The °®¶¹´«Ã½ School of Management has grown tremendously over the course of more than 50 years!
Although the world has changed in many ways, SOM remains a constant source of innovation and leadership. Our faculty and staff are committed to helping students become the strategic and ethical business leaders of tomorrow.
A timeline of key moments in SOM's history
1970
The School of Management was once a department within °®¶¹´«Ã½â€™s Harpur College. It was known as the Harpur College Department of Business Enterprise and Accounting. In 1970, spurred by a handful of passionate faculty who saw an opportunity to grow and strengthen business education at °®¶¹´«Ã½, the separate School of Business was formed.
1971
Originally, the School of Business was located on the 10th floor of the library tower on main campus. In 1971, to better accommodate management consistencies across all avenues of industry, the name was changed to the School of Management (SOM).
1987
Distinguished Professor Emeritus Bernard Bass envisioned establishing a leadership center dedicated to the discovery and verification of leadership research. In 1987 his dream came to fruition with the creation of the Bernard M. and Ruth R. Bass Center for Leadership Studies.
1991
As the size of the student body rapidly grew, so did the school's curricular offerings. In 1991 the SOM received approval to begin a doctoral program. This milestone marked a turning point as the SOM faculty would now be able to contribute to the body of knowledge being taught to business students around the world.
That same year, the SOM became accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB). A significant rise in national business school rankings followed suit.
1998
After moving the school to several locations on campus including its original home in the library tower, the Fine Arts Building, and the basement of the library, the SOM moved to its permanent home in the newly constructed Academic A in 1998.
2020
The year we celebrated the 50th anniversary of SOM!
Over the years the SOM's alumni base has grown exponentially. Countless alumni, particularly in the Greater New York City region, have provided invaluable corporate partnerships, educational experiences and employment opportunities for SOM students.
What's next for SOM?
As the fourth industrial revolution, driven by machine learning and artificial intelligence, continues to impact all industries, the School of Management is fully embracing its mission of developing the next generation of leaders for the new economy.
The work has already begun. Operating under a business-tech model, the curriculum will ensure students have the hard and soft skills needed for the future of business. New required courses give students a deep-dive in programming, data analytics and oral-communication skills.
The school is also offering courses that explore areas in cybersecurity, data mining, business intelligence, accounting information systems, data-driven marketing, digital analytics and social media marketing, machine learning, artificial intelligence and blockchain.