Nowak Named Higher Educator of the Year in ‘Best of Turlock’ Awards; Also Appointed to Stanislaus County Economic Development Action Committee
Linda Nowak, dean of the CSU Stanislaus College of Business Administration, was named Higher Educator of the Year at the Turlock Chamber of Commerce’s “Best of Turlock” awards event in January.
Since taking over as dean in March 2010, Nowak has helped lead the College of Business Administration to a number of significant achievements during a time of diminished state funding for higher education.
“Dean Nowak has served as a guiding light through challenging circumstances, and her leadership and vision have been integral to the continued excellence of our College of Business Administration,” CSU Stanislaus President Joseph F. Sheley said. “She is clearly deserving of this recognition, and I look forward to her future contributions to this university.”
Chief among the college’s recent accomplishments was the renewal in 2013 of a prestigious accreditation through AACSB (the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) International.
The college first achieved AACSB accreditation — a distinction shared by less than 5 percent of the world’s business education programs — in 2003, and Nowak’s vision and guidance led to a renewal without the need for continuing review from the accrediting agency.
“To earn a maintenance of accreditation with no continuing review is an impressive achievement,” CSU Stanislaus Provost James T. Strong said after the renewal. “This distinguished recognition is tangible evidence of our university’s commitment to maintaining a high quality of instruction and an exceptional learning environment.”
Nowak has also spearheaded the creation of CSU Stanislaus’ Online Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree program — the state’s first fully online MBA program to be accredited by AACSB — and made improvements to the Executive MBA program.
The two programs, offered through University Extended Education, provide opportunities for working professionals to advance their careers through education as well as additional funding sources for the college and university.
More recently, the college has developed new concentrations in accounting and finance for its traditional MBA program. And beginning with the Fall 2014 semester, students will have the option of taking all upper-division classes needed for the accounting concentration at the CSU Stanislaus Stockton Center.
Nowak Earns County Committee Appointment
Continuing her commitment to improving both the university and the community, Nowak recently accepted an appointment to the Stanislaus County Economic Development Action Committee (EDAC). She will represent Supervisorial District 1 on the committee, which serves to develop and implement a comprehensive economic development strategy for the county.
The committee is also a liaison for employment and economic growth programs offered by the Economic Development Administration (EDA), which fosters regional economic development through programs that offer federal funding to local governments. This funding is often utilized for projects focused on job creation.
Nowak said the college is dedicated to building relationships with the community and creating partnerships that contribute positively to policies guiding the economic recovery of the region.
“From a university perspective, understanding what the community needs in an educated workforce and how the university contributes to that need is valuable,” Nowak said. “Contributing to organizations that are creating policy to improve the economy of the region is important to the College of Business Administration. It’s a natural fit.”