Chris Swarat

Cal State Fullerton College of Business and Economics welcomes Chris Swarat back to the college’s leadership, this time as the first associate dean, Centers of Excellence and external relations.

In this role, Swarat will work closely with faculty, staff, students, alumni, center directors, college and university development officials, and community partners to develop and strengthen working relationships and external engagement, while building the college’s standing and impact in Orange County and beyond.

Previously, Swarat served Cal State Fullerton as associate vice president of Extension and International Programs, director of the B.A. in international business program, and director of global outreach focused on developing globally aware business leaders.

[su_pullquote align=”right”]“The College of Business and Economics engages and impacts Orange County and the greater community through its Centers of Excellence. This new associate dean position will allow us to strategically coordinate this intentional community engagement by the college in the future. Chris brings a lot of relevant experience to the position and I look forward to working with him.” – Sridhar Sundaram, dean of the CSUF College of Business and Economics[/su_pullquote]

“These experiences allowed me the opportunity to delve into and better understand local and regional economic and workforce development needs, the need for practical and experiential learning opportunities for students, the value of global competency and intercultural understanding for current and future business leaders, and the importance of bringing together diverse partners to address local and global concerns,” says Swarat. “In a nutshell, I’m focused on the need to build bridges between higher education and the communities of which we are a part so that we can build a sustainable future for all.”

Goals for a Globally Aware Associate Deanship

The goals of Swarat’s new role include working with the college community to enhance the community impact of the College of Business and Economics and facilitate the development of global learning initiatives in the classroom, community engagement and faculty research.

Helping the Centers of Excellence expand their reach to students, faculty research and community impact, such as entrepreneurial support or nonprofit development, are some of the goals of Swarat’s associate deanship.

One of Swarat’s foci will be on coordinating with academic departments to develop study-abroad programs and faculty-exchange programs, which will give Titan business students access to academic voices from around the world while simultaneously sharing the college’s faculty expertise with counterparts internationally.

“External engagement will be valued and encouraged, not only to tell our story, but also to ensure our finger is on the pulse of the community so we can adapt as their needs change,” says Swarat. “Innovation requires us to listen to those we serve, and thus a willingness to change and adapt as the community evolves.

“Community engagement, outreach and visibility are key to ensuring the College of Business and Economics remains Southern California’s economic and workforce development hub and a global thought leader in business education.”