Show t i t 2 r 10 jl 1 J Dr Mike Homer New Dean De 1 of the School of Business by June Carlson Executive Vice President Student Government f t 2 o g 4 y f Dr Mike Homer Dean of the College College College Col Col- lege of Business is a student advocate and a teacher by first love Dr Homer got his EdD doctor of education by incremental necessity He began college seriously seriously seriously ser ser- at age 25 at the Salt Lake Trade Tech Institute while working time full-time at Sperry after a atour atour atour tour as an aircraft mechanic in the theAir theAir theAir Air Force He began in an electronics program and transferred to the U University University Uni Uni- i- i of Utah after a Tech teacher influenced him to education edu edu- cation- cation classes He worked time full-time and d w went ritto to the unive full He well understands the students who must work for their education He re received his BS degree and began to teach classes time part at Utah Tech He did not finish his electronics degree bec because use he got hooked on onman man management gement and changed his major Homers Homer's Air Force supervision training didn't work on the several women wo working king for him at Litton Industries so it was obvious to him he needed to take management classes Homer then worked at Litton Industries in quality control writing procedure manuals but discovered that he couldn't write He undertook the serious study to remedy this defect He JIe also took extension courses in math from BYU for three years Mike worked time full-time for three years from pm pm p.m. to am a.m. Because of of financial str struggles ggles and a family to feed his wife Margo worked while he went to school for lor a 3 year to finish his degree He applied to 18 companies for jobs and was turned down by 6 of them because the age limit for beginning management was 25 An MBA was supposed to be ageless so he continued continued continued con con- his education after receiving his BS degree Magna Cum Laude He took classes in education to teach high school in the Jordan School dis dis- dis- dis He taught night classes at Utah Tech while teaching at Jordan Jordan Jordan Jordan Jor Jor- dan offered him a position as Director of Pupil Personnel and the college offered him a time full-time teaching tion He began teaching in 1972 and has been here for 11 years After the first two years of teaching he was appointed as marketing co Then he was appointed Division Head of Business Management in 1975 operative Co-operative Ed was established established established while he was in this position and he did dual duty in both endea endea- vors There were management students in 1975 By 1978 this number number number num num- ber had reached and four full programs were added Homer felt he lacked credibility with e external agencies He needed a doctorate He took a Sabbatical in 80 1979 and went to Utah State for forone forone forone one year He commuted from his home in Salt Lake City weekends living in his camper during the week That year cost him about 30 in lost income and out-of- out pocket expenses Homer didn't have a mid-life mid cri cri- cri- cri sis Instead he had a mid-life mid transi transi- tion He says it was a wonderful transition because he really re dis rediscovered rediscovered rediscovered covered learning Homer learned to write and loves it He finds it challenging He earned 82 credits over the requirements requirements requirements require require- ments for his MBA degree in the course of his quest for knowledge There was a quarter four-quarter residency requirement at Utah State U which he did He finished his dissertation a year later while teaching full Why did he apply for Dean of Business He says it was to make a wider contribution to students He is altruistic He b believes that every student who comes to Utah Technical cal College deserves to have the best learning experience possible He also has a very high opinion of the faculty in the school of business He has already seen changes in his new position He is working with 32 full- full time faculty members and advocates advocates advocates cates the team approach The school is in the process o of a major cur- cur r T iC l um change He e is ex- ex ex expanding n the use of advisory committees com corn 5 to include six members from the business community as aswell aswell well as faculty members who are rotated on the committees Homer and his staff are working on the transfer of credit problem They are obtaining written agreements agreements agreements agree agree- ments with Westminster BYU U of Utah Utah State and Weber State The only school with which an agreement agreement agreement agree agree- ment has not been started is Homer has always been surrounded surrounded surrounded sur sur- rounded by females He admits to being spoiled by three aunts a mother and a grandmother He has hasa a wife four daughters one granddaughter granddaughter granddaughter grand grand- daughter and a female dog He does have one son-in-law son he respects highly and who lives in with Homers Homer's daughter and grand daugh daugh- ter Another daughter is graduating in June in dance education and plans to teach He has a 16 year old and seven year old daughters at home Homer is a multiple-imager multiple who challenges the hardy fellow in his classes to beat him at racquetball He also water reads writes is chairman of the research committee of the National op Co-op is involved in nine or ten professional organizations and is finishing a y j workbook for his statistics book Homer will teach one class per year while he is Dean That class is Operations Operations Operations Oper Oper- Analysis a statistics class 1 He also teaches a night class at Westminster in Applied Statis Statistics ics Homer says learning is his trip He plans to continue to grow with 1 his wife and expand his family via i imore more grandchildren 4 |