What was once a rumor is now been confirmed, Dr. Steve Norman is officially stepping down as head of the business department. On Wednesday, May 15 he sent out an email to all of the business students confirming the change in leadership. For some students who had Leading Organizations class with him, they found out at the end of their final class on Tuesday, May 14.
His stepping down is a voluntary decision due to personal and health reasons. He will be still be part of Colorado Mesa University’s Business Department, but it will be in the role of full-time faculty. He will be handing the position over to Dr. Christine Noel as of July 1.
“Dr. Christine Noel will be taking over as Department Head and will do very well in this capacity with my full support. We will work closely together to make this transition as smooth as possible and so that we keep the excellent momentum that we have created over the past 3 years as a collective group,” Norman said.
“Though change can be difficult, I am looking forward to this change, and to continuing to serve you as a faculty member. Together, we have implemented transformational change for the Department of Business with your best interests in mind, and to increase the rigor, skill-building, and quality of your education so that you can maximize your success. Based on widespread student and other stakeholder comments, we have succeeded together with all objective measures. I have received an outpouring of support from you students, community members, peers, and colleagues and I am thankful for the support and for the opportunity to work with such a great group of individuals. I am truly humbled,” he continued.
Before working in the educational setting, Norman has accumulated over 25 years experience in the industry. He has taught courses in management, organizational behavior, and leadership. As an instructor, he gets the students engaged in the conversations. By doing so, not only are the students learning from him but from each other as well. In his Leading Organizations class, he often brought up experiences in leadership that he had when he worked with the software company, Oracle.
During the last 3 years as department head, Norman has achieved great success in the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditation. Through his perseverance, CMU’s application for accreditation has been accepted, and he has continued with the work towards the goal of full accreditation. This will bring CMU’s Business School in with the top 20% in the United States. In working on the accreditation, Norman has implemented the three pillars of the AACSB Accreditation which are engagement, innovation, and impact. These pillars have been placed in our learning outcomes and objectives.
Noel is currently an Assistant Professor of Accounting. She has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) since 2000. She has also been an instructor for over 15 years. As an instructor, she also is good at engaging students in the classroom. The skills and abilities that she possesses will guide her on the right path to continue where Norman has left off. Her leadership skills have made her a good pick to take over. She will also continue the work on accreditation that Norman has been working on for the past 3 years.
In his email, Norman left us with two quotes:
“Leaders are – by definition – change makers. When you are called to lead, you are called to advance, move forward, and improve the situation”. (Clear Picture Leadership)
“Change is difficult, not changing is fatal”. (Shutterstock)
