Economic Snapshot Overview by Dr. Reid Cummings - September 2019
Posted on September 27, 2019 by Dr. Reid Cummings
Greetings, and welcome to the September 2019 Mobile Bay Economic Snapshot.
The mission of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the preeminent accrediting body of business schools worldwide, is to “foster engagement, accelerate innovation, and amplify impact in business education.” Business schools are expected to achieve both academic and professional engagement by students and faculty, pursue continuous improvement through entrepreneurial innovation and experimentation, and focus on impactive outcomes that make a difference in business and society. At the Mitchell College of Business, innovation often takes the form of new processes or programs, implemented with the goal of enhancing students’ learning and educational experiences and preparing graduates for the workplace.
Peter Drucker, iconic management consultant, author, advocate, and educator, recognized as one of the most influential thought leaders in management theory, defined innovation as “change that creates a new dimension of performance.” Early in his practice, Drucker understood that to succeed, whether in the form of new products or services one of the crucial things a business must achieve is innovation. I believe Mr. Drucker would agree that for a business college to succeed, it too must achieve innovation.
In this vein, a question I’ve considered over the past year or so is what would be an innovative way to promote and grow the University’s real estate program? How about a structure that offers real estate students the opportunity to obtain a professional real estate license, be trained by leading sales professionals, be mentored by industry leaders, develop an extensive professional network, and earn money working as a real estate professional, all while attending the University of South Alabama? Over several months, the idea became a proposal, and thanks to the leadership and encouragement of Department Chair Ken Hunsader, Senior Attorney Jean Tucker, Vice President for Finance and Administration Scott Weldon, Provost David Johnson, and President Tony Waldrop, the idea was recently presented to the University’s Board of Trustees.
Today, we are so proud to announce the formation of Jaguar Realty, a real estate company for real estate students. While certainly a first for South Alabama, it may well be a first for the nation because as best as we can tell, no other university in the country offers such a unique, innovative program for real estate students. The idea is simple and straightforward. After completing the necessary licensing courses and passing the Alabama real estate salesperson’s license test, Jaguar Realty’s student-agents will be connected with participating area real estate firms. Training, mentorship, and counsel will all be available to demonstrate and teach what it takes to be successful in the real estate business. What an incredible opportunity Jaguar Realty will provide our real estate students as they experience first-hand both the successes and failures of being in business! Now that’s innovation that will make a difference!
Look for more news about Jaguar Realty to come in the weeks and months ahead. Until next time, from everyone at the Center, we wish you and yours all the best.