WCU College of
Business
Strategic Planning: Strategic Opportunities Looking Forward
(As discussed in various COB strategic planning meetings, July 2009)
Other areas
could be mentioned of course; data management and data security for example.
And entrepreneurship is implicated in most areas of the list below—a list
representing just one swipe at some low-hanging fruit. Most of these topics were mentioned during the
course of several summer COB meetings. Five
areas are noted here, the first of which, online instruction, relates to
delivery & growth opportunities more than to potential student employment. – G. Jones
LINKS TO RELATED RESOURCES:
WCU College of
Business: Resources and References for 2008/09
WCU
COB Strategic Planning & Related Links
Selected related WCU initiatives
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FIVE AREAS OF
OPPORTUNITY FOR COB GRADUATES
ONLINE AND DISTANCE EDUCATION
(Delivery of instruction online will experience substantial growth over the next several years.)
WCU Online/Distance Ed
http://www.wcu.edu/82.asp#Off-site_undergraduate_programs
UNC Online
http://online.northcarolina.edu/
Friday Center, Self-Paced courses
http://www.fridaycenter.unc.edu/cp/catalog/index.htm
Military education (e.g., WCU is now a designated GoArmyEd university)
https://www.goarmyed.com/Login.aspx
http://www.dantes.doded.mil/DANTES_WEB/EXAMINATIONS/DSST.htm
SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY/ENVIRONMENT: WASTE, WATER, AND ENERGY
MANAGEMENT
WSJ [premium brands going green, with some additional data]
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124650107013784081.html
Green, Inc. Energy, Environment and the Bottom Line [From NYT]
http://topics.nytimes.com/pages/business/energy-environment/index.html?scp=1-spot&sq=green&st=cse
Cone
survey on consumer perceptions of CSR
Cone
survey on consumer perceptions of environmentally responsibly products
http://www.coneinc.com/content2032
GAMING/ENTERTAINMENT [e.g., Harrah’s ]
$650 million expansion at Harrah’s Cherokee:
“The Harrah’s Casino [Cherokee] draws another
4.5 million yearly visitors.”
http://www.hotelexecutive.com/newswire/pub/_28696.asp
[From Hotel newswire, 2008]
H&T, LEISURE, RETIREMENT, RECREATION, [S.M. Nat’l Park, NOC, other
recreational opportunities]
SMOKY
MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK
Visitation
“More than 9 million recreational visits in 2008, which is the highest visitation
of any of the 58 national parks. The second most heavily visited
national park is Grand Canyon with 4.4 million visits…
Economic
Impact
“The park provides an economic hub generating over $718 million a year for
surrounding tourist communities.
http://www.nps.gov/grsm/parkmgmt/statistics.htm
NC Center for Creative Retirement
[Not researched is
projected growth in regional recreational activities such as golf, skiing,
rafting, hiking, biking, kayaking, climbing, etc.]
HEALTH/GERONTOLOGY – [regionally and on campus, e.g., WCU’s Health Information Administration program & new $47 million building]
North Carolina Health Careers
http://www.nchealthcareers.com/
“The elderly population (65 and over) will more than double [between 2000 and 2029], increasing from 969,000 in 2000 to 2.199 million by the year 2029. The very old population (85 and over) will also more than double during this time period, increasing from 105,000 in 2000 to more than 214,000 in the year 2029.”
Last Update: May 4, 2009
Electronic Medical Records ($19 billion federal stimulus)
Wall Street Journal (article)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124104350516570503.html
Electronic patient records will force consolidation of health care (NYT article)
Footnotes on change in
population demographics
“Between April 2000 and July 2029, North Carolina's population is expected to grow by 4.723 million people (58.7 percent), reaching 12.770 million by the 2029. Roughly 65.4 percent of this growth, 3.091 million people, will be the result of net migration into the state. The rest will be due to natural increase (births minus deaths). The "White" population will grow by 3.373 million (56.0 percent). The "Other" population is projected to grow by 1.350 million people (66.8 percent).
Last Update: May 4, 2009
“The
Committee reviewed the annual fall enrollment report [2008] presented by Dr. Mabe. While growth was mixed on campuses, altogether the
summed growth of the campuses was 6,633 students; from 209,059 in the fall of
2007 to 215,692 fall 2008 which was an overall growth rate of 3.2%. Minority
enrollment continues to grow and is now 31.2% of the University’s enrollment
where the diversity of the student is known. Of note is the growth of Hispanic
students by 11.5%, but a decline in the percent of Hispanic high school
graduates who enter the University. Enrollment in distance education was up
20.2%. The full report is on the Board web site [meeting materials, appendix].
(376th meeting, January 8, 2009)