University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Prepares to Roll Out State’s First Impact MBA Program
UW Regents endorse new program for the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business
Green Bay, Wis. — The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay received approval on Friday, August 24, 2018, to move ahead with an “Impact MBA” administrated by the University’s Austin E. Cofrin School of Business. An Executive Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program, the Impact MBA prepares working, experienced professionals to lead their organizations forward through the modern era of accelerating technology, disruptive business landscapes and growing social and environmental opportunities. UW-Green Bay’s program offers a unique approach to business leadership training in the state of Wisconsin. The program will begin in Summer 2019.
“This is not a traditional MBA program,” said Interim Dean of the Cofrin School of Business Mathew Dornbush. “Most MBA programs focus on traditional business courses at a higher level. The Impact MBA is an 18-month program that prepares executives to capitalize on the complexities of the modern business environment where the rate of change is truly unprecedented. Graduates of this program will make positive impacts in their companies, communities and industries.”
Courses will be delivered using a combination of face-to-face instruction, independent work, and online course offerings. According to Dornbush, the program is designed to satisfy all of the requirements specified by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) as well as the graduation requirements for UW-Green Bay. The program was developed in partnership with regional CEO’s from Northeast Wisconsin and will be a foundational program for the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business.
“As a university we are focused on meeting the cultural, social, and economic needs of Northeast Wisconsin,” notes Dornbush. “The manner by which the faculty of the Austin E. Cofrin School of Business have embraced this vision and worked with local leaders to develop this innovative program is evidence of the leadership Chancellor Miller has brought to our campus, and the extent of what we can accomplish together when we focus on partnership above all else. This is an inspired program, and a great step forward for our business college.”
UW-Green Bay’s Impact MBA program also has a novel “boot camp” component, recognizing that successful businesses are run by individuals from various backgrounds who do not always have a traditional business degree. Applicants to the program will have their professional and world experiences considered as qualifications to enter the program in lieu of traditional bachelor’s business degree coursework. “If we see an applicant that has the right business experience that equates to what a student would receive in an undergraduate level course, we’re going to recognize that experience as evidence of their readiness to enter our Impact MBA program,” Dornbush noted. “When deficiencies are found, we will work with the students to bring them up to speed and ready for success.”
“This MBA program is different from traditional business programs,” Dornbush said. “It is designed to deliver an impactful return to the businesses, which will be sending their employees to the program,” said retired Foth and CEO and Chairman Tim Weyenberg. “Throughout my career, I have understood the importance of continually developing leaders throughout organizations, and UW-Green Bay’s program is positioned to develop thought leaders for the entire region.”
UW-Green Bay has been offering outstanding undergraduate and graduate programs in accounting and business administration since its founding in 1965. This program is designed to meet the needs of the third largest metropolitan and economic region in the state, serving diverse and innovative business communities from Sheboygan to Marinette and everywhere in between.
“There is a tremendous need for the Impact MBA in our region and beyond,” says Craig Dickman, founder of Breakthrough Fuel and member of the Board of Directors for the Green Bay Packers. “The Impact MBA will be welcomed by the community as a signature program to equip leaders and businesses in our region with the tools and mindset to navigate the challenges that we face. Growth is critical for Northeast Wisconsin, and this proposed program fills a void in our educational offerings.”
About the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is a comprehensive public institution offering undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programs to nearly 8,000 students with campus locations in Green Bay, Marinette, Manitowoc and Sheboygan. Established in 1965 on the border of Green Bay, the University and its campuses are centers of cultural enrichment, innovation and learning. The Green Bay campus is home to one of the Midwest’s most prolific performing arts centers, a nationally recognized 4,000-seat student recreation center, an award-winning nine-hole golf course and a five-mile recreational trail and arboretum, which is free and open to the public. This four-campus University transforms lives and communities through student-focused teaching and research, innovative learning opportunities, powerful connections and a problem-solving approach to education. UW-Green Bay’s main campus is centrally located, close to both the Door County resort area and the dynamic economies of Northeast Wisconsin, the Fox Valley region and the I-43 corridor. UW-Green Bay offers in-demand programs in science, engineering and technology; business; health, education and social welfare; and arts, humanities and social sciences. For more information, visit www.uwgb.edu.
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