Mission
The APSU College of Business is a teaching-focused business school committed to student success while serving the Clarksville and Nashville metropolitan areas. We strive to push students beyond the textbook and help them explore their passions, in order to empower our graduates to compete in a global economy.
Vision
The College of Business will be recognized as a premier provider of business education.
Guiding Principles
We believe in:
- The worth of teaching and the value of experiential and reflective learning.
- Creating a climate of inclusion that will facilitate access and foster student success.
- Professional and research activities that inform teaching, engage students, and improve the practice of business.
- The value of interaction among colleagues, students, and the community.
- Ethical behavior, transparent management, and respect for colleagues and students.
The purpose of the APSU College of Business is to contribute to the economic and intellectual vitality of its region.
Outcomes of Societal Impact Activities
Curriculum:- Supported 10 local nonprofits through the Social Media Marketing service-learning course.
- 255 Income tax returns filed by VITA students in 2025, bringing the four year total to more than 800.
- Supported 5 local small businesses through the Tennessee Small Business Development Center internship program.
- Launched a new MBA program, which became the largest graduate program at APSU in its first year.
- Launched six new undergraduate concentrations and two MBA concentrations in the last four years to support regional workforce needs.
- Created a Center for Applied Business Research and released seven white papers.
- Faculty expertise appeared on local newscasts or were quoted in national articles discussing their research.
- A faculty project with the BBB of Middle Tennessee led to improved business practices and support for BBB members.
- Faculty presented to community partners like the Clarksville Young Professionals and Small Business Development Center clients.
- The Tennessee Small Business Development Center at APSU has generated $5 million of new capital infusion since 2022.
- Launched partnerships with the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerece to support quarterly Talent Solutions Forums for chamber members and tours of Ft. Campbell for Nashville executives.
- College of Business faculty and staff provide workshops for the Nashville Chapter of the Honor Foundation—which assists retiring Special Forces personnel with transitioning to the private sector.
- Hosted Dr. Raphael Bostic, President and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, for a discussion with 80 local business leaders regarding regional economic conditions.
Pillar 1: Enhance Academic Quality
| Develop & launch MBA program | Completed |
| Develop & launch business analytics concentration | Launched Fall 2025 |
| Develop & launch management information systems concentration | Launched Flal 2025 |
| 100% of BBA and MBA core courses become Quality Matters Certified | 10 of 15 BBA completed, MBA in progress |
| Incorporate best practices of online course design into every online course | All faculty members have completed Quality Matters training |
Pillar 2: Improve Student Outcomes
| Increase first-time, full-time freshman retention rate | 2025: 69.9% |
| Increase percentage of students who persist year over year or graduate | 2019-23: 67.7% |
| Develop portfolio of high-impact experiences | --- |
| Minimum of 60 student internships/year | 2024-25: 45 |
| Minimum of 75 students present research at conferences by 2027 | 2024-25: 34 |
| Minimum of 50 students participating in study abroad from 2023-27 | 2024-25: 24 |
| Increase portfolio of service-learning courses | 2022-23: 2 |
| Increase number of student organizations within the college | 2024-25: added Business Govs SERVE, Real Estate Club, Hospitality and Tourism Society, Govs Women in Business |
| Increase student exposure to professional organizations | 2024-25: 72 students attended professional events |
Select High-Impact Practices: 206 students were engaged in high-impact practices like internships, service-learning courses, study abroad, research, and other professional development during the 2024-25 academic year.
Pillar 3: Increase Scholarship Impact
| 35 Highly-Ranked Publications from 2023-2027 | surpassed |
| 6,000 collective citations by 2027 | current: 5,609 |
| 50 publications with at least 25 citations by 2027 | current: 47 |
| 100% of BBA and MBA core courses become Quality Matters Certified | 10 of 15 BBA completed, MBA in progress |
| Minimum of ten white papers from CABR by 2027 | current: 6 |
Pillar 4: Strengthen Community Connections
| SBDC: $3 million new capital formation annually by 2027 | $2.1 average |
| Increase number of organizations hosting College of Business interns | 2023-24: 43 organizations |
| Student teams complete 10 projects with businesses by 2027 | current: 5 |
| Increase interactions with regional business and government orgs | Partnership with Nashville Chamber of Commerce, participation in Regional Skills Coalition |
| Increase interactions with Ft. Campbell | Partnership with Nashville Chamber of Commerce, participation in Regional Skills Coalition |
- To develop, produce, and deliver high-impact learning experiences.
- To graduate high quality Baccalaureate and Masters degree students prepared to compete in the global economy.
- To provide a portfolio of intellectual contributions focusing on applied and pedagogical research.
- To develop and implement opportunities to form connections with the Clarksville and Nashville metropolitan areas which will provide learning and development experiences for faculty and students of the CoB.
- To enhance and increase our brand awareness.