Spotlight On: Marilyn Wiley, Dean, G. Brint Ryan College of Business University of North Texas
September 2024 — In an interview with Invest:, Dean Marilyn Wiley of the G. Brint Ryan College of Business at the University of North Texas discussed the college’s record enrollment and the successful launch of a Doctorate in Business Administration program, which ranked in the Top 10 in its first year.
What have been some key achievements for the college in the past 12 months?
We had our largest enrollment ever in 2023-2024, including our biggest freshman class. We also launched a Doctorate in Business Administration, a three-year program aimed at senior managers and executives who want to deepen their knowledge, gain a doctoral credential, or explore teaching. The program successfully enrolled 10 students, our target, and was nationally ranked a Top 10 hybrid and online program in its first year.
How do you envision the next phase of growth for the college?
This year, we’re focused on reviewing and expanding our curriculum to meet industry demands. We’re enhancing our offerings in analytics — specifically business, marketing, and healthcare analytics — and expanding our real estate programs, including plans for a real estate center on campus.
We aim to grow our master’s programs and add executive education, underpinned by the belief that our students should be lifelong learners. As careers evolve, graduates need a versatile toolkit to adapt to industry changes. We emphasize critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication, paired with industry-specific skills.
We’re also incorporating artificial intelligence into our curriculum, recognizing its importance for future professionals. Expanding corporate partnerships remains a priority, ensuring our curriculum stays aligned with industry trends. Our students come here to build careers, and we prepare them to meet employer expectations from day one and beyond.
What partnerships are in place to fulfill industry needs?
We maintain a broad set of partnerships with advisory boards for each program. For instance, to support the many community and regional banks in our area, we’ve enhanced our banking curriculum. A board of six members from these banks helps us identify key skills needed in new hires and ongoing training for current staff. This is just one example — we have similar partnerships across all areas. These collaborations keep our curriculum relevant, with partners often speaking to classes, hosting student events, and training faculty on the latest industry trends.
What strategies are in place to attract and retain students?
Retention is a priority. We believe every admitted student can succeed, and it’s our duty to provide the necessary guidance and resources. While students must put in the effort, we strive to enrich their classroom experience and offer robust support.
With fewer high-school graduates entering college, we’re focusing on those needing to upskill or reskill and those who started college but didn’t finish. We’re expanding continuing education to meet market demands, staying forward-looking to ensure our programs align with industry trends.
One successful initiative is our intervention program for students in their first math class — a prerequisite for many of our courses. Partnering with the College of Science, we identify business majors struggling with math and offer them mentoring, advising, tutoring, and encouragement. This program has been well-received, helping many students find the support they need to succeed.
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What trends are impacting higher education, and how is the college adapting?
Higher education is rapidly evolving. About 10 years ago, there was a shift toward valuing specific skills and certificates over traditional degrees. While certificates offer valuable technical skills, employers are realizing they don’t replace the comprehensive education provided by a degree, which includes critical thinking, communication, and presentation skills.
To bridge this gap, we’re integrating both technical skills and broader competencies into our programs. For those with certifications but no degree, we offer pathways to build on their existing knowledge without repeating courses. We’re also catering to professionals who need a degree for career advancement.
One key initiative is our Bachelor of Science in General Business through the Coursera platform, launched two years ago. This flexible program allows students who have completed 60 academic credit hours to finish their degree on their own schedule. With 8-week sessions and fully asynchronous courses, it’s designed to help students balance education with work and family, offering a practical path to degree completion.
How is the college addressing affordability?
College is expensive, and we’re acutely aware of that. Rising costs, from food and housing to employee salaries, have driven up tuition as state funding has decreased — today, over 80% of our revenue comes from tuition.
To tackle affordability, we start by guiding students through financial aid options, ensuring they access available government and university support, and we supplement this with scholarships. Our student loan default rate is one of the lowest in the state, and most students pay off their debt within three years, which is well below national averages.
We’ve also kept tuition steady for seven years and don’t plan to increase it next year. Additionally, we’re looking at ways to cut costs in other areas, like offering a flat fee for textbooks each semester. Beyond that, we’re focused on raising more scholarship funds and have established a student emergency fund, providing immediate assistance for unexpected expenses so students can stay focused on their studies.
How is the college addressing mental health needs and providing well-being support services?
Mental health issues among students have risen significantly, whether due to better identification or actual increases, and the need for support is undeniable. The pandemic, social media pressures, and reduced in-person engagement likely contribute to this trend.
To address it, we have a care team for immediate intervention. Faculty or staff can contact the team if a student needs urgent help, whether counseling or hospitalization. The university is also expanding resources by contracting with a provider to offer 24/7 on-call counseling for students and faculty.
Beyond formal support, we emphasize student connections. Our Introduction to Business course, taken by freshmen, includes small group activities to foster friendships, which are vital for mental well-being. We also run a mentoring program where upperclassmen guide freshmen and sophomores.
Additionally, faculty are encouraged to flag students who miss classes early in the semester, as this often signals underlying issues. This early identification allows us to intervene and keep students on track. Mental health remains a significant focus, and we’re committed to being proactive and responsive to our students’ needs.
What is your outlook for the higher education sector over the next three to five years?
Business skills are essential for every student’s future, regardless of their major. Our motto, borrowed from the Wall Street Journal, is “Every student is a business student.” Whether they enter a family business, the arts, or medicine, they’ll need to manage aspects of their career or finances. That’s why we provide Wall Street Journal access to all students, faculty, and staff — to keep everyone informed about the broader business world.
We focus on keeping our curriculum relevant and aligned with industry trends, ensuring graduates are job ready. We’ve also opened many of our business courses to students in other disciplines. For example, we recently launched an MBA specifically for graduates of non-business fields, like a biology major who pivots from medical school to explore career opportunities in the biomedical industry.
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