Robert L. Taylor, dean of the College of Business and Public Administration at the University of Louisville, has been elected vice president-president elect of AACSB. He officially begins his term in July 1998 and will serve through academic year 1998-99, assuming the presidency in July 1999 for the 1999-2000 academic year.

"Bob Taylor's nomination to vice president-president elect comes at exactly the right time for the Association," said Roy A. Herberger, Jr., president of Thunderbird, American Graduate School of International Management. Currently, Herberger is vice president-president elect of AACSB and will assume the helm of the organization in July 1998. "Bob has one of the most interesting professional backgrounds I have ever seen in a sitting dean. He brings a range of having worked in various overseas assignments while at the same time having management responsibility for diversity programs, as well as hard core research in various institutions.

"During the past several years, I have seen Bob bring sophistication and good judgment to deliberations of the AACSB Board of Directors. He will represent many constituents with fairness and a solid understanding of what will make this organization capable of adjusting to an exciting future," said Herberger.

Taylor has a long history of service with AACSB, serving on numerous accreditation committees, chairing the Accreditation Transition Task Force and twice chairing the Candidacy Committee. He has been on the AACSB Board of Directors since 1995 and the Executive Committee since 1996.

Taylor serves on a number of civic and public boards, including Bank One Kentucky, Kentucky Wood Floors (chairman), The Rawlings Company, Leadership Kentucky, Louisville Venture Forum, City of Louisville Public Trust Fund, and Louisville/Jefferson County Private Industry Council.

"I am very grateful for the honor to continue serving the membership as vice president-president elect," said Taylor. "I strongly believe that AACSB provides significant leadership in creating respect for management education within academe for its mission-based standards and accreditation processes. At the same time, AACSB provides value-added to deans and faculty as we all cope with a rapidly changing environment in higher education.

"Over the next year, I will eagerly work with Roy Herberger as he helps us set the agenda for the 21st century," said Taylor. "His vision in global management education is an example to all of us, and his keen insights into quality, accountability and advocacy are critical as we adapt to new expectations of our constituents. Ensuring that AACSB is the 'voice' of management education for member schools, business and industry is an objective we share.

"Three important issues face us as we move forward," continued Taylor, citing technology development as the first. "We must search for the balance between technological capabilities (and the attraction associated with the technologies) with the need for human interaction in the learning process. The race to 'state-of-the-art' must be tempered with a thoughtful understanding of how our
students best learn - today and in the future.

"Second, we are truly in a global marketplace for management education. Some schools are assisting institutions in other countries to develop quality standards and expectations. Some schools deliver programs abroad as an export. And, there are schools that are attempting to understand how we create a global awareness among students and faculty. The more we can share experiences and opportunities, the better we will be prepared," he said.

"Third, we must ensure that every member school has ownership in AACSB. This means that each school has an opportunity to participate in continuous improvement while finding the processes and program offerings relevant to their specific needs," said Taylor. "My goal is to create an appreciation for the differences we have while making certain that AACSB continues to be recognized as the leader in management education."

In other election results, business deans Carl Gooding, Georgia Southern University, and Larry E. Penley, Arizona State University, were elected to three-year Board terms representing accredited schools. Gooding has served on the Visitation, Initial Accreditation and Candidacy committees. Penley has served on the Business Accreditation Committee, the Articles and Bylaws Committee, and the International Peer Review Task Force. He served as vice president and program chair of the Western Region in 1996-98 and currently is Western Region president.

Lucy J. Reuben, business dean at South Carolina State University, was elected to a three-year Board term representing non-accredited schools. Reuben has served on the Women Business Administrators Panel and the Women Business Administrators Planning Committee.

Brenda B. Sumberg, director, education systems alliances, Motorola University, was elected to a three-year Board term representing corporations. From 1992-97, Sumberg served on the Total Quality Conference Planning Committee and has been on the Global Forum Planning Committee since 1996.

J. Wil Foppen, dean and director of the Rotterdam School of Management at Erasmus University in The Netherlands, was elected to a two-year Board term representing non-U.S. schools.