Professor Charles “Chuck” Kuivinen (Business) is retiring at the end of the 2011–12 academic year after 24 years in the department, 19 of which he served as chair. Department of Business Chair Dick Elliott made note of Kuivinen’s accomplishments:

Kuivinen gave a farewell speech to students on April 23 and celebrations in his honor, held in early May, were attended by scores of colleagues, students and alumni whose lives he has influenced.

Chuck Kuivinen joined NWC in 1988, when the business department was very small and not well recognized. He led the efforts to increase the rigor and recognition of the department as it grew to over 300 traditional undergraduate students, plus students enrolled in the FOCUS majors of business administration and business management.

One of Chuck’s major accomplishments was to launch our international business major. With grants from the U.S. government and local corporations, he and other faculty made connections in Japan, and later China, so students would be able to travel to those countries and experience meaningful internships.

Today, the department is recognized for its high scores on the national standardized test for business schools. It records that 95% of its graduates obtain employment in business within three months of graduation. We enjoy a close relationship with local businesses through our alumni network in firms such as Cargill, General Mills, Target, 3M, Medtronic, and Best Buy, as well as the major accounting firms KPMG, PWC, and Deloitte Touche.