An Investment That Pays Dividends

By Cheval John

 In the current financial crisis, business schools are looking for ways to revamp their curriculum and to make it better, so when the students graduate, they will be even more marketable.

The same can be said about the College of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University under its current dean, Mitchell Muehsam Ph.D.

Muehsam received his Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University. While he was a graduate student, he was a partner of  Tourism and More, a touring consultancy firm in College Station.

He started teaching at Sam Houston in 1989 in the College of Business Administration and was promoted to Dean of the Graduate Programs in the College in 1995. Then, he became the Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs in 2003. Finally, he became the Dean of the College of Business Administration in 2009.

He believes that the reason why they are so successful is because the faculty and staff are dedicated to their work and that they are committed to seeing their students succeed. An example of this would be when they do a thorough review of the curriculum every five to 10 years to make sure that the curriculum is top quality and that the students are prepared for the business world.

“People who are not afraid to make mistakes will be successful,” Muehsam said. “It shows that they are willing to try something new, and it gives them the courage to face the fear of failure and to achieve their goals.”

He credits the late James Gilmore, Ph.D., David Payne, Ph.D. and Dean Lewis, Ph.D. for mentoring him during his time here. “They did their jobs with integrity and passion,” he said.

He has the following advice for undergraduate or graduate students:

  • Learn how to learn
  • Pursue knowledge, not grades (even though they are important)
  • Learn how to ask questions
  • Learn how to work as a member of the team and as an individual
  • Everything you do sends a message, so treat people with respect
  • Set high expectations for yourself and follow your interests

About Cheval John

Cheval John is the Founder and CEO of Vallano Media, LLC, a marketing agency which helps small to mid-sized businesses use social media correctly to build a loyal following and in the process become more profitable. Cheval is also the host of "What's The Word?" a podcast about finding out what inspires people to choose their respective careers and how social media impacted their lives and business. He is the author of two books including the Amazon Best-Seller, "8 Lessons Every Podcaster Needs To Learn." He has spoken at Social Media Week Lima in Ohio and at Social Media Day Houston 2017 about topics around live streaming and podcasting. Cheval has been featured in media outlets including Ebony Magazine, Social Media Today and Forbes. He was named a Houston Top 25 Social Media Power Influencer (2016 and 2017) and a Twitter Top 50 Influencer by Onalytica in 2018.

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