Since arriving on campus last summer, Dr. Khawaja Mamun has settled comfortably into his role as dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE) and become a recognizable face well beyond the confines of Hiner Hall.
He eats lunch in the dining hall with the other college deans regularly. He has season basketball tickets to cheer on the Lancers in the Joan Perry Brock Center. He can even be found in the classroom—teaching a section of Principles of Microeconomics as a way of connecting with Longwood students.
We sat down with Mamun to learn about his vision for the CBE and what he’s come to appreciate about Longwood.
Q: To start, could you tell us about your journey that led you to Farmville.
Before I came to Longwood, I spent 19 years at Sacred Heart University in Connecticut. It’s a small, private Catholic college and I wore a lot of different hats there. I taught economics and eventually chaired the department. Then I became the inaugural associate dean of the college for the School of Computer Science and Engineering. In that role I developed a master’s program in business analytics, which grew into the second-largest master’s program at the university. Later I became associate dean of the College of Business and Technology. It was a great learning experience because I got to work with deans who had both academic and corporate backgrounds. When this opportunity at Longwood came along, I realized it was a really good match.
I’ve settled in and become part of the community very quickly, especially with my colleagues. People are very friendly, and it didn’t take long for me to feel like I was part of the group, not an outsider. The other deans and the provost really encourage me. It’s easy because we are all working toward the same goal, which is that everyone wants Longwood and our students to be successful.
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One of the things that drew me here is the sense of community I got when I visited the campus. When I asked students what brought them here and what made them stay, they all mentioned family and community.
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Q: What drew you to Longwood, and why did you see it as a good fit?
It was important for me to go somewhere where I can make my mark—where I can make a difference. When I look at the College of Business and Economics, I see a fantastic group of faculty and enormous potential for the college to grow in new and exciting areas—but they need someone to say, “This is where we’re going.” I have many new ideas and a vision for where the college should be in five or 10 years.
One of the things that drew me here is the sense of community I got when I visited the campus. When I asked students what brought them here and what made them stay, they all mentioned family and community. I could see myself as part of this cohesive community and working to achieve my vision. I liked the energy of the other deans and the entire CBE team.
Q: Can you tell us more about your vision for the College of Business and Economics?
The vision I have is always student-oriented—that’s the north star. It has three pillars: prioritizing student success, increasing the CBE’s reach and reputation, and expanding our offerings with a focus on technology.
Student success means that all our students get a quality, affordable education and are well-prepared to compete in the job market. Obviously, we have Civitae, which teaches civic engagement, civility and how to have a discussion. At the College of Business and Economics, we’re teaching students overall business competencies and skills, but especially critical thinking and emotional intelligence. My No. 1 goal is that our students get a good education and the skills needed to be successful in their careers.
The second part of my vision is to make the CBE better known. I’ve heard that we are a best kept secret in Virginia—I don’t want to be secret anymore. We’ve started doing lots of outreach and are working on other initiatives to get our name out to a broader audience.
The last part is to expand our offerings, which is where my experience in developing academic programs will be helpful. I want to have more technology-oriented business programs. We’ve added a new track in the MBA program called technology management. In the future, we might have an information technology master’s program. We need to stay ahead of emerging and changing fields and add new areas of interest that are in demand, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and analytics.
When I first visited, I immediately noticed the dedication of the faculty and staff. The faculty were talking about their students by their name. It showed that they really knew them.
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Q: What makes Longwood and the CBE unique?
Definitely the faculty and staff and their connections with students. When I first visited, I immediately noticed the dedication of the faculty and staff. The faculty were talking about their students by their name. It showed that they really knew them. That’s one of the benefits of having smaller class sizes. Our faculty really take time to interact with the students and engage them. Another aspect that makes us unique is that almost all our faculty are tenure track or tenured. At bigger schools, many classes are taught by graduate students. You’re not getting that here. I recently launched a new initiative called “Student Hours with Dean Mamun.” It’s an hour when any student can come by my office and ask questions or just chat—and I also offer them free ice cream.
I can’t stress enough the things that our CBE faculty and staff do, not only in the classroom but outside of the classroom, to help our students. The administrative folks and my student success team are very dedicated to preparing students for their career. That includes helping them find an internship, which is required in the CBE.
Q: Can you talk about the success of the MBA program and how it factors into the CBE’s future?
We are still in the early stages of planning the expansion of our offerings, but adding new in-demand MBA tracks and innovative graduate programs are certainly part of the vision. Before I got here, the MBA program moved to a fully online model. That really opened it up to a wider audience. I was very pleased our MBA program ranked No. 135 nationally (out of 355) on U.S. News & World Report’s list earlier this year based on the strength of our faculty and affordability. We actually ranked No. 1 in the category “Faculty Credentials and Training.” It is a high-quality online program where faculty connect with and give regular one-on-one attention to students online because it’s an asynchronous model. Our undergraduate students in any major also have the ability to take up to six credits towards an MBA. More and more students are seeing the added value in staying an additional year and earning their MBA after they finish their undergraduate degree.
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