A Talk With Debbie DeLong, Executive Director of Chatham’s New School
The exterior of Braun Hall on Chatham’s Shadyside Campus, where the School of Business & Enterprise will be based. (Annie O’Neill)
Last month, Chatham University announced the creation of the new School of Business & Enterprise (SBE).
Pulse@ChathamU recently sat down with Deborah DeLong, the executive director of the SBE and a professor of marketing, to talk about what students can expect from the new school, where it fits into Chatham’s mission and values, and how the University will leverage connections in the business community to improve the student experience.
Questions and answers have been edited for clarity and content.
What can you tell me about the new School of Business and Enterprise?
It is being launched officially in the fall of 2024 and will offer the same majors we do now, such as management, marketing, economics, etc. plus some new programs. One new program in particular is a sports management major. This initiative makes a lot of sense for us, because a large portion of our business students are student athletes, so it ties in with the interests of a population we currently serve.
Another strength in the school is infusing our curriculum with business sustainability principles. This ties SBE more closely with the Falk School of Sustainability & Environment. Their expertise and our expertise complement each other, and we share two professors of business sustainability.
Another new major we are considering is a bachelor in healthcare administration. We already have healthcare administration at the grad level; it’s a track in the Master of Business Administration program. An undergrad healthcare administration major would integrate SBE a bit more with the School of Health Sciences. We’re trying to increase synergy with other core areas of academics at Chatham where we can, since this makes the best use of our collective strengths.
How is the school incorporating sustainability into its curriculum?
Business sustainability is not just a buzzword. It is a necessity for businesses to weather climate change and navigate all the challenges we’re facing with resource constraints and additional regulations. Businesses are an enormously important target when it comes to remediating the impact humans have on the environment.
SBE does not just teach business in isolation, we teach it in the context of sustainable business principles. Our mission is to produce students that can and will be the source of expertise and impetus within their future workplaces to be more sustainable. Our goal is to be the primary source for this kind of talent in the region.
What can students expect to get out of the school?
Professor of Marketing Debbie DeLong is the executive director of the School of Business & Enterprise.
A major focus in SBE will be experiential learning. Business majors tend to fixate on the job they’re getting at the end of the day. They’re focused on what they’re learning, but they also want assurances of a return on their investment. ROI a fundamental business concept that, as a School, we need to act upon as well as teach.
When they graduate, students expect to be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to land the type of position they’ve been training for. At the same time, they need to have a chance to determine if it’s really something that fits their interests long term.
It’s a tragedy when someone completes a degree, starts working in that field, and then realizes, “Oh my gosh, I hate this.” In industrial psychology, a method for preventing this type of surprise is a “realistic job preview.” Through experiential learning, SBE can provide students with a realistic job preview of what it’s actually like to practice in a given profession.
Students are required to complete an internship, which allows them to test those waters. Experiential learning is more than this, it is a variety of experiences that can provide different perspectives of the field to assess whether they are on the right path. If they’re not on the right path, they have a chance to recognize it and shift to something that is more in line with their calling.
How long have you been at Chatham, and what did you do before starting here?
I came to Chatham in 2006 when my family moved to Pittsburgh after flooding from Hurricane Katrina. I was a faculty member at Tulane University in New Orleans for several years before the hurricane, and before that I worked in corporate and agency settings.
My master and doctorate degrees are in industrial/organizational psychology, which focuses on workplace and employee dynamics. As a professor of marketing, my interests lean towards the consumer behavior side of things since this ties with social psychology, motivation and morale, attitudes, intentions, behavior, etc. My role within SBE is a good fit for me due to my business experience and human resources oriented training. Years ago, I worked in nonprofit fundraising, so I am looking forward to developing sponsorships as well. My goal is to generate interest and awareness of SBE’s strengths and grow our potential for attracting students who can serve in the best interests of Pittsburgh’s business community.
What about the SBE gets you most excited?
As our own School, we can be that much more responsive to business trends and translate these insights into action. We can initiate more outreach to alumni, the business community, and our partners, building stronger ties and opportunities for students to gain experience and find their dream jobs. We have the ability to be nimble, innovative, and expand our collective wisdom to uniquely benefit the populations we serve: students, faculty, staff, employers, and the Chatham community as a whole. We are excited to launch in just a few short months and continue to invest in SBE’s long term success.
Learn more about business majors at Chatham University, or read a story about the success of a recent Master of Business Administration student.