March 9, 2023
Shawnee State University’s Department of Business Administration recently transitioned to the C.H. Lute School of Business in mid-2021, with the official naming unveiled in early 2022.
“Bringing even more business education opportunities to our region is a primary objective for our university,” SSU Provost Sunil Ahuja said. “These steps reflect our continued commitment to helping our students as well as acknowledging the support we receive partnering with our regional business community.”
The school offers bachelor’s and related degrees in six disciplines: Accounting, Healthcare Administration, Information Systems, Management, Marketing, and Sport Management.
“Our school represents more than 10 percent of the enrollment at Shawnee State,” School Founding Director Dr. Steve Rader said. “In addition to the students pursuing one or sometimes dual bachelor’s degrees, we have students in other disciplines who pursue minors or associate degrees that can broaden and strengthen their knowledge base for their primary majors.”
Dr. Rader noted the 21st-century economy, advancements in technology, and even precedents from the global pandemic have all driven a need for instruction in the best current practices.
“We are in a very exciting time to be teaching and learning about all the facets of business practices,” he said. “We employ state-of-the-art technology in remodeled classrooms in the Advanced Technology Center here on campus.”
Students have options in their schedules for certain classes in some semesters to be all online or in person. Using new teleconferencing technology, teachers and students can come together easily for classroom sessions online. Adapting to the needs during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need and demand for virtual engagement in the classroom has continued to expand.
“With our added all-online offerings in development or nearly complete, we can make the same degrees available to learners all over the world,” said Dr. Rader.
In addition to planned expansion of faculty, the C.H. Lute School of Business is a candidate in the process of earning accreditation by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IABCE).
“Earning this accreditation is a rigorous process that requires us to meet criteria demonstrating and sustaining quality education,” Dr. Rader said. “This brings us to a globally recognized status of excellence and best practices in business learning.”
Plans are also underway for offering a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA) through the school, a program that is highly anticipated by students and alumni alike.
“The C.H. Lute School of Business is a focal point for aspiring entrepreneurs as well as current and future business owners and experts,” said Provost Ahuja. “The advancements we are making in business education here will have profound effects on the region’s economy for generations to come.”
Opening up opportunities for students in the region, Abraham Barcus (Hometown: Ironton, Ohio) has enjoyed being able to explore his marketing degree with a hands-on internship to compliment his classroom learnings.
“Once I got into the Marketing program, I realized how much I enjoyed content creation and have enjoyed it even more during my internship,” he said.
Working with a local marketing and public relations firm, Barcus has been helping to produce promotional materials for their clients. He is also training in the latest practices in search engine optimization and marketing approaches with real field work.
“I’m definitely open to staying in this area with what I’m learning in this program and in the field here at Shawnee,” he said.
For more information about the C.H. Lute School of Business and its areas of study and degree offerings, visit shawnee.edu/business.
This feature was originally released in the Shawnee Magazine 2022 issue. To view the full magazine online, visit shawnee.edu/magazine.