Poets and Quants Ranks Pacific’s Business School #1

In January 2021, Poet & Quants, an online source that contains articles about business education, named Pacific’s Eberhardt School of Business the #1 School in the West for business universities who have a roster of 7,000  students or less. The school also received two national spots: #10 for business universities with an enrollment of 7,000 or less students and #70 for the best business university in the nation. This news  delighted faculty, alumni, and students alike. 

Dr. Joseph-Mathews, Associate Professor of Marketing, is far from surprised in regards to Poet & Quants’ decision, but absolutely elated that the school is finally getting recognized on a larger level. Joseph-Mathews has always encouraged Pacific parents to figure out which school suits their children best. She claims that Poet & Quants’ ranking is excellent because it is more personal and based on matters such as job placement rates, starting salaries, and student and alumni feedback. 

“Many people don’t know that 90% of our faculty are full time with PhDs,” said Joseph-Mathews. “When the school has professors who have all the training, we are able to do things in the classroom that maybe professors without training can’t do.” 

She also mentioned that Pacific’s small class sizes puts the university in a good position above other schools. 

 “Having small class sizes really does make a difference,” said Joseph-Mathews. “Pre-Covid, as I was passing by the faculty's offices, they always have a student in there talking about something: research, advising, or talking about clubs. Those kinds of personalized interactions are crucial. 

She also mentioned that teaching at a small university has allowed her to connect with students from across the world.

 “I have taken students across the world, across Costa Rica, Egypt. I have also done projects with students in Afghanistan, Taiwan, and Uganda. If I was teaching a class with 150 students, I would absolutely not be able to engage in these kinds of activities,” she added. 

Pacific students and alumni also had things to say about the ranking. 

Alumni Jade Nguyen Tom, Business Administration, ‘20, recalls that the school’s small size allowed her to maintain close bonds and lifelong relationships with her peers and professors. She was also given the opportunity to take on a leadership role and become President of the Management & Human Resources Student Association (MHRSA).  

“Leading my organization to success where I increased membership drastically by 167%  resulted in the organization now being named “a fast growing organization under my leadership”- that’s a huge memory and accomplishment I cherish. Also, winning the “Outstanding Student Award in Management” announced during my graduation is another memory that I will always cherish,” she added. 

Dr. Naumann, Professor of Management and Organizational Behavior, also highlights how Pacific’s small classes and intimate faculty-student relationships sets the Eberhardt School of Business apart from other business schools. 

“[The Eberhardt School of Business] has a unique combination: having all these hands-on experiences and being accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which ensures that our students are learning exactly the right skills that employers want. I see it as the best of both worlds: personalized learning with the quality standards of the best business schools in the country.”

Alumna Christian Cardona, Business Administration, notes how she got to utilize the benefits of personalized learning in her senior year of undergraduate school. During an independent research study with Dr. Sablynski, Associate Professor of Management, Cardona studied leadership, analyzing Pacific, California Community Colleges, and other universities’ variety of leadership styles and career paths of administrators. Not only did she gain a love for learning, but Cardona obtained also a great memory that was made possible by the school.

“I will always hold close to my heart that I received the opportunity to close the year 2019 as the Graduate Student Speaker for the Eberhardt School of Business Class of 2019. What an honor it was to represent such a diverse class of innovative, transformational, and inspirational students, leaders, and individuals,” said Cardona. 

Marlu Reyes, Business Administration, ‘21,  stresses how the school gives him many opportunities that he could not receive elsewhere that are not just related to the classroom but also to his extracurriculars, especially in terms of expressing his pride for his culture. 

“I was able to participate in Philipino Culture Night, where I was able to play the lead in the showcase that centered on advocating for mental health awareness in the Filipino community. This show also featured various cultural dances from different subcultures in the Philippines Islands,” said Reyes. 

Many people at the Eberhardt School of Business believe that Poets & Quants’ rankings will impact the future of the school for the better because it not only provides more publicity on both state and national levels, but also motivates everyone to put in their best efforts to underline the qualities of Pacific’s business school.