People often ask me, “What does a business school dean do?” I typically respond by telling them that I while I perform a variety of tasks, the majority of activities fit into five buckets. First, I have to be a strategic planner.  That means that I need to constantly consider where we are and where we’re going.  For those who know me, you know that our present and future direction includes globalization, increased graduate programs, faculty development, professional education, distance learning –and a continuous emphasis on our students.  Second, I have to be a fund-raiser. Due to major budget cuts from the state of South Carolina, it is imperative that I raise funds to achieve our goals.  I can sit around talking all about our plans, but without financial support from our friends then we would be severely limited on what we can actually accomplish. Third, I have to be a friend-raiser.  Our business school has so many needs that can be satisfied by business community members and others who are off-campus, that it is imperative that I generate a significant pool of “friends of the business school” who are willing to serve numerous roles, such as lecturing in our classrooms, mentoring students, offering internships, giving plant tours, and much more.  Fourth, I have to manage our budget.  I need to ensure that we are properly spending our funds to best serve our students.  Lastly, I have to be a motivator. In order to inspire our faculty, staff, and friends in the business community, I need to give them realistic optimism for the future. Of course, fund-raising, friend-raising and a sound strategic plan serves to motivate and create optimism for the future. At the end of the day though, everything I do is to satisfy one objective, and that is to create the best possible “ready to work” graduate.