|
|
50th Anniversary Profile:
Dr. Allan Bailey, Dean of the College of Business Administration from 1979-1997
 Dr. Allan Bailey, former Dean of the College of Business Administration, has spent more than 40 years at San Diego State University. As a student, teacher, and administrator, he has seen the university and the College of Business Administration undergo tremendous growth and change.
Bailey began his career at SDSU as an undergraduate accounting major in the early 1960s. He worked closely with Dr. Vern Odmark who inspired him to pursue graduate school and a career as a teacher and educator. After receiving his degree, Bailey attended UCLA where he received his MBA and Ph.D. in accounting. He returned to SDSU in 1968 as an Assistant Professor of Accounting and became Dean of the College of Business Administration in 1979. He served as Dean from 1979 to June of 1997.
As Dean of the College of Business Administration, Bailey was elected President of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the first CSU dean ever to receive the honor. He also received the Lifetime Faculty Achievement Award from the California CPA Society, in recognition of his achievements as a teacher and scholar.
Over his four decades as an educator and administrator, Bailey has seen SDSU and the surrounding business community change a great deal. “The business community in San Diego has grown more sophisticated, more entrepreneurial, more international, and it demanded more of the College of Business Administration in each of these areas,” Bailey said. The SDSU campus grew tremendously, as well, from 12,500 students to over 30,000 students today.
Such a remarkable transformation brought with it significant challenges for SDSU’s educators and administration. For Bailey, meeting the changing needs of students became one of the most rewarding aspects of his teaching career. “The great thing about being involved with students is that they force you to change over time to meet new educational challenges. Each student is unique, each has different perspectives on education, and the business environment we are preparing them for changes at an ever-increasing rate.”
Reflecting upon his career at SDSU, Bailey is most proud to see his former students and the faculty he hired as Dean develop into successful business people, scholars, and teachers. “Whatever reputation and success the College of Business Administration has had over the years is the result of the achievements of our alumni and faculty—I hope I facilitated some of those achievements through my actions as a teacher and dean.”
Today, Bailey continues his work with SDSU as the CFO of the Campanile Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the university. “I have had the best career anybody could possibly ask for – I have had the privilege of spending 42 years at SDSU as a student, faculty member, and administrator. I have learned something new every day from the people I have worked with, the students I have taught, and the faculty I have known.” |
