Letter From the Dean
Cliff Allen, Ph.D., Vergil Miller Professor
We're pleased to share stories of impact, engagement and innovation in this year's annual report, three areas where we measure our success.
We continue to be the most racially diverse business school in Oregon, and our undergraduate students are more diverse than ever before. Our 2018-2019 first-time, full-time freshman class was 69% non-white, and we've increased retention among freshmen by nearly 8% over the last two years. It’s encouraging to see how our diverse talent pipeline of business students is impacting the workforce in Portland and beyond.
For 50 years, PSU MBA students have worked alongside businesses to keep Portland on the cutting edge of creativity, sustainability and entrepreneurship. Last fall, our community gathered to celebrate five decades of our MBA program's incredible past and potential for the future — our legacy and deep-rooted engagement were palpable.
Our commitment to innovation for social and environmental benefit was reaffirmed when we were again named an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus. This five-year designation holds us among the top institutions in the world that work collectively to make social innovation a reality in higher education.
I hope you enjoy reading about these highlights and more. Thank you for being part of our vision to redefine business and transform lives.