Delta State University College of Business and Aviation (COBA) prepares students for the marketplace by providing challenging educational opportunities.
COBA Vision
Service to the community, our profession, and the University is a vital aspect of the College’s mission. By nurturing cooperative relationships with business and industry, service organizations, and other institutions, the College will remain dynamic and its activities relevant.
COBA Values
- To pursue excellence in teaching and learning and hold ourselves accountable for continuous improvement in content and processes.
- To demonstrate a strong commitment to integrity and promote ethical responsibility as the hallmarks of a business and aviation professional.
- To perform duties of position and make decisions that demonstrate and/or support student success.
- To engage in scholarly research and service that enriches the experience and knowledge of our faculty, staff, students and local, national, and international communities.
- To demonstrate mutual respect for our students, academic colleagues, and industry with open communication, free exchange of ideas, and inclusion of different perspectives.
- To value and promote diversity and the potential of all individuals.
- To demonstrate teamwork and collaboration by contributing to the efforts of the department/division, college, and university as a team player.
Strategic Goals for 2026-2030
Goal 1: Increase Student Learning by deploying relevant degrees, certificates, and workforce programs that serve constituents.
- Aligning with the University’s mission
- Targeting growth fields with stackable credentials
- Contextualizing for emerging trends in technology and Artificial Intelligence
Goal 2: Serve the total student by enhancing workforce readiness and job placement.
- Leveraging stakeholders for mentoring in career advisement
- Collaborating with admissions to support enrollment growth targets
- Engaging with Student Success to support year-to-year retention
Goal 3: Empower excellence through strategic investments in faculty and staff development.
- Recruiting and mentoring qualified faculty aligned with clear expectations in teaching, scholarship, and service
- Deploying resources to support faculty scholarship, with an emphasis in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL)
- Monitoring SMART Goals for staff
Goal 4: Optimize Operations to improve efficiency, accuracy, and timeliness of key tasks.
- Revising workflows for efficiency
- Deploying a master calendar of key events and deliverables
- Automating routine tasks with systems and technologies
Goal 5: Commit to the community by activating Centers with strategic alignment of the DSU and COBA Mission.
- Prioritizing grant and Center activities toward economic development that support the region
- Expanding external stakeholder partnerships through advisory boards, internships, and key industries
- Hosting workforce awareness and development events and programs
Goal 6: Engage Alumni through affinity groups.
- Supporting key influencers that drive the brand
- Hosting alumni events in collaboration with DSU Alumni Association
- Establishing affinity groups at key employers
