The 2025-26 Annual Report from the Broad College of Business Graduate Initiatives and Academic Innovations team.
GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION EXPANDING IMPACT, INNOVATION AND SCALE ACROSS BROAD
Michigan State University’s Eli Broad College of Business created Graduate Initiatives & Academic Innovation (GI&AI) one year ago with a clear mission: A Letter from Leadership To elevate graduate business education by expanding access and opportunities, supporting master’s programs in creating and delivering exceptional learning experiences, and fostering innovation, enabling Broad learners to thrive in a dynamic, interconnected world. Our academic units already deliver excellent programs and learning experiences. Our new unit enables that work to reach further, run more efficiently, and scale sustainably — through shared expertise in learning design technology, marketing, operations, and global partnerships. And we’re doing it. In the first year, our teams generated an estimated $954,000 in instructional development value, helped a national ad campaign reach over eight million views, expanded the Broad Enterprise Leadership Academy to five programs, and built a global partnership pipeline spanning 23 countries. We hosted a series of twelve AI-focused events which attracted hundreds of engagements from the Broad community, and we became the first unit at MSU to integrate a new AI-powered learning tool directly into a core university system. We created the AI for Business Leadership graduate certificate and an AI Governance course. We created stackable certificates to provide more flexible options for graduate education, supporting the creation of nine new graduate certificates and two degree program redesigns. All of this was made possible based on the collaborative efforts of our team, working with key stakeholders at Broad. Individual teams of Graduate Operations & Academic Services, Global Initiatives, Graduate Marketing, Academic Innovation, and Learning Technology & Development each have distinct roles to play as we continue to forge a new way forward. Together, we’re making history and changing the way we make an impact on business leaders of today and tomorrow. We’ve worked as one integrated team — each contributing a different kind of leverage to the same goal: helping Broad’s graduate programs grow and helping our students succeed. The pages that follow tell that story through the work itself — organized by the strategic priorities that guided this year’s effort. I’m proud of what this team has accomplished in year one and energized by the impact we will make moving forward.
CHERI DECLERCQ Assistant Dean, Graduate Initiatives & Academic Innovation Broad College of Business | Michigan State University
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
| GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
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Who We Are
Graduate Initiatives & Academic Innovation (GI&AI) is a strategic unit within the Eli Broad College of Business. We’re bringing together key teams within Broad and leveraging that expertise for a greater impact. We elevate graduate business education at Broad by expanding innovation, opportunity, and impact — in partnership with academic units — to deliver high- quality, future-focused learning experiences that support learner success and institutional growth.
OUR FIVE FUNCTIONAL AREAS INCLUDE:
• Graduate Operations & Academic Services — integrated recruitment, admissions, enrollment, and student success operations; academic governance • Graduate Marketing — paid and organic recruitment marketing, brand campaigns, and analytics to drive effective applicant pipelines • Academic Innovation — strategic exploration and development of new programs, credentials and tools that are future-facing and market driven, i.e., AI programming, micro credentials and stackable programs • Learning Technology & Development — course design, educational technology, multimedia, and digital accessibility • Global Initiatives — international partnerships and global outreach designed to extend access to MSU around the world
FY2025–26 BY THE NUMBERS
LTD DEVELOPMENT VALUE & COST AVOIDANCE $954k MBA PATHWAYS VIDEO VIEWS ON YOUTUBE/CTV 8.2M+
$105k SAVED IN MARKETING AGENCY CONTRACTS
COURSE BUILDS COMPLETED 45
NEW STACKABLE GRAD CERTIFICATES LAUNCHED 9 NEW RBIS APPROVED FOR PROGRAM & CREDENTIAL LAUNCHES 9
23
SIGNED INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENTS 5
COUNTRIES IN ACTIVE GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP TALKS
Figures reflect tracked activity across Graduate Operations & Academic Services, Global Initiatives, Graduate Marketing, and Learning Technology & Development for the FY2025–26 reporting period (US25, FS25, SS26 terms).
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
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Graduate Initiatives & Academic Innovation’s FY2025–26 work centered on four priorities set at the start of the year: growing Broad’s program portfolio, building internal capacity and efficiency, scaling academic innovation, and expanding global reach. Each priority drew on multiple functional areas working together. The Year in Four Strategic Priorities
1. GROWTH OF GRADUATE PROGRAMS
Broad’s graduate portfolio expanded and modernized this year, with new credential types, redesigned delivery models, and stronger admissions infrastructure to support them. ACADEMIC INNOVATION & PROGRAM STRATEGY • Redesigned and relaunched MS-Business Data Science & Analytics as a fully online, asynchronous program with three stackable certificates embedded in the curriculum. • Redesigned Master of Business Administration – Program in Integrative Management (PIM) and prepared the program to launch an online modality. The program redesign reduced the overall credits from 45 to 42 and incorporates three embedded/stackable certificates across the core and elective options. • Developed and approved a new AI for Business Leadership certificate as part of the graduate curriculum. • Built consistent infrastructure for launching new programs — successfully navigating the Provost Review Committee and Revenue Based Initiative (RBI) process, with 9 new RBIs approved. • Initiate Post Graduate Diploma and GRC4 certification for Railway Management. Nine New Stackable Graduate Certificates Approved Several of these certificates are embedded within the Master of Business Administration (PIM) and MS-BDSA; all are also available as standalone, stackable credentials — a flexible pathway for working professionals. Business Essentials for Leaders • Consulting • Digital Innovation in Global Business • Healthcare Management • Organizational Leadership & Strategy • Fundamentals in Insights and Analytics • AI for Business Leadership • Advanced Business Analytics Applications • Data Decision-Making GRADUATE OPERATIONS & ACADEMIC SERVICES • MS-Marketing Research & Analytics (MS-MRA) received the Lewis Quality Award for over a decade of top rankings, enrollment success, and industry engagement. • Supported the strategic reimagining and relaunch of the MS-Business Data Science & Analytics (MS-BDSA) — operational planning, admissions, recruitment, and communications coordination for the new program format. • Launched Slate texting communications to improve applicant engagement, deadline awareness, and enrollment conversion. • Strengthened admissions operations through enhanced applications review coordination, drip campaign development, and consistent deployment of best practice process MS programs.
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
| GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
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As Broad’s graduate portfolio has grown, GIAI has focused on building internal systems that let a lean team support more programs without proportional cost growth. GRADUATE MARKETING • Saved an estimated $105,288 in marketing agency contracts by building internal capacity. • Hired a full-time marketing analyst to support day-to-day campaign management. • Maintained SEO site health between 84–92 (out of 100), up from the 70s range in July 2025, and grew AI visibility score from 27 to 35. • Identified that applicants starting through organic channels are 1.5x more likely to submit a complete application than those from paid channels — redirecting team focus accordingly. • Enabled Google Ads enhanced conversions for MBA campaigns, improving lead-targeting accuracy. • Uncovered and resolved a Slate application query issue affecting communications to active applicants across all graduate programs. • Converted traditional Google Search Campaigns to AI Max campaigns boosting impression share by 7% compared to local competitors, and boosted our top of page rate by 7%. GRADUATE STUDENT EXPERIENCE ADDED VALUE • Expanded access to the Broad Enterprise Leadership Academy beyond the Executive MBA to include professional graduate students in Accounting & Data Analytics, Healthcare Management, Management Strategy & Leadership, Marketing Research & Analytics and Supply Chain Management. Impacted 78 students with 125 participant engagements. • Initiated Welcome/Networking events for fall and spring for the Broad Portfolio of online/working professional programs. • Facilitated the first shared graduation celebration event, incorporating Accounting & Data Analytics, Healthcare Management, and Management Strategy & Leadership into the Supply Chain Management event. 2. INTERNAL CAPACITY BUILDING & EFFICIENCY
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
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3. ACADEMIC INNOVATION AT SCALE
Broad’s approach to academic innovation is twofold: a college-wide strategy for integrating AI responsibly, led by Academic Innovation, and the instructional infrastructure — design, technology, and multimedia — that Learning Technology & Development (LTD) builds to execute it at scale. ACADEMIC INNOVATION — RESPONSIBLE AI AT BROAD Rather than treating AI as a standalone initiative, Broad is advancing a coordinated, college-wide strategy grounded in responsible use, faculty engagement, and practical business application. Full details are available at broad.msu.edu/research-innovation/ai-at-broad .
A Three-Part Framework Broad’s AI strategy centers on three questions:
• How can AI enhance teaching and research in appropriate and ethical ways? • How should business students be prepared to use and manage AI responsibly? • How can AI improve administrative effectiveness and decision-making? Governance & Broad Faculty/Staff Engagement
Early in 2025, the Broad College established an AI working group focused on implementation and best-practice sharing across units, aligned with emerging university AI policy. The Graduate Initiatives & Academic Innovation team expanded access and impact of this group, along with the engagement of an interactive Teams channel that serves as a resource repository and discussion forum. Twelve workshops, panels, and virtual sessions were facilitated for Broad faculty and staff, involving hundreds of presenters and participants. Both internal and external super-users shared insights, tools, lessons learned in a collaborative effort to keep Broad at the forefront of business schools building strong ethical AI competencies for students, faculty and staff. A second annual faculty survey was administered, showing growing participation and increased engagement of AI in the classroom. A parallel staff survey will be deployed in July 2026 measuring AI usage, concerns and opportunities for additional training and development. AI in the Curriculum At the undergraduate level, Applied AI for Business gives students hands-on experience with AI tools alongside critical thinking and governance fundamentals. At the graduate level, the online AI for Business Leadership certificate emphasizes strategic application — AI governance, ethical decision- making, and aligning AI initiatives with business objectives — and stacks directly into the MBA and MS-BDSA degree programs.
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
| GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
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LEARNING TECHNOLOGY & DEVELOPMENT
ESTIMATED VALUE / COST AVOIDANCE
$954,050
COURSE DESIGN / DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS
41
COURSE BUILDS
45 93 36
D2L SUPPORT PROJECTS
MULTIMEDIA PROJECTS / COURSES SUPPORTED
170
VIDEOS MADE, EDITED, OR PRODUCED
Figures reflect the US25, FS25, and SS26 terms.
Doubling Course Development Throughput Broad’s earlier model relied on one person carrying both instructional design and educational technology responsibilities — a structure that capped output near 20–25 courses per year. Separating those functions into specialized roles has doubled course development throughput while improving
responsiveness and consistency. Accessibility & Risk Reduction
LTD launched a structured accessibility review and engagement process for digital course materials — moving accessibility from a reactive activity to an ongoing course-quality process. This is also a financial safeguard: ADA civil penalties are commonly cited at up to $75,000 for a first violation and $150,000 for subsequent violations, before legal, remediation, or reputational costs. Assessment & Accreditation Infrastructure LTD supported modernization of Assurance of Learning workflows through D2L Standards, including uploading MS-Accounting Data Analytics outcome sets, supporting faculty evaluation of achievement levels, and building Analytics Builder reporting — infrastructure that directly supports AACSB reaccreditation. Faculty Support & Continuity As central MSU IT Help Desk support hours were reduced, LTD’s course- and college-specific support became more critical. The team completed 45 course builds and 93 D2L support projects this year, plus annual D2L training during Fall New Faculty Orientation.
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
| GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
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4. GLOBAL GROWTH & BELONGING
GIAI expanded Broad’s reach in two complementary ways this year: building a global academic partnership pipeline and strengthening outreach and belonging for prospective students closer to home. GLOBAL INITIATIVES — INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIPS
23 COUNTRIES REPRESENTED • 41 INSTITUTIONS IN ACTIVE CONVERSATION • 6 SIGNED PARTNERSHIPS GLOBAL ENGAGEMENT BY REGION, FY25-26
GLOBAL PARTNERSHIP PIPELINE, FY25-26
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• Signed partnership agreements with Nirma University, Sharda University, IILM University (India), University of Monterrey (Mexico), and University of Ghana. • Princess Nourah University (Saudi Arabia) is in final legal review, with an MS-SCM program targeted for launch in Fall 2026. • Engaged 40+ institutions across 23 countries spanning South Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Southeast Asia. BELONGING AT BROAD • Collaborated on recruitment strategies to attract and enroll students of color across MBA, master’s, and certificate programs. • Represented Broad at the Alpha Phi Alpha Conference, the PhD Project recruitment events in Chicago, and “Broad on the Road” in partnership with the Honors College and Multicultural Center. • Partnered with NSBE and the Broad Student Senate to strengthen the Bridge program pipeline for underrepresented talent. • Attended the AACSB Business School Conference at UC Irvine and secured institutional membership with an invitation to join the board. • Joined the Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the Davenport University Symposium network, broadening community and cross-institutional ties.
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
| GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
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Looking Ahead FY2025–26 built the initial infrastructure for integrating consistent best practices for course development capacity, marketing systems, admissions operations, and global initiatives — to support
Broad’s next phase of growth. Priorities for 2026-27 include: • Grow Scalable Infrastructure, Capacity and Impact
Improve efficiency, role clarity, staff engagement and organizational capacity by building and standardizing processes, leveraging technology, and focusing resources on high-impact priorities to make a bigger and sustainable impact at Broad. • Increase Graduate Enrollments Efficiently Increase enrollment, market reach, and revenue across graduate degree and certificates through strategic recruitment, marketing, and partnership initiatives. • Deliver Excellent Student Success Experiences Strengthen the end-to-end student experience by creating clearer pathways, more coordinated communications, and meaningful opportunities for engagement, professional development, and student success. • Advance AI and Academic Innovation Position Broad as a leader in business education innovation through responsible AI adoption, innovative learning experiences, and strategically aligned credential development. • Expand Global Engagement and Strategic Partnerships Expand Broad’s reach and reputation by cultivating innovative partnerships that enhance enrollments and institutional impact.
Team & Acknowledgments • Graduate Operations & Academic Services: Andrea Bates, Julie Delgado, Casie Grimes, Greg Janicki, Vicki Lehtonen & Jessica Richards • Graduate Enrollment Marketing: Joel Bradley & Ian Semivan • Learning Technology & Development: Andy Bassett, Matthew Bennett, Susan Halick & Natalie Vandepol • Global Initiatives, Outreach & Belonging: Clynton Hunt & Scot Wright • Leadership, Financial Operations: Erika Busch, Cheri DeClercq & Ayalla Ruvio
BROAD COLLEGE of BUSINESS
FY2025–26 ANNUAL REPORT
| GRADUATE INITIATIVES & ACADEMIC INNOVATION
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