Rawls College of Business

Consistency of branding is vital to marketing success. Our brand is what students, faculty, alumni, recruiters and peers think, feel and respond to when they hear Rawls College. A strong, consistent brand will result in greater awareness and increase rand will result in greater awareness and increased engagement, allowing us to recruit the brightest students, retain the best faculty and offer world-class business programs. As an important part of our academic strategic plan, Rawls College embarked on an initiative to clarify who we are, what we stand for and how we set ourselves apart from other established business schools. To better understand our audiences and identify our positioning, we partnered with a marketing agency to conduct extensive research among current and prospective students, parents, high school counselors, staff, faculty, recruiters and key stakeholders. The insights gained from these conversations culminated in the development of consistent brand messaging and a refreshed visual identity. Together, these elements will help us establish meaningful connections, broader support and greater impact. A strong foundation is vital to success, and as a world-class business school, Rawls College helps students expand their business knowledge through innovative research, challenging curriculum and real-world experience. Built on Rawls is more than a tagline, it is a commitment to provide a foundation on which our students can build upon their unique life experiences, gain valuable business acumen, and positively impact the world. Vision statement Forging the acumen required today, to advance and succeed tomorrow. Rawls Flag Brand Positioning For challenge seekers striving for an intellectual and market-driven approach to the future of business, Rawls College provides a research-based business foundation engineered for real-time impact. Mission As a comprehensive, research-based business school, the Rawls College of Business: Advances knowledge and societal well-being through impactful research Educates and empowers resilient, purpose-driven graduates who will shape the workplace of the future Provides curricula and experiences that are in demand, engaging, accessible, and that provide students with a strong return on investment Serves and engages with our communities, from local to global, and provides value to practitioners Instills in the Rawls College community aspects of our distinctive culture including strong work ethic, discipline, accountability, civility, humility, and philanthropy Vision We solve problems facing business and society. We seek to better the world by creating and sharing knowledge and by educating and empowering students to become the next generation of business professionals and influencers. Promote Intellectual Curiosity Create and share knowledge Innovate: be open to new ideas; learn from failures and successes Engage & Build Community Create a positive, purposeful environment that inspires collective effort Ensure that everyone feels seen, heard, and represented Inspire Excellence Become better; persevere; look for opportunities to improve Be fearless; take risks; seek out challenges with courage and commitment Strive for Honor Exhibit honesty, integrity, fairness, and personal responsibility Act with compassion and generosity Be Responsible Stewards Fulfill our duties as a public institution Steward physical, financial, social, and cultural resources entrusted to our care In December of 2000, Jerry S. Rawls contributed a record-breaking cash gift of $25 million to the Texas Tech University College of Business Administration, officially renaming the college to Jerry S. Rawls College of Business. His generous gift has fueled many of the ongoing initiatives in the college and assisted in facilitating the education of a new generation of leaders. A Houston native, Rawls earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Texas Tech University in 1967. He was selected to two engineering honoraries and played freshman basketball, was a member of the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity and Saddle Tramps, served as a member of the Student Senate and Interfraternity Council, and was elected Business Manager of the Texas Tech Student Body. Rawls then earned an M.S. in Industrial Administration from the Krannert Graduate School of Management at Purdue University. From 1968 to 1988, he worked for Raychem Corporation, first in sales and marketing and then in national-level management positions. In 1988, Rawls and a partner formed Finisar Corporation to conduct fiber optic research. Four years later, they revolutionized the industry standards for gigabit fiber optic communication between computing devices. In 1999, Finisar went public. By the close of trading on the first day, Finisar stock rose 373%, making Finisar the seventh-largest first-day gainer in the history of Wall Street at that time. In 2000, Forbes listed Finisar as a top 500 company, and Business Week deemed it as one of the 100 Hot Growth Companies. In 2019, Finisar was acquired by II-VI Corp. of Pittsburgh, PA. Finisar products are still sold under the Finisar brand and continue to be a technology leader for fiber optic subsystems and high-speed networks. The company was built on a foundation of over 14,000 employees around the globe, including operations in the U.S., Malaysia, Singapore, Shanghai, Munich, Denmark, India, Korea and Sydney. ...view more