The Fogelman College of Business & Economics (FCBE) at the University of Memphis has a growing list of impressive accolades. With one of the best graduate programs in the country, FCBE boasts the No. 1 part-time MBA program in Tennessee and is among the only 6% of business schools worldwide to achieve accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.
It doesn’t stop there. FBCE also has alumni leading other top business schools around the country, including Dr. Michael D. Hartline (PhD ’93), dean and Charles A. Bruning Professor of Business Administration at the College of Business at Florida State University.
“Mike was one of those students that every professor dreams of being able to teach. He was intensely curious, passionate and tenacious in his desire to learn. And most importantly, Mike needed to share what he had learned with others. Education isn’t something that Mike does as a career choice; it’s who he is,” said Gregory W. Boller, PhD, director of the Center for Arts Integration in Business Performance, director of the Executive MBA program, and associate professor of Marketing.
Hartline recently spoke with us to give insight on how the FCBE impacted his education and career journey.
Hartline Q&A
Why did you choose the University of Memphis to get your PhD degree?
I was accepted at several universities, but it was the campus visit at UofM (Memphis State at the time) that sealed the deal. The faculty and doctoral students, as well as their families, were incredibly welcoming and clearly excited to have me join them as a doctoral student. It felt like home from the moment I stepped onto campus.
What skills did you learn in business school that you have found useful in your professional career?
I learned so many things, but I think what has stuck with me the most is the importance of mentorship and humility. I learned how to be an effective scholar and teacher, but I also learned the importance of supporting and helping others, as well as the power of servant leadership. Those qualities have carried me throughout my academic journey and served me well as dean.
What’s something you learned in business school that you use every day?
That would have to be the power of a business education in promoting social mobility and economic impact, not only for me personally, but for the countless students I have known throughout my career. Business education changes lives, allowing graduates to have exceptional careers and impact on the world. Those successful business graduates later give back to the university, paying it forward to the next generation.
If you could give yourself advice as a college student, what would it be?
Get involved. Universities like the UofM or FSU are large places with an incredible array of opportunities. Students have to find a way to shrink the size of the campus in order to find their place. Whether through student organizations, professional organizations, Greek life, athletics or clubs, getting involved is absolutely critical to having a good college experience. This is true whether you are an undergraduate, master’s or doctoral student.
Why did you decide to pursue a career in higher ed?
It goes back to mentorship. My mentor during my MBA program at Jacksonville State University, Dr. P.J. Forrest, told me after a few classroom presentations that I would be a good teacher, and I should consider a career in academia. She helped me with my first conference paper, which was accepted before I began at the UofM. She also connected me with a UofM faculty member, Dr. O.C. Ferrell, who later became my mentor and dissertation advisor.
What are some of the things you’ve accomplished in your current role or past roles that you are most proud of?
There are many things I am proud of, but I am most proud of our college’s student success metrics (83% four-year graduation rate; 95% freshman retention rate), our faculty’s publication success (top 10 among all Carnegie-classified business schools nationwide, public or private) and the upcoming opening of our college’s new home, Legacy Hall.
