Radford University Marketing Associate Professor Gary Schirr has been named Director of Graduate and Special Programs for the university’s College of Business and Economics (COBE).
Effective July 1, Schirr’s role is to lead COBE’s MBA program and future programs developed by the college.
Schirr, who has been teaching at Radford University for the past 10 years, will manage such areas as strategic planning and direction, academic curriculum, student recruitment, marketing and advertising, budget management and coordination with Radford University’s College of Graduate Studies and Research and “other relevant groups and individuals on and off campus as needed,” said COBE Dean George Low.
Schirr also will lead the college’s COBE Fellows program.
The year-old program is a cohort of business students who work throughout the academic year with a select group of Radford University faculty to develop a unique perspective of the global business environment and gain cross-cultural competencies to enhance their university experiences and careers.
“We look forward to Dr. Schirr’s leadership of the MBA, COBE Fellows and future graduate business programs,” Low said. “His combination of academic and professional experience will serve him well as he works with faculty and staff to develop innovative strategies to build and grow these important learning experiences for our students.”
Radford University’s MBA program is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). It provides a broad-based, cross-functional education in core business areas with target electives in analytics and innovation designed to prepare students for advanced leadership roles in both private and public sectors of the global economy.
Graduate business courses provide experiential learning opportunities that engage students in the educational process, thereby providing a bridge between theory and practice.
MBA courses are offered on campus and online. Full-time students can earn an MBA in two years through face-to-face evening classes on campus while engaging in programs and coursework designed to prepare students to become leaders in a diverse global work environment.
Part-time MBA students can complete the program online in as little as two years, including summers.
Radford University’s MBA program was recognized by U.S. News & World Report in the publication’s 2017 Best Business School part-time MBA rankings.
For more information about the Radford MBA program, call 540-831-6905, email rumba@radford.edu, or visit the RU MBA website.
-submitted by Chad Osborne
