Puri School of Buisness Archives

The Puri School of Business

04/07/2025 3:00 pm

The Puri School of Business

At the PURI School of Business, our scope of study expands beyond our traditional majors: Accounting, Business Administration, Marketing, and Financial Economics. Students and faculty work together to examine the trends of business and organizations; recently we launched 4 new majors: Data Analytics, Digital Marketing, Healthcare Administration, and Supply Chain Management. We also examine the ethical, political, and social issues arising from the workings of our business world.

Our students live and work in globally integrated environments. We help students develop an understanding of the varied business fields, as well as the society in which they live, so that they can become effective participants within the business realm. Creating sustainable, successful careers centered on civic engagement is the ultimate goal of earning a degree from the Puri School of Business at Rockford University.

Our courses are centered on collaborative learning, case studies, community-based learning, and internships. Our faculty are not only recognized academic scholars, but they also bring with them corporate experience. These are opportunities for students to make course lessons their own, to match theory with practice. This blend of theory and practical application allows PURI School of Business students to obtain the tools that are imperative for long-term career success within the business realm.

About the Puri School of Business

On October 3, 2014, Rockford University formally established the Puri School of Business, thereby recognizing and celebrating the ongoing contributions of Mr. Sunil Puri ’82/’13H, co-founder and President of First Midwest Group.

The Puri School commemorates Mr. Puri’s lifetime commitment to Rockford University. It is the first named school at the University and is home to undergraduate, graduate and certificate programs in economics, business and accounting.

Sunil Puri Mr. Puri was born in Bombay, India, and immigrated to the United States in 1979 to attend Rockford College®, graduating in 1982 with a Bachelor of Science in Accounting. From the minute he stepped on campus as an undergrad, a fire sparked inside him that still burns bright. As a dedicated Trustee and tireless advocate for Rockford University, he has proudly promoted and protected the interests of our University; for that we are most grateful.

The School is housed in a 28,000-square-foot building donated by Mr. Puri and is located just to the east of the main campus entrance. The building serves as the hub for all related School programs and is under the umbrella of the University’s College of Social Sciences, Commerce and Education.

Mr. Puri sees this as an effort that goes deeper than the act of a donation, saying, “It is important to my family and me, that the School offers not only an exemplary space for the campus and community to interact and innovate, but also where significant programming and curricular advances can benefit both the University and its ability to partner in the economic revival of this region,” adding, “The liberal arts education I received at Rockford significantly contributed to my success and supporting the Puri School of Business is my way of paying it forward.”

Mission & Vision Statements

2020-2021 Mission:

The mission of the Puri School of Business is to prepare students for successful professional careers by blending a strong interdisciplinary foundation with a cutting edge undergraduate and graduate business education. We achieve our mission in an environment characterized by personal attention and experiential learning using innovative teaching techniques, civic engagement, and the latest technology. Our students develop into business and professional leaders of the highest moral character.

Vision statement:

We develop successful students who embrace challenges, develop new ideas, and who understand, envision, and shape the world.

Undergraduate Programs

Marketing

Data Analytics

Accounting

Digital Marketing

Business Administration

Supply Chain Management

Healthcare Administration

Financial Economics

Accounting

Business Administration

Data Analytics

Digital Marketing

Financial Economics

Healthcare Administration

Marketing

Supply Chain Management

Undergraduate Minors

Marketing

Economics

Business Administration

Entrepreneurship

Accounting

Master of Business Administration

Rockford University’s MBA consists of core coursework that helps you develop critical management skills and a deeper understanding of the business field. To complete your degree, select courses from a list of popular business electives or customize your MBA by choosing electives from four in-demand concentrations: Finance, Healthcare Administration, Project Management, and Organizational Leadership.

Learn more at rockford.edu/admission/graduate/mba/.

Our Graduates

Quentin Hernandez '18/'24

Airbus

Mykal Brown

Program Site Director , Rockford Park District

Kyle Fritz

Qualtrics Information

10/05/2022 11:58 am

If there's an answer, Google it. If there's not an answer, Qualtrics it.

Qualtrics is a web-based CXM (Customer Experience Management) platform that focuses on collecting, organizing, analyzing, and understanding important data relative to current and potential students, alumni, customers, and employees. Users can create custom-branded surveys that can be sent via website, email, app, social media, QR code, or SMS text. With AI assistance, users can receive analysed statistical and text-based responses in myriad data visualisation and text formats. It also includes predictive analytics. The platform integrates with Salesforce, Dropbox, Google, Microsoft Teams, etc, and exports data for use in SPSS, Excel, Python, PowerPoint, etc.

The specific package purchased for Rockford University students, faculty, and staff allows for data analysis through the StatsIQ and TextIQ features. These features allow both qualitative and quantitative data to be analysed, allowing for quicker data-driven decision-making. This software is being funded by the Puri Foundation.

Why Qualtrics?

Based on feedback from RU faculty, SPSS was no longer robustly serving our collective needs as it is location-bound (can only be used on certain computers that have it installed). Due to the pandemic, this has lead faculty to utilise open-sourced statistical software such as JAMOVI (Psych) or JASP (PSoB). However, we are limited with data collection tools on any open-sourced survey platform as tools such as SurveyMonkey and GoogleSurvey are limited to number of questions, number of participants, etc.

Qualtrics is web-based, is not limited to number of questions or participants, and because we purchased with the StatsIQ/TextIQ features, the statistical computations largely replace SPSS for the analysis component.

Qualtrics is also used in over 4,000 institutions, and 99 of the Top 100 Business Schools, for graduate research, as well as within over 16,000 corporations for sending out employee engagement surveys, customer feedback, analyzing Net Promoter Scores (the likelihood customers will recommend the service/product to someone else), etc. Specifically, 85% of Fortune 100 companies use Qualtrics, and nearby organizations such as Kerry Food Services, Accenture, Bain & Company, Deloitte, UPS, Target, Delta, and All-State use the platform. This is important as many of these organizations hire our students as interns and full-time employees.

How Do I Gain Access?

All Rockford University community members (staff, faculty, students can login to our Qualtrics subscription with their RU-issued SSO (single sign on) credentials at survey.rockford.edu

Select: New Project

Select: Either your intended target, department area, or case uses to see templates of pre-made surveys that you can then edit. You can also create your own survey from scratch.

A really great walk-through video can be found here: https://youtu.be/xJIhd5LmlYw

Rockford University Education Helped Patrick Murphy ’19 Break Through the Ceiling to Advance his Career

10/15/2020 3:42 pm

Alumni Pat Murphy's Headshot Thanks to the Accelerated Adult program at Rockford University’s PURI School of Business, Patrick Murphy broke through the ceiling to advance his career.

Patrick was a tool and die maker by trade but had been promoted into management after years at Chrysler. However, he couldn’t move up a pay grade without a college education.

“I had been promoted so far up the chain that I couldn’t be promoted any more without a degree,” he said.

So, after Rockford University attended a college fair at Chrysler, Patrick knew exactly what he needed to do.

“I didn’t want an online university,” he remembered. “I wanted to be able to go and learn from my peers and my professors. I learned from all these other industries and different people. To me, that was the biggest benefit – being face to face.”

In 2017, halfway through his bachelor’s degree, Patrick left Chrysler for a higher-level job as an operations manager at Rockford’s Accuride. It came with a pay increase, but there was a caveat: The job offer was contingent on Patrick finishing his degree.

Patrick decided to do more than that. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree in 2019, Patrick moved on to the Master of Business Administration program.

Alumni Pat Murphy Family Photo

“Rockford University made it seamless to move toward an MBA,” Patrick said. “I don’t think I could have done it anywhere else. “Dr. Mull and her staff at Rockford University’s PURI School of Business understand work/life balance. They understand what we are trying to do.”

With two college-aged kids and a high schooler at home, Patrick realizes that he is setting an example for his children. With the shutdown of classes last spring, he says their living room was very busy with students doing their schoolwork.

But the effort has proven to be well worth it.

“Once I get my bachelor’s and my MBA, my formal education will be done,” Patrick said. “If I don’t get a job in the future, it won’t be because I don’t have the degree.”

New Bloomberg Business Lab open house

02/14/2018 10:58 am

Rockford University is pleased to introduce the new Bloomberg Business Lab and invites the public to a special open house on February 27, 2018 from 4:30 – 6 p.m. Complete with state-of-the-art Bloomberg Professional services terminals, the Bloomberg Business Lab, part of the Puri School of Business, is the only one of its kind in the Rockford region. Providing trusted real-time and historical data as well as market-moving news and analytics, the Bloomberg Business Lab will allow our students to develop leading skills for careers in finance, economics, accounting and other business fields. For more about the new Bloomberg Professional services at Rockford University, read the full press release here.

During this open house, professor and students will be in the lab to demonstrate how this powerful global technology is being used in the classroom. In addition, the Puri School of Business features newly renovated spaces, and guests are invited to tour the entire facility.

When: Tuesday, February 27, 2018, 4:30 – 6 p.m., (Welcome and remarks at 5:15)

Where: Puri School of Business on the campus of Rockford University. Building is located just east of the 5050 East State Street entrance.

Please register to attend by Feb. 23.
Visit https://www.eventbrite.com/e/bloomberg-business-lab-open-house-tickets-42986789645 to RSVP.

Bloomberg Business Lab fact sheet

Honors Program

08/05/2016 3:53 pm

HONORS PROGRAM

The honors program supplements the traditional curriculum in economics, business and accounting by providing a unique opportunity for intellectual enrichment and pursuit of academic excellence. The honors courses are designed to explore general topics of interest at an intellectually challenging level using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to learning.

Each course will focus on a general topic – such as globalization, capitalism or entrepreneurship – that transcends disciplines. Students will explore the topic and examine it from different perspectives through reading of original and contemporary material, research and discussion. The honors course is designed to foster and encourage the development of analytical and critical thinking, written and oral communication skills, practical and quantitative applications, teamwork and collaborative learning. Honors courses are team-taught by the faculty in the fields of economics, business and accounting.

Qualifying students that demonstrate a passion for learning and are interested in an intellectually challenging and unorthodox approach may take one or both of the following honors courses:

ECON, BUS, ACCT 390 — Team-taught topical course using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach to learning, emphasizing critical thinking, discussion and collaborative work.
ECON, BUS, ACCT 490 — Guided and supervised research involving an original idea and using an interdisciplinary and integrative approach across disciplines of accounting, business and economics. The final work is presented at a forum of the faculty and students, and is read and graded by the honors committee consisting of the faculty from the respective fields. This research is treated somewhat similar to a thesis project and is generally viewed very positively by prospective employers and graduate schools, while the content may serve as an excellent source of material for an interview.

Prerequisites

Completion of minimum of 60 credit hours
3.0 overall grade point average (GPA) and in the major field of study
Completion of at least one intermediate level or two upper level courses in any of the following majors: Economics, Business or Accounting

Application Procedure

Admission to the Departmental Honors Program is based on: a) student self-recommendation, b) academic advisor’s recommendation and c) the Departmental Honors Committee recommendation. Students who successfully complete the program by taking both courses will receive an honorable mention and honor scholar certificate at graduation provided that they have maintained a 3.3 overall GPA and 3.5 in their field of study. Students who have successfully completed the 376 course will receive an honorable mention and departmental honor certificate at graduation provided that they have maintained a 3.3 overall GPA and 3.5 GPA in their field of study. Additionally, the names of all honor scholars will be registered and maintained on a wall plaque recognizing the student’s achievements and inspiring future students.

Accreditation

08/05/2016 3:52 pm

ACCREDITATION

The Puri School of Business at Rockford University has received specialized accreditation for its business programs through the International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE) located at 11960 Quivira Road, Overland Park, Kansas. For a list of accredited programs please view our IACBE member status page.

International Accreditation Council for Business Education

11960 Quivira Road

Suite 300

Overland Park, KS 66213

Tel: 913-631-3009

E-mail: iacbe@iacbe.org
www.iacbe.org

Faculty

08/05/2016 3:52 pm

FACULTY

Consumer Information

Scholarships and Awards

08/05/2016 3:52 pm

SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS

Charles E. Box Honorary Scholarship

The Charles E. Box Honorary Scholarships provides an opportunity for Black students to pursue a degree in business through the Puri School of Business at Rockford University by enrolling in the following degree completion programs: Bachelor of Science in Management Studies (BSMS) or Bachelor of Science in Accounting Studies (BSAS). Interested students should have earned a minimum of 60 college credit hours. Learn more.

Maxine Burritt Knight and Carlton W. Knight Endowed Scholarship
Maxine Burritt Knight and Carlton W. Knight Endowed Scholarship was established in 2005 through an estate gift of Carlton and Maxine Knight, and provides funds to entering female students who graduated in the top 25 percent of their class from a Rockford public high school. They must demonstrate financial need and have a proven record of significant participation in community service, while having taken part in studying three of the following six disciplines: biology, history, economics, French, Latin, writing, and public service. Preference will be given to those who intend to become a school teacher.

Shirley Jones-Bailey Endowed Scholarship
Shirley Jones-Bailey Endowed Scholarship was established in 2000 by LaVerne Krueger, Class of 1944, in honor of her student, Shirley Jones-Bailey, and offers financial support to students interested in the fields of fine arts, business, and education. Recipients must have a GPA of at least 2.50 (on a 4.0 scale) and a sophomore standing.

For more information on scholarships relevant to this department, please visit the Academic Catalog.

Careers and Internships

08/05/2016 3:51 pm

CAREERS AND INTERNSHIPS

As economics or business majors, students have a wide variety of career opportunities. Students in business often choose to concentrate in one of the functional areas of finance, marketing or management. Economics majors may concentrate in the areas of public policy or international economics as they prepare for graduate school or entry into the work force. Careers in administration, banking, law, government, sales, public administration and with international agencies are among student options.

Accounting majors have a wide variety of career choices, including public accounting with national, regional or local accounting firms, corporate accounting and government accounting. Beginning January 1, 2001, the State of Illinois adopted the 150-hour requirement to take the CPA exam. This requirement is consistent with about 80 percent of the states. Students who complete their 150-hour requirement at Rockford University, with seven additional hours may attain both a B.S. and MBA. Rockford University accounting students have done exceptionally well when taking the CPA exam.

Programs of Study

08/05/2016 3:49 pm

PROGRAMS OF STUDY

In order to help students prepare for a life of civic engagement, we offer a liberal arts education and promote the development of certain fundamental skills. Majors in our department develop the ability to think critically and analytically, to communicate clearly and forcefully with the written and spoken word, and to understand the process and role of decision-making in the business setting. Students also are advised to complete as much work as possible in mathematics, statistics, and computer science. In order to understand the society in which we live, students must learn how to evaluate data. Decisions about managing organizations must be informed by data in order to permit those decisions to improve performance. Therefore, quantitative applications are a vital inclusion within our courses in order to refine the processes of problem-solving and decision-making. Furthermore, the quantitative portion of the program is absolutely essential for students who hope to attend graduate school.

As faculty, we do not regard the acquisition of these skills as an abstract wish. They are identified specifically as components of our courses, and we demonstrate throughout our courses the practical application of these skills. We model the skills in our interactions with students, and in our professional careers, as we know the transferability of these skills within the business environment.

The Puri School of Business offers the following degrees:

Majors:

Accounting, B.A. or B.S.
Business Administration, B.A. or B.S.
Data Analytics, B.A. or B.S.
Data Science, B.A. or B.S.
Digital Marketing, B.A. or B.S.
Economics, B.A. or B.S.
Financial Economics, B.A. or B.S.
Healthcare Administration, B.A. or B.S.
Marketing, B.A. or B.S.
Supply Chain Management, B.A. or B.S.

Minors:

Accounting
Business Administration
Economics
Entrepreneurship
Marketing

Degree requirements for these programs can be found in the Academic Catalog.

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