COB Timeline

1936

Jan 6, 1936
Department of Commerce founded
at East Carolina Teachers College
(2 instructors and 25 typewriters in old Austin Building attic)

1940’s

Moved to Flanagan Basement 

Unit renamed the Department of Business Education

(8 Faculty Members)

1950’s

Moved to new Rawl Building

Renamed the Department of Business
1960’s

Became the School of Business

1965 – Awarded first BSBA degrees

1967 – One of the first two programs in NC to received national AACSB accreditation
1970’s

1974 – Small Business Institute (SBI) Established


1976 – MBA program earned AACSB accreditation

– Largest professional school at ECU with 55 faculty and approximately 2,088 students

– GMAC membership by ECU School of Business

– One of only four programs in NC to have both GMAC and AACSB accreditation

1980’s

1982 – Reorganized by department,
allowing students to choose from
concentrations in Accounting,
Decision Sciences, Finance,
Management and Marketing

1983 – Bureau of Business Research established

– Center for Economic Education established

– Commerce Club founded

– Open 1st Microcomputer Lab at ECU

1984Business Advisory Council formed

1987 – Moved to new 163,729 sq ft
General Classroom Building

1989 – Master of Science in Accounting degree program approved

– Professional Programs added

1990’s

1992 – 5-year BSA/MSA established


1995 – External Affairs Division created


1997 – 5-year MD/MBA established

– COB Summer Study Abroad Program established
2000’s

2000 – MBA begins online offering


2003 – Name change to College of Business


2006 – COB Opens Career Center


– Decision Sciences renamed

Management Information Systems

2008
– Cunanan Leadership Speaker Series launched
2009 – Leadership and Professional Development program launched with $500K endowment from RBC Bank

2011 – Risk Management and Insurance program
established

2012
– COB establishes Living-Learning Community

Students in Business Living-Learning Community

2015 – Inaugural Business Leadership Conference

– School of Hospitality Leadership moves to COB


– $5M Miller gift to establish School of

Entrepreneurship
2017 – $500K ECU Innovation Corps National Science Foundation Grant

– Pirate Entrepreneurship Challenge launch


– New COB Student Technology Center opens


– COB recognized with Milestone 2 award

2018 – MSOE receives $2M gift for Isley Innovation Hub

2019 – MSOE announces $1M ECU RISE29 Golden Leaf grant


– Launch of the BS Entrepreneurship degree


– MSOE receives $1M gift for establishment of Crisp Small Business Center