College of Business Centers and Institutes
Center for Ethics
The Center for Ethics is dedicated to educating individuals on the importance of ethics in business by providing educational and professional resources to promote the use of sound ethical analysis, high standards of ethical behavior and individual responsibility in the academic, business and civic communities. The center is supported by an advisory board of community leaders that uphold strong ethical standards in business and commit to the mission of the center. These individuals provide practical resources and professional experience in the field of business ethics. Student members of the board are selected on the basis of ethical character and personal and educational values that align with the center’s mission and campus initiatives.
The center conducts annual and bi-annual events to bring awareness to the University and Tampa Bay communities. The Tampa Bay Business Ethics Award is presented each year to an individual from the Tampa Bay community who demonstrates integrity, virtue and character within their personal and professional activities. The Student Ethics Award is presented to a Sykes College of Business undergraduate student who exemplifies high ethical standards, upholds social responsibility practices in the community and exhibits strong potential for professional success. Additionally, the Ethics Hot Seat Speaker Series presentations are dedicated to bringing outstanding speakers to campus to engage our students, faculty, alumni and the business community in thought-provoking dialogue about ethical issues. See the Center for Ethics website at http://www.ut.edu/centerforethics/.
TECO Energy Center for Leadership
The TECO Energy Center for Leadership is engaged in developing programs to prepare future world business leaders by offering a variety of programs to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as the local community. The interdisciplinary minor in Leadership Studies combines theory and practice; students have the opportunity to learn about leadership and then experience it. The Leadership Coaching program brings together MBA students with leaders in Tampa Bay. The Modern Advances in Leadership Certificate Program is designed to provide transformative and interactive learning experiences for individuals and organizations seeking to advance their leadership skills. Our breakthrough programs combine the latest training, coaching and experiential learning tools that significantly impact organizations and their leaders. See the TECO Energy Center for Leadership website at http://www.ut.edu/cfl/.
Florida Directors’ Institute
The Florida Directors’ Institute is the collaborative result of work between The University of Tampa and national and local professional associations and service providers to improve corporate governance practices in Florida. The Florida Directors’ Institute delivers short programs for public and large private company boards of directors and officers, supports applied research by faculty and engages UT students in an annual essay competition on corporate governance topics. See the Florida Directors' Institute website at https://www.ut.edu/floridadirectorsinstitute/.
The Institute for Sales Excellence
The Institute for Sales Excellence promotes the advancement in the field of professional selling by preparing the next generation of sales leaders. The Institute for Sales Excellence has four specific functions: prepare students for careers in professional business-to-business sales, encourage networking between students and businesses, serve as a staffing resource for regional, national and global firms, and provide learning resources for local and regional businesses. See the Institute for Sales Excellence website at http://www.ut.edu/salesexcellence/.
The Naimoli Institute for Business Strategy
The Naimoli Institute administers the Strategic Analysis Program, which is designed as a partnership in learning between UT and the business community. The program is an innovative part of the capstone courses (MGT 431 and MGT 615) for Sykes College of Business undergraduate and MBA students. Each student in the program is assigned to a team that writes a strategic analysis of an organization with a local office. Students get firsthand experience addressing strategic problems in real organizations, and the client organizations get rigorous analysis and recommendations aimed at improving their performance. The analysis reflects the students’ efforts to integrate all the areas of business that they have studied in their coursework in the Sykes College of Business. At the end of the semester, each student team presents its analysis and plan to the organization’s leaders. See the Naimoli Institute website at www.ut.edu/naimoli/.
John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center
The Lowth Entrepreneurship Center in the Sykes College of Business is a nationally recognized center for the study of entrepreneurship. Programs provided through the Center engage the Florida business community in the learning experience and are available to any graduate or undergraduate student at The University of Tampa, regardless of major. The Center supports the entrepreneurship curriculum through extracurricular programs and events that provide students with the chance to gain skills that will help them plan successful careers and viable businesses based on their unique talents. Students learn through experiential education and exposure to entrepreneurs. Programs include the UT Entrepreneurs Club, the Spartan Accelerator, UT Alumni group, business plan competitions, speaker series programs, internships, a mentoring program and many more. See the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center website at http://www.ut.edu/entrepreneurcenter/.