message from Dean Brown

SUCCESS BY THE NUMBERS

Despite the tough economy, over the past five years CBE graduates have posted impressive job-related stats

What a difference a month makes on campus. When our undergraduate students arrive back on campus after the winter break, they seem different. First-year students walk the halls more confidently with one semester completed, sophomores are comparing notes on which major to select and thinking about studying abroad or another international experience, juniors are applying for internships, and seniors are job searching or thinking about graduate studies, including remaining at Lehigh for a fifth year. There is a much more concerted and directed undertone that I sense than at the start of the fall semester, perhaps the result of a conversation or two with a parent or career mentor.

Many business students think about their career choices from the moment they step on campus. In fact, we encourage this and suggest that every student in the college find their way to Career Services in their first year on campus. For many, it's a journey with the end-game being employment. The reality is that today there are fewer jobs and tougher competition for them, all the more reason to be prepared and diligently follow one's passion to land that first position of probably several more to follow throughout their lives. These challenging economic times demand that our students be well prepared in the classroom, understand the real-world application of business disciplines and enter the job market outpacing the competition.

I am pleased to tell you that they do not disappoint! Of course job placement is only one measure of success of a student's undergraduate experience; however, it is recognized and embraced as an important outcome of a Lehigh business education.

Each year Career Services surveys the most recent Lehigh graduates who received their bachelor's degrees. The most recent survey, completed in January 2012 obtained placement information for Lehigh's Class of 2011.

I am pleased to report the impressive numbers garnered by the CBE, a subset of this university-wide placement summary reported by Career Services. A comparative look at the past five years – some of the most challenging for our graduates given the roller-coaster nature of this period - confirms that our business students continue to succeed after graduation. Of those surveyed from Lehigh '11, only two percent were still seeking placement. I believe this is a testimony to their hard work and excellent preparation during their years on campus. Our mantra is straightforward: Building on a broad-based liberal arts education, CBE students develop in-depth competency in one or more areas of expertise, making them very marketable across a very impressive array of employers that hire our students.

These great placement figures are supported by equally impressive pay checks. Once again, our CBE Class of 2011 does not disappoint. Graduates reported salaries that exceeded the national average. A comparative look at the salary trends of CBE students over the past five years provides another measure of the value of a Lehigh business degree.

On behalf of the faculty and leadership of the College of Business and Economics, I can say without hesitation that we are, and continue to be, very proud of our students. We take tremendous satisfaction in their accomplishments while on campus, as well as their successes in the workplace and beyond. We consider their achievements to be a reflection of the quality education and experience that they received as undergraduate students, and embrace them becoming loyal alumni of their alma mater.

As we continue to strive for the next level of excellence, we remain committed to ensuring that our students are the business leaders of tomorrow. And, I know that they will not disappoint.