Spotlight On: Harry Dombroski, Dean, College of Business at The University of Texas at Arlington
November 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Harry Dombroski, dean of the College of Business at The University of Texas at Arlington, talked about the college’s mission to deliver transformative business education to a diverse student body, including many first-generation students. With over 6,500 students, the college offers a range of programs and has global reach, including initiatives in China and Panama.
What is the college’s mission and role within the university?
The college is a large school, with over 6,500 students. It offers a full array of graduate and undergraduate degree programs, including accounting, economics, finance and real estate, information systems with an emphasis in business analytics, management, and marketing. We serve primarily the Dallas-Fort Worth/North Texas region, but our reach is global. One of our major programs, in operation since 2003, is an executive MBA program in China with over 500 students. Next year we will be launching our masters degree in business analytics in Panama and have recently partnered with programs in Brazil and India to offer dual PhD degrees.
Through our world-class faculty and programs, we deliver a transformable business education to those that choose to pursue higher education to meet their life goals. At the College of Business and UTA we are especially proud that 51% of our students are first generation. When they graduate, it is truly a transformative and meaningful experience for them and their families. In 2025, we will be celebrating our 60th anniversary as a College of Business. We are proud of our 60 years of excellence and almost 65,000 Business Maverick Alumni, and look forward to continuing our mission of transforming lives through knowledge.
What have been some key highlights and achievements for the college over the last 12 months
We have been actively assessing the needs of the metroplex, one of the fastest-growing regions, not only the nation, but in the world. We have been surveying the economic landscape to fully understand what skills and competencies our students will need when they graduate, and to meet the region’s workforce needs. For instance, Dallas-Fort Worth recently surpassed Los Angeles to become the second-largest employer of finance professionals after New York. In response, we are introducing a banking program through our finance department, and next year, we will launch a hospitality degree, mirroring Arlington’s Entertainment District’s growth as well as the wider region’s needs. Arlington’s Entertainment District is home to three world-class stadiums, Texas Live!, Live at Loews Hotel, and the new Loews Arlington Hotel with additional hotels planned. In 2026, AT&T Stadium will host nine FIFA World Cup matches. The College of Business will also be offering an undergraduate degree in entrepreneurship next year in recognition that many of our students want to start their own businesses rather than joining corporations.
How are you supporting student entrepreneurs?
We have been focused on that space for a while now. Since 2018, we have been hosting the MavPitch, a Shark Tank-like competition open to all students on campus, where they compete for development funds to start their business. Students submit video pitches and those who are selected present in front of a panel of judges, with the chance to earn up to $40,000. We believe that is the largest cash competition that any university offers in the United States.
What strategies are you implementing to continue attracting and retaining students?
The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is a great place to live and study. From a business perspective, given the number of companies relocating here, this creates a competitive, target-rich environment. It is also a competitive higher education environment, especially when it comes to attracting and retaining students, so we have to compete on many different fronts. We are student-friendly and our faculty does an excellent job mentoring and coaching students, especially first-generation and non-traditional students, many of whom are balancing work and their studies. We offer a flexible schedule to support them, including classes from early morning to late evening to accommodate various students, which creates an active campus at most hours of the day.
What partnerships are in place locally?
Historically, the college has always maintained strong relationships with the business community, such as with Lockheed Martin, BNSF, GM Financial, Frost Bank, Ericsson, Texas Live!, Airbus, Enterprise, Goldman Sachs and most of the national and regional accounting and finance firms. These partnerships provide valuable internship and mentorship opportunities for our students.
How are you preparing students in this era of digital transformation?
Our data analytics and information systems departments are highly competitive and some of the best in the area, offering cutting-edge training in AI, machine learning, and big data that prepares students for the real world. We also infuse data analysis and analytics into all our disciplines because today, all disciplines deal with managing data. We also have a unique partnership with Ericsson to offer an Executive Certificate in Business Analytics.
How are you ensuring the affordability of your programs?
Historically, UTA is one of the leaders in ensuring that students graduate with minimal debt. We’re consistently ranked in the Top 5 for lowest amount of student debt, and we offer numerous scholarships to further reduce financial burdens. From a tuition standpoint, we are a low-cost university, so our focus on low student debt burden has always been a priority for us.
How are you responding to concerns around mental health for students and faculty?
From a faculty standpoint, we prioritize trust, transparency, and well-being. We expect people to speak their mind because everyone’s opinion is important. For student services, there are many offerings and services like counseling services, food pantries, and other programs to support students dealing with stress, financial challenges, or mental health concerns.
Are there future expansion plans for facilities or offerings?
Our current focus remains on being efficient with our resources, investing in students’ education, and keeping tuition low by utilizing what we have to be as efficient as possible. We are continually evaluating the economic landscape to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our students and the workforce needs of the region. In addition to new undergraduate degrees in entrepreneurship and hospitality, next year we will also be offering an undergraduate degree in Human Resource Management and a STEM MBA.
I’d like to share that this is my second career after being in business for 35 years, and as an alumnus, I’m passionate about UTA and the College of Business and what it has done for me and my family. We have a world-class faculty, and I’m proud of the work we do to deliver high-quality education for our students. I am truly lucky to be able to watch the work they create. For those out there who harbor growing skepticism about the value of higher education, I would invite them to come to UTA. Under the leadership of President Jennifer Cowley, we are focused on the right things: students first, research-driven, and committed to serving our community and its workforce needs. I believe we’re making wise investments in future generations, and I’m proud to be a part of it.
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