Robert C. Camp will be retiring from the deanship of the IUP Eberly College of Business and Information Technology effective June 30, 2020.

Camp has served as dean of the business school for the past 32 years, since June 1988.

Camp will be joining the faculty in the IUP Department of Management after his retirement as dean.

"Dr. Camp has been a visionary leader for the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology," IUP President Michael Driscoll said.

"When you compare the current status of the Eberly College to the college of business he arrived to lead, there is a crystal clear difference. Dr. Camp's leadership is responsible for the advancement of the college's reputation as well as new strength and breadth of programs, exemplified by the AACSB accreditation achieved during his tenure."

AACSB International (the Association to Advance College Schools of Business) is the premier accrediting body for business schools worldwide.

"Under his leadership, IUP's college of business has gone from a good business school to one of the best colleges of business in the region, the state, and beyond," Driscoll said.

"Dr. Camp is a very strategic and thoughtful leader, an advocate for his college and for IUP, who comes to the table with a commitment to inclusion, a broad and global perspective, and a passion for excellence. He is a true gentleman, and this makes it a pleasure to interact with him in all kinds of circumstances.

"We are so thankful for all of the great work that he has done and look forward to his continued wise counsel and work as a member of the IUP family," Driscoll said.

"Dr. Camp deserves boundless appreciation and a profound debt of gratitude for his many contributions to IUP and to the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology," IUP Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Timothy Moerland said. "We look forward to his leadership role as a member of the faculty."

Camp was hired at IUP with the express goal of leading the business school to AACSB Accreditation, which was achieved in 2001 and maintained through continuous improvement reviews over the past 19 years. Approximately five percent of the more than 16,000 schools worldwide granting business degrees have earned AACSB Accreditation.

Camp has served on more than a dozen AACSB accreditation peer review teams. In recent years, he has served as the chairperson of teams that reviewed business schools in Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, and the US.

The Eberly College, which was built during Camp's tenure, was so named in honor of the Eberly family of Uniontown in 1995. The College has continuously been cited in the Princeton Review's Best Business School publication since 2005. The College was featured on the cover of the publication in 2008.

Camp's world view, coupled with his commitment to and understanding of the value of globalization for the university and its students, led to the creation of the School of International Management. Through this initiative, Camp has helped to elevate IUP's Eberly College and the university's international profile as a significant global presence through international business partnerships.

Those activities include delivery of a bachelor of science degree in international business; recruitment of large numbers of international students to provide a multicultural environment for all students; offshore programming offering cross-cultural exposure for faculty and students; and study abroad opportunities for Eberly students. Camp has been committed to creating a globally focused environment where students gain knowledge, experience, and the ability to better perform on the global business stage.

Highlights of Dean Camp's career at IUP include:

  • Accreditation of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology by AACSB;

  • Creation of the School of International Management;

  • Expansion of academic programs to include a PhD in business, the only part-time program of its kind in the commonwealth, which started its first cohort in fall 2018;

  • Expansion of international partnerships including offshore delivery of graduate programs (MBA, EMBA, and PhD); and

  • Broadening of the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology Business Advisory Council to include more than 70 alumni and business professionals, including a Young Alumni Advisory Council.

He has also been responsible for the development and creation of many new programs and initiatives, including:

  • The highly regarded Business Honors Program;

  • The College of Business Student Advisory Council, consisting of officers from all student organizations within Eberly;

  • The Management Services Group, which collaborates with regional economic development agencies and provides a range of business services to the community;

  • A Business Hall of Distinction to honor alumni who have demonstrable and sustained business success and good citizenship; and

  • The Center for Family Business Award to recognize successful multi-generational businesses.

During his career, he has published and/or presented over 50 scholarly works, including articles in the International Journal of Management, Journal of Global Management, Journal of Global Marketing, Journal of Portfolio Management, and the Journal of Higher Education. He serves as editor of the Journal of Competitiveness Studies.

Camp has served on a significant number of corporate and public boards and advisory councils, including the Advisory Council of S&T Bank; PNC Preferred Funding, LLC.; the Indiana County Chamber of Commerce; the Indiana County Development Corporation; the International Academy of Business Disciplines; and the American Society of Competitiveness. He has served terms as president of the International Academy of Business Disciplines and the International Management Development Association.

Camp holds graduate degrees in finance and economics. He has won awards for both distinguished teaching and outstanding research. His most recent faculty appointment was at DePaul University in Chicago, where he served as a tenured faculty member in finance.

"It has been an honor for me to have served the university and the college for over three decades," Camp said.

"I've been blessed to have worked with an innumerable number of outstanding faculty, administrators, staff, and student leaders who deserve collective credit for the many successes of the College during this period. Associations with students, alumni, and business partners have been enriching for me and for the Eberly College," Camp said.

"I look forward to joining the faculty where I can maintain these highly rewarding long-term associations and to being in the classroom where I can share my experience and knowledge of business and management and help shape the next generation of business leaders."