Lusch to leave school of business
By John Ashley Menzies
Staff Reporter

After announcing his resignation from the university over the summer, Robert Lusch, dean of the M.J. Neeley School of Business said he has three goals for his last year.

Lusch said he plans to prepare for reaccreditation, to continue fund raising and to hire six new faculty members.

Lusch said he will return to Arizona to take over as director of the marketing department at the University of Arizona.

“We are disappointed and sorry to see him leave,” Associate Dean Bill Moncrief said, “But we understand and support him.”

The move will allow Lusch to work more closely with students, especially those in the doctorate program, and to work on research, he said. Also, the University of Arizona has had major funding problems that he hopes to help turn around, he said.

Lusch said this move was not predetermined and was an opportunity.

“Things are continuing to look good in the business school,” Lusch said. “Sometimes you just get called to go home.”

His first goal is to prepare the business school for the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business reaccreditation that will take place later this semester, he said. The school has been accredited since the 1940s, he said.

Lusch also said he wanted to continue developing the school with expansions, such as the Steve and Sarah Smith Entrepreneurs Hall, and to continue fund raising.

Finally, Lusch said he’ll need to fill six faculty spots. He said he feels that a turnover in faculty is a good thing.

“It brings in new people and new ideas,” Lusch said, “Something that will help the business school to grow.”

One of Lusch’s biggest goals since coming to TCU was to move the business school into the top 50 in the country, Lusch said.

The Neeley School’s Entrepreneurship Program has already moved into the top 40, the MBA program is ranked in the top 75 and the accounting department is ranked 38th in the country, Lusch said.

A search committee has yet been formed for a new dean, Moncrief said.

Provost William Koehler, who’ll be retiring at the end of next spring semester, said hiring a new dean to the business school would ideally follow the appointment of his replacement.

“If a new provost is hired, then in time he will be involved in that search,” Koehler said. “If not, then I will advise the chancellor the best I can.”

The appointment of a new dean will be done this year, Lusch said.

John Ashley Menzies