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Department
Information
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In the
mid-1970's, Chancellor William Highsmith responded to
requests from the community that the University of North
Carolina at Asheville provide a specific course of studies
that would prepare students for positions in business and
industry. |
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Rather than establishing a business department, he had the
wisdom and foresight to create a Department of Management. The term
"business" has a very narrow focus, whereas the term Management
applies to business, non-profit, government, health care, and other
areas of human endeavor, as well as the more traditional areas. It
includes studies in accounting, engineering, and marketing, and fits
the liberal arts mission of the University as it satisfies the needs
of the students and the community.
Its first graduates received a
Bachelor of Science degree in May of 1976. Since that time, it has
grown to become the largest department on campus. It offers three
distinct Bachelors of Science (BS) degrees: Management, Accounting,
Industrial and Engineering Management.
Management Program
The initial
management curriculum was strongly influenced by Dr. Lester
Zerfoss, one of the premier management consultants in Western
North Carolina. The first two concentrations offered were
business administration and financial management. The first
full-time chair of what was then the Management Department was
Dr. Don Hart, a former President of St. Andrews College.
The 1980s saw the
department grow, adding highly qualified faculty and creating
new areas of concentration. Today the students may opt to
concentrate in three different areas (Business Management &
Administration, Health Care, Marketing). The efforts to truly
liberalize our curriculum in concert with the overall university
mission can be seen in the successes of our graduates.
Executives in banking, consulting, and marketing began their
careers in the classrooms of Owen Hall.
For more information on the
Management
curriculum
Accounting Program
In 1981 the
department chair, Dr. Robert Williams, a former vice president
of American Celanese, acknowledged the demand for an Accountancy
program. Dr. Williams charged Linda Nelms with obtaining the
permission to plan for this additional degree program. Two
distinct areas of emphasis, Financial and Managerial Accounting,
were created in order to provide more opportunities for the
students to pursue specific interests.
In the spring of
1983, the first student received a degree in Accountancy. The
program has gained statewide recognition. Graduates have gone on
to partnerships in CPA firms, leadership in nonprofits, and
positions of responsibility in industry. One of our 1999
graduates placed third in the state of North Carolina on the May
1999 CPA examination.
In 1995,
the Management Department officially became the Department of
Management and Accountancy.
For more
information on the
Accounting curriculum
Industrial and Engineering Management Program
By the early
1990's, the manufacturing and service industries in the Western
North Carolina community had obtained the support of state
legislators to create a unique program that bridges the gap
between management and engineering. The vision was to provide an
opportunity for the residents of Western North Carolina to
obtain an engineering related degree that would meet the
requirements of industry in the specific areas of first-line
supervision, inventory management, quality control, ergonomics,
work design, and operations management. Dr Williams and Dr.
David Hott obtained approval to plan. Upon the arrival of Drs.
Jerry Allison and Robert Yearout, the degree took on its current
configuration.
In May of 1988,
the department awarded its first four degrees. Graduates are
involved in their careers as plant engineers, quality engineers,
and first-line supervisors. Some students have gone on to
graduate programs at Clemson and North Carolina State.
For more information on the
Industrial and
Engineering Management curriculum
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