After a national search, newly appointed dean of the Vaughn College of Business Administration Cedric L. Stone, Ph.D., believes the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Alabama State University will be the number one business school in Alabama.”

During a one-on-one interview on Monday, Feb. 16, Stone outlined a plan centered on rigor, accountability and accreditation reform.

“ASU COBA is going to be the number one business school in the state of Alabama. I do not care about Tuscaloosa. I do not care about Auburn. I do not care about Tuskegee. I do not care about A&M. I do not care about Miles. I do not care about Talladega. They have to compete in order to compare with us,” he said, referencing the University of Alabama, Auburn University, Tuskegee University, Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University, Miles College and Talladega College.

Stone began his appointment on Jan. 1. He brings more than 20 years of corporate leadership experience and previously served as dean of the business school at the University of Charleston in Charleston, West Virginia. He also served as division chair at Philander Smith University in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Morris College in Sumter, South Carolina.

His path to leadership did not begin in corporate offices or academic administration.

Stone grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio, in the West End community at the Laurel Homes housing projects. He graduated from Robert A. Taft High School before attending The Ohio State University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in marketing. He later earned a Master of Business Administration in management from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

“I grew up in the inner city of Cincinnati in the projects,” he said. “It was a lot of challenges and obstacles, but I did not let that stop me.”

After graduate school, he built a corporate career at Procter & Gamble, Ford Motor Co. and American Honda before transitioning into higher education.

“At the university, restoring rigor within the College of Business Administration is nonnegotiable,” he said.

“The fix is easy,” he said. “I have certain expectations for my staff, my faculty and my students. The number one priority is to take care of our students.”

He mentioned that his expectations are shaped by his own experience as a student.

“My professors demanded a lot from us,” he said. “They made us do research. They made us write. At the time, I did not fully understand why, but now I see what they were preparing us for.”

He revealed that the level of rigor positioned him for success in corporate leadership and graduate study.

As an undergraduate, he also shared that he rarely saw professors who reflected his background.

“There were times I would walk into the classroom and already know what time it was,” he said. “When I did have a professor who looked like me, it mattered.”

He added that representation must be paired with accountability.

“We need more faculty members who reflect the student population and understand the challenges our students face,” he said. “But we also have to maintain high standards.”

That philosophy now drives his push for stricter admissions criteria and stronger accreditation.

“When you get students taking 12 hours and requesting 18 or 21, what does that say about the rigor of the program?” he said. “In the graduate program, they are supposed to take four courses, and they are asking for six. No, something is wrong.”

He plans to increase admission standards for the Master of Business Administration and Master of Accountancy programs, including raising grade point average requirements and eliminating conditional admissions below a 2.5 GPA.

“It is going to be more demanding just to enter into the program,” he said. “We have to bring respectability back to our programs.”

Another priority is pursuing accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (ACSOB), a research-focused accreditation he believes will better prepare students for graduate study and competitive careers. The college currently holds accreditation from the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP), which emphasizes teaching.

The appointment carries personal significance. Stone’s grandfather and father were born in Montgomery. His family still owns a home on Davidson Street that he plans to renovate and move into, becoming the third generation to live there. His aunt, Dorothy Stone Smith, graduated from Alabama State College and later became an educator.

“I was ecstatic when I got that phone call with the offer,” he said. “I really wanted to be here in Montgomery.”

For students, his message is direct.

“Alabama State is a strong historical brand,” he said. “You are not being disrespectful if you question something. You are asking for clarification. Take full advantage of what you are paying for.”

Stone included that restoring the college’s prominence will require discipline and collective buy-in.

“I did not get out of the projects without having lofty dreams and goals,” he said. “That is my goal to get this school to be number one in the state of Alabama.”

“We have to compete,” he said. “That is how we compare.”