Joseph A. Alutto
Dean and John W. Berry Sr.
Chair in Business
Fisher College of Business

What makes a business college great? Most of us would agree that it is top talent among faculty and students supported by state-of-the-art facilities. As I reflect over the past decade of Fisher achievement, I realize it is even more. For us, it has been a partnership of ideas fueled by creativity that has enabled the college to become one of the leading business schools in the world.

Part of our success resides in the character of our programs—intimate, interactive, hands-on and flexible. In the last three years alone the college has developed a unique undergraduate business minor program, a distance-based business major for students on Ohio State regional campuses, a new executive MBA program, a new Six Sigma option within our MBA program and a vibrant center for entrepreneurship. There are few schools that have made as many changes and implemented them so effectively.

We have also focused our energy on a number of overarching issues including developing the Fisher brand, creating new revenue streams and improving the way we deliver knowledge. In each case, we have relied heavily on a blend of in-house expertise and external partners as part of our overall strategy. Our strength lies in the fact that Fisher faculty guide the growth of the college itself, not just its programs. Our belief in learning by doing is rooted in the way we manage the college and teach through action.

The results have been extraordinary—an MBA program ranked 19th best in the nation—resulting in our being one of only 10 universities with both undergraduate and graduate programs ranked in the top 20. Over the past 10 years, we have seen a rise in all rankings that consistently place Fisher among the top 10 business schools at any U.S. public university. This year, the Financial Times touts us as one of only 11 U.S. public management schools in the international top 40.

What is next for Fisher? We will keep moving upward, redefining excellence as we go. Being innovative means not being static, so we will continue to create new programs and improve existing ones. In a very real sense, we are just getting started.

Joseph A. Alutto
Dean and John W. Berry, Sr. Chair in Business
Fisher College of Business

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