the region’s needs.

School of Business at a Glance

—Programs with specializations in Accounting, Economics, Finance, Management, Marketing, and International Business.

—Baccalaureate Degrees awarded include the Bachelor of Science in Business, the Bachelor of Science in Accounting, the Bachelor of Science in Economics, the Bachelor of Arts in Economics, the Master of Science in Business Management, and the Master of Science in Accounting.

—Associate’s Degree opportunities allow students to explore business study and transition seamlessly into baccalaureate programs.

—Business and Economics minors for undergraduates who major in other disciplines and wish to enhance their training and career opportunities.

—Faculty members have earned distinction in their academic disciplines and gained recognition as Fulbright Scholars, National Science Foundation grant recipients, National Endowment for the Humanities grant recipients, and National Academy of Sciences expert panel members.

—Faculty members hold positions on journal editorial boards, occupy leadership roles in professional organizations, and consult to federal, state, and local governmental agencies.

—Student Leadership opportunities abound in career-oriented organizations including the Accounting Club, the Business Innovation Club, the International Business Club, and the Marketing Association (with a chapter of the American Marketing Association).

—Honor Societies include chapters of Sigma Beta Delta, the international honor society for business, management, and administration, and Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society for economics.

—International Partnerships include the Institut de Préparation à l’Administration et à la Gestion – IPAG (France), the Dublin Institute of Technology (Ireland), and the University of Canberra (Australia), Denmark, and other locations. New international collaborations are developing in China.

 

About Susan Holak, Interim Founding Dean, School of Business

Dr. Susan L. Holak has been a member of the College of Staten Island faculty and has served in campus leadership positions, such as Director of the William E. Macaulay Honors College of CUNY at the College of Staten Island, and most recently as Associate Provost for Institutional Effectiveness. In that role, she directed the College’s successful decennial Middle States reaccreditation process.

Dr. Holak earned a BS in Economics from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where she was named to Beta Gamma Sigma, the business honorary society. She received her MPhil and PhD degrees in Business from Columbia University. As Professor of Marketing, her research interests include new product development, consumer behavior, and cross-cultural marketing.

Publications by Dr. Holak appear in prestigious marketing and business journals, including the Journal of Marketing, Journal of Marketing Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Product Innovation Management, and Advances in Consumer Research.

Dr. Holak completed the HERS Summer Institute for Women in Higher Education at Bryn Mawr College in 2008 and recently participated in a year-long academic leadership program, co-sponsored by the American Academic Leadership Institute (AALI) and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU).