The five-year program leading to a bachelor’s degree in broadcasting and mass communications and a master’s degree in business administration launched this fall.

Fritz Messere ’71, M ’76, dean of the School of Communication, Media and the Arts, said he sees many graduates of the college’s broadcasting program develop successful careers in the field outside the studio. The new degree option aims to give such students a quick start on that career path.

“Particularly the students we see graduate from the broadcast program who are not in a creative area, they tend to be focused in some area related to business: sales of broadcast time, programming, management of broadcast stations, advertising and marketing,” Messere said.

Richard Skolnik, dean of the School of Business, noted that the strength of the two programs at Oswego makes the combination especially attractive for students seeking thorough grounding for solid careers. The School of Business appears every year in Princeton Review’s guide to “Best Business Schools.” The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences lists Oswego’s broadcasting program among the nation’s outstanding television, film and digital media programs.

Saawan Pathange M ’02 and Pei-Chang “Jessie” Wu M ’03 traveled the world to meet, fatefully, at SUNY Oswego. Specifically, their world-class romance developed in Penfield Library.

“We had our spot,” said Saawan with a smile. He and his wife, Jessie, now living and working in New York City, visited Oswego in the fall as part of the School of Business Alumni Symposium.

Pei-Chang "Jessie" Wu M '03, left, and Saawan Pathange M '02 made their unlikely acquaintance at Oswego and are now married. Both work in the financial industry in New York City.

The couple found love and a great education during their time as Lakers.

“Because I was here, I was able to focus,” said Jessie, a native of Taiwan who currently works as an associate at Neuberger Berman. “To be here, to learn from other students — that was an important part of it.”

Both came to Oswego through the International Education program.

“It’s quiet,” recalled Saawan, a native of India who came to Oswego via Sydney, Australia. “You have time here and there are not many distractions.”

Both said faculty and staff were an important part of their Oswego experience as well. Professor Chuck Spector in business and Gerry Oliver, now retired from the International Education office, were particularly helpful to them.

Saawan and Jessie come back to campus whenever they can and are very encouraged by the quality of students and expansion of programming in critical areas like international business.

“I think there has been tremendous progress,” said Saawan, a director for UBS Investment Bank. “It’s good for students to experience [what they do] at this level.”

The Princeton Review cited the School of Business for small class sizes, professor-student interaction, team activities, knowledgeable faculty and engaged alumni, among other measures.

“It’s a testament to the dedication of our faculty, the engagement of our students and the active involvement of our alumni,” said School of Business Dean Richard Skolnik, who pointed out the school has made the list each year since it began as the “Best 143” MBA-awarding schools in 2005.

Pathange M ’02 of UBS Securities talks with Brian Gambardella ’12 at last fall’s Alumni Business Symposium.

The dean noted that campus-community-alumni interaction is crucial to School of Business value and achievement. The Oswego Alumni Association co-sponsors the annual Alumni Business Symposium, where accomplished professionals return to campus to interact with students and faculty.

“There is a triangulation of contact that is established among students, faculty and alumni,” Skolnik said. “It’s that culture of engagement that is passed on from one class year of students to another.”

As a recent example, the Gordon A. Lenz ’58 Family Foundation Center for Finance, Insurance and Risk Management in the School of Business, established by a major gift from Gordon A. Lenz ’58, will support the first dedicated four-year program to focus on insurance and risk management studies in the SUNY system, one of only a handful of college centers for a discipline that has increased in prominence and importance as the nation seeks solutions to health care issues.

— Jeff Rea ’71

A new online MBA program at oswego.edu/mba enables students as diverse as soldiers at Fort Drum, busy professionals around New York state and Oswego alumni from Pennsylvania to India to obtain their master’s degrees in business administration.

Nearly 100 students have begun the application process for the new online program.

Alicia Dargan M ’11 entered the new online MBA program in January.

Oswego, the first comprehensive college in the SUNY system to offer an MBA when the program started in 1997, has increased the options for obtaining the degree: for example, rotating courses between the main campus and the SUNY Oswego Metro Center in downtown Syracuse.

Skolnik said the school, working with the Division of Extended Learning, has steadily added online sections of courses to assist students who couldn’t travel.

The school will offer both an on-campus orientation and a final capstone experience for online MBA students. Those unable to attend can petition for release from either residential experience.

MBA program Director Tammie Sullivan ’04, M ’05, an Oswego MBA alumna who served in the Navy for 10 years, feels particularly strongly about active and ex-military MBA candidates.

“It’s so important to offer them the opportunity to continue their educations and to advance their careers,” she said. “They pay a huge price, and this is the least we can do to be flexible and help them achieve their goals.”

The MBA program began the academic year with 115 students, a leap of 55 percent over the previous fall, when the school rebranded the program to emphasize its personal, customizable approach.

“Where we start is with the individual,” Sullivan said. “‘Where do you want to be in 10 years and what are your goals?’ It’s a very personalized MBA.”