On Aug. 15, 2016, Robert Morris University welcomed a new dean to the School of Business. Michelle Patrick, former dean at the College of Business and Public Management at West Chester University, is one of RMU’s newest faculty members and will be overseeing the School of Business as well as be apart of the RMU’s marketing faculty this school year.

Patrick’s future plans for the School of Business include working with the other schools on campus to create interdisciplinary programs.

“It is really important the business students have a sense of business fundamentals, but they also have a sense of the other things around and how they all interact,” said Patrick.

Patrick noted the history of RMU, its small beginnings as just a business school and how overtime the school successfully developed more programs. The new dean plans to continue with the advancement of the school by remembering the small roots RMU started out with.

“The idea being that it’s my duty that we (RMU) keep the heritage, that we honor it, and that we try our best to grow and take it to the next level,” said Patrick.

One of Patrick’s plans here at RMU is to start an advisory board for undergraduate students to join as an extracurricular activity. This board of students will work with and help Patrick in her endeavors this school year. She also plans on working with the department heads to discover a new way to involve students into more of the student-lead programs at school to help them gain more skills for the real world.

“We have many clubs and many different activities, so I want to continue to help support those and ensure that the students have the opportunity to learn,” said Patrick.

Patrick also discussed how important internships are for the students and how she will do her best to get her students those internships that they need to advance in their desired field. Another one of her plans involves community work for her students to gain even more skills.

“You can learn a lot in the classroom but even more through extra-curricular activities… I will do my best to make the connections out in the community so that the students will have the opportunity to do many internships… Internships are going to be one of the major focuses as we move forward,” said Patrick.

One of Patrick’s goals this year is to make sure the School of Business receives recognition for all of the activities it does.

“We are going to build on all the good things (at RMU) and push forward.” said Patrick.

As one of the five woman deans here at RMU, Patrick is ready to make an impact here at the university and on her student’s lives. Having a history of changing lives at West Chester University, RMU is ready to welcome Patrick to the Colonial family to do the same.