(Stephenville)—Tarleton State University’s College of Business Administration (COBA) was recently awarded Business and International Education grant from the U.S. Department of Education, a first for the college.
Of the more than 100 proposals submitted for the highly competitive grant, the Department of Education funded 27, with Tarleton ranked third.
“Tarleton’s proposal was approved for $97,500 for 2006-2007 and $98,000 for 2007-2008,” said Janis Petronis, associate professor in management, marketing and administrative systems, who wrote the proposal. “The primary intent of it is to further internationalize the curriculum of the College of Business Administration.”
The grant’s program, the Tarleton Business and International Education Initiative (BIEI), will provide the following:
Part of the outreach programs includes putting on workshops geared toward
helping Erath County small businesses increase their activities on an international
level.
A unique aspect of BIEI is its partnerships with FMC Technologies and Saint-Gobain
Abrasives. These partnerships will enable faculty to travel internationally
with the businesses and see international trade, manufacturing and sourcing
on a first-hand basis. In addition, the companies will help offset the
faculty’s travel expenses.
“The greatest impact on curriculum is the faculty,” Petronis said. “The
more faculty we have with international experience, the more of an impact
they will have on their students.”
While the grant will impact Tarleton and the areas its serves, Petronis
plans on increasing the program’s influence. She is already working on
a follow-up grant that will include offering a major in international business. 