Four Big Questions With President Richard J. Koubek
There’s never been a more exciting time to be a business student at Michigan Tech. President Koubek shares his vision for continuing the tradition of excellence in the College of Business while growing opportunities for business-focused Huskies:
Question: You have been a part of top-tier schools, some of which are known for both strong engineering and strong business programs. What do you think makes Michigan Tech business students stand apart?
Koubek: Michigan Tech attracts a technologically focused, environmentally conscience student, which is what makes them stand apart. Here, our students constantly ask the “so what” question, then get right to the answer with intense focus and hard work. Our future business leaders, engineers, and scientists arrive at Michigan Tech ready to solve tomorrow’s challenges while upholding their commitment to helping people and helping society.
Q: What are the advantages, as you see it, for a business college embedded inside a technological institution?
Koubek: First and foremost—technology is at the core of who we are. To that point, the faculty in the College of Business ensure that the curriculum is agile and fluent in technology. I believe, in general, this will be a prerequisite for leadership in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Secondly, our interdisciplinary research programs allow faculty in the College of Business to work with other researchers on campus to solve some of the toughest challenges confronting our society. For example, our professors in the College of Business are part of an interdisciplinary team exploring data analytics and artificial intelligence to improve mobility. I have said many times that in today’s world, bigger is not always better. With the rapid pace of technology, agility and flexibility will be the keys to success for universities moving forward.
Q: Why is growth vital to the College of Business (COB) at Michigan Tech and how can we achieve it?
Koubek: Michigan Tech’s history runs deep, but fundamentally our role is to provide well-trained,
socially aware graduates who are equipped with the knowledge and wherewithal to advance
our community. Each day as our country’s workforce needs evolve, the lines differentiating
majors and colleges become more blurred. The conversation isn’t business or engineering;
it’s business and engineering and the humanities and the arts, and the many diverse,
tech-centered disciplines on campus. This hearkens back to my point about agility.
We must prepare our students to flex with the changing demands of industry, which
is why a strong business program that can be interdisciplinary in nature is vital
to our long-term success as a university.
To touch on the second question about growth. It’s necessary that we expand our recruiting
efforts. One way is through the National Business Scholars Program, which provides
the university with an opportunity to engage with high-quality prospective business
students who may not have otherwise considered Michigan Tech. In my experience, increasing
enrollment and aligning with the state’s economic development priorities certainly
make a strong case for renovating and expanding our facilities.
Q: Finally, what do you most want prospective families who are considering business at Michigan Tech to know?
Koubek: This is a special moment in time. It requires a special university to prepare future graduates. Michigan Tech is right up there with the best.
National Business Scholars Program
High school seniors who reside outside the state of Michigan (nonresident and international), and who apply and are accepted into a major in the College of Business at Michigan Tech for the fall 2020 semester, will be awarded the National Business Scholars Award. This automatic scholarship offers incredible value:
• Valued at $20,000 per year (minimum of $80,000 toward college expenses)
• Renewable for four years (eight semesters) of study provided student remains enrolled
in a business degree program at Michigan Tech and maintains additional renewal criteria
• The opportunity to earn additional aid based on results from student’s Free Application
for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Michigan Tech’s College of Business is AACSB accredited, and was named by Money magazine as one of the “best colleges for your money.”
High school seniors can apply for free (no essay or letter of recommendation required!): mtu.edu/admissions/apply
For more information, text or call Shannon Rinkinen in the College of Business at 906-670-4303 or smrinkin@mtu.edu
From School To College
Our business program is growing. We offer more majors, minors, and graduate options than ever before. Our plans call for hiring additional faculty and recruiting more high-achieving students from across the country. Design plans are under development for a new facility.
Our advancement to the College of Business in November 2019 is a logical promotion reflecting our expanded stature. Our new name reflects our history, quality, pride, and future.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
