“Excellence is not a destination; it is a continuous journey that never ends.” Brian Tracy

Bill Lane, Interim Dean, aptly stated in the previous Dean’s Message, “Excellence perfectly describes the rise in rankings of our Flores MBA Program and undergraduate programs. Excellence perfectly describes the innovative academic initiatives that have been established…Excellence perfectly describes the numerous awards won by our students and teams and as individuals. Excellence perfectly describes the establishment of the Stephenson Disaster Management Institute and the christening of the Stephenson Entrepreneurship Institute through the generosity of Emmet and Toni Stephenson.” And it is with the word “Excellence” in mind, heart and spirit that I begin my term as Dean of the E. J. Ourso College of Business.

As our College celebrates its 80th anniversary, and our University prepares for its sesquicentennial, these are truly exciting times. I am thrilled to be a Tiger and proud to be a part of a new era at LSU, and I am absolutely committed to working with our faculty, staff and business leaders to build on our reputation for excellence in education.

If you have not gotten involved, please do so. Explore this website, and discover the many facets of the E. J. Ourso College of Business. I am confident you will find that we have a unique blend of theory and practice which enhances our students’ problem-solving, communications and leadership skills. Our cutting-edge research produces knowledge that benefits our students, fellow scholars around the world, and the business community.

We have the ambitious goal of making a great school greater as we strive for national prominence. To attain our goal, it will require continued dedication, involvement, focus and support from our faculty, staff, students, alumni, the business community, the University, and the State. The new home for our state-of-the-art business complex is within reach. It will be a place where our students will expand their knowledge and develop their skills as they learn from some of the top scholars in the disciplines of accounting, economics, finance, information systems, management, marketing, and public administration which will enable our graduates to become excellent global business leaders. It will be a place that we can showcase how excellent we truly are.

I look forward to meeting you.

Best wishes,

Eli Jones, Dean and
E. J. Ourso Distinguished Professor of Business