Vision 2035
Southern Miss Business
Vision 2035
We will be a recognized leader in business education that inspires and empowers students and scholars to fearlessly lead on the national and international stage.
To achieve this bold vision, we are launching a plan to transform the College of Business and Economic Development by strengthening our signature programs, enhancing faculty excellence, expanding entrepreneurship and industry engagement, and increasing our impact on the economic development of our state and region. Our efforts will be focused on the following endowment goals, each critical to ensure lasting impact.
NAMING OF THE COLLEGE OF BUSINESS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
A naming gift will elevate the college to national recognition, enhance our ability to recruit top students and faculty, and increase our endowment to a level that rivals peer and aspirant institutions. The funds will be used for endowed chairs and professorships, research and teaching excellence funds, and strategic initiatives and marketing.
NAMING OF THE CENTER FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP
This endowment will establish the Center for Entrepreneurship and its home, The Hatchery, as a destination for top entrepreneurial talent. Funding will enhance mentorship, experiential learning, and opportunities to connect with investors and industry leaders. By attracting ambitious students and faculty from across disciplines, this investment will strengthen Mississippi’s entrepreneurial pipeline and elevate Southern Miss on the national stage.
CREATION AND NAMING OF THE INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
This institute would provide students real-world investing experience using industry-standard tools and portfolio management techniques. This endowment would be used to support the student-managed investment fund, trading software, distinguished professorship in investment management, career programming, field trips, and competition attendance.
CREATION AND NAMING OF THE INSTITUTE FOR SALES EXCELLENCE
This endowment would fund a technology-enhanced training and research institute to prepare students for careers in sales, customer success, and account management. In conjunction with the existing physical space dedicated to professional sales, this would create more opportunities for our students, such as hosting regional sales competitions and establishing a distinguished professorship in selling.
SUPPORT FOR SIGNATURE STUDENT PROGRAMS
The college’s signature student programs currently consist of the EAGLE Scholars Program and the Scianna Business Leaders Program. This endowment would fund the programming related to these signature programs through scholarships, international experiences, high-impact mentorship and leadership development, and dedicated program faculty directors and staff.
The Impact
Achieving these fundraising goals will more than quadruple our current endowment,
improve national rankings for undergraduate and graduate programs, place our university
among the top-tier public business schools in the South, and transform the lives of
students, faculty, staff, and our communities.
How you can help
Join us as we seek visionary partners who want to shape the future of business education and leave a legacy of lasting impact at Southern Miss.
Refine our plans and help shape this vision.
Support a priority that speaks to your values and passion.
Recruit others who share our commitment.
Use your influence to help us reach more people.
The USM Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to serving the University community by overseeing fundraising efforts. Gifts made to the College of Business and Economic Development are tax-deductible to the extent of current IRS regulations.