Experience, technology drive new associate dean

Years in CBA key to success
Monica Holmes may be new to her position as associate dean of the College of Business Administration, but she is not a new face to the college.

Holmes joined CMU as a faculty member in the business information systems department in 1995 and has served as chair of the business information systems department for the past six years.

“Monica brings an excellent skill set to this position,” said CBA Dean Mike Fields. “This college is poised to move into an outstanding period in its history. Monica will play an important role in helping the college reach the next level.”

As associate dean, Holmes will drive technology initiatives, oversee the graduate programs for the college, serve as program director for the Master of Business Administration program, and lead the college’s international programs and initiatives.

Technology initiatives move college forward
The college’s Six Sigma and SAP initiatives will be a major focus for Holmes. Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects in any process. SAP applications provide the capability to manage financial, asset, and cost accounting, production operations and materials, personnel, plants, and archived documents.

“Monica’s background in Six Sigma and SAP makes her a logical choice for this position,” Fields said. “Her thorough understanding in these areas will help CBA to grow these initiatives in the marketplace. This is a very important step in the growth of the college.”

MBA program to receive a facelift
With the assistance of the faculty, Holmes will help the dean incorporate his vision for the M.B.A. program.

“My No. 1 goal is to work with CBA faculty to come up with a rigorous M.B.A. program that delivers value to both employers and students,” Holmes said.

Holmes plans to grow the M.B.A. program to the size it was a few years ago by strengthening CMU’s investment in SAP for classrooms as well as using Six Sigma as the quality methodology of choice.

Monica C. Holmes