“I was blessed to have the honor and privilege to serve as the Dean of the College of Business and Economics,” said Swartz. “With that honor and privilege comes significant responsibilities and a lot of demands on your time.

“The job is never-ending and at some point you just have to say it is time to take a break,” she added.

Swartz received her bachelor’s degree in secondary education, her MBA from Clarion University and her doctorate in business administration, with a concentration in marketing, from Ohio State University.

“I am a strong advocate of life-long learning, so I know I will be an active learner. I just don’t know what all that will entail,” said Swartz.

Before coming to CSUEB, Swartz was a longtime professor in the Orfalea College of Business at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she also served as interim associate dean from September 1999 to August 2000. Then she became the interim dean from February 2002 to August 2004.

She also spent 16 years as a faculty member at Cal Poly, and prior to that, she was a part of Arizona State University’s faculty for 11 years.

“Each role presented its own unique set of challenges and opportunities,” said Swartz. “I think the important thing is to make the most of each opportunity so as to have a positive impact and, in the spirit of continuous improvement, to leave things better than they were before you came along.”

Since Swartz was appointed to the dean of the CBE in December 2007, CSUEB has been recognized by the Princeton Review every year for having one of the top business schools in the United States. This is due in part to the three new degree programs that Swartz has launched, which include an online BS/BA, a one-year intensive MBA, and an MBA for Global Innovators.

“It has been a pleasure working with Dean Swartz these past few years,” said Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, James Houpis. “Her commitment to providing a practical, ethical, and diverse curriculum for business has helped make Cal State East Bay an exceptional learning environment for our students.”

Swartz has played a major role in helping CSUEB solidify its accreditation by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, the official accrediting society for business colleges. She has also provided support to students and faculty through the implementation of scholarships, endowed professorships, increased research and grant opportunities and community partnerships and collaborations. In addition, Swartz has made plans for a master’s degree program in accounting, which is scheduled to launch in 2013.

“Unfortunately, the demands of the job prevented me from teaching a course at CSUEB. As a result, I missed the regular, on-going interaction with a group of students,” said Swartz. “However, whenever the opportunity presented itself, I did go into the classroom to speak with students.”

Upon her arrival as dean, Swartz implemented “Meet the Dean” sessions which provided an open forum for students to meet with her in order to discuss whatever issues they had on their minds.

“What the College of Business and Economics has been able to achieve over the past five years is a testament to the hard work and dedication of a number of colleagues, both in CBE as well as the university,” said Swartz. “I have often said that working together, we can achieve great things and our list of accomplishments over the past five years proves the point. It really is about “team” and surrounding yourself with talented, motivated individuals who share your vision and want to make a difference. That is certainly what I found here. Everyone plays a part in our successes.”

According to Swartz, retirement is really about closing one life chapter and starting another. Although she feels the Bay Area has a lot of wonderful things and places at her disposal, she has a home elsewhere, so she will be relocating and doing a lot of traveling in the future.

“I really am open to what the future might bring in the way of new activities,” said Swartz. “I am a huge tennis fan and look forward to playing more as well as enjoying more of the outdoors.”

As CSUEB says goodbye to a dean, who according to CSUEB’s President Leroy M. Morishita has made significant contributions to the success of its graduates, the university will begin conducting a national search for a new dean in the fall quarter of the 2012-13 school year. Until then, Jagdish Agrawal, a professor of the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship, has been appointed interim dean.

“Everybody has his or her own style,” said Swartz. “My only advice [to the new dean] would be to always do what’s best for the college and treat others as you wish to be treated. Also, don’t forget to have some fun along the way.”