The John B. and Lillian E. Neff College of Business and Innovation was established in 1930 and is currently the second-largest professional college on the campus of The University of Toledo. It is also one of only 5 percent of business colleges around the world to receive accreditation from The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International). The college is also one of roughly 2 percent of institutions to hold an additional, specialized AACSB Accreditation for its accounting program.
We house our own Business Career Programs Office which is dedicated to placing students in both internships and permanent, full-time career positions. The Neff College of Business and Innovation occupies The Savage & Associates Complex for Business Learning and Engagement. This 54,000 square-foot facility is a state-of-the-art complex and houses classrooms, five action learning labs and, in addition, serves as a hub for our community outreach and engagement activities. The Alan Barry Accounting Lab is distinctive in the nation for having licenses for both CPA and CMA review materials available free for students; it also has tutors and software to help students improve their accounting and writing skills. The Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales (ESSPS) is one of the top university sales programs in the world, with a world-class curriculum, a high-tech sales lab, professional certifications, and multiple corporate, university and international partnerships and was independently recognized as being in the top 5 percent of all professional sales programs in a study by DePaul University’s Center for Sales Leadership.
Our very qualified faculty and staff are here to provide the very best well-rounded college experience for our students, both in and out of the classroom. The faculty bring relevance to the classroom and continuously advance the state-of-the-art knowledge about various topics/issues by translating their cutting-edge research contributions into classroom applications.
Points of Pride
- We are the second-largest college within The University of Toledo
- Member of Graduate Management Admission Council
- U.S. News & World Report has the College ranked as one of the best undergraduate business programs in the nation
- Eduniversal, an international higher education ranking agency, rates COBI Excellent and includes it as the only Northwest Ohio business school in its list of 180 schools in North America in its fifth edition of the Best 1000 Business Schools in 154 Countries, 2012. Furthermore, Eduniversal ranks COBI’s Human Resources Management program #37 in North America and one of the top 200 HR masters programs worldwide
- Committed to Building Lifelong Leaders for the World of Business with skilled, experienced and compassionate faculty
- Experiences an outstanding relationship with the regional business community, through which approximately 85% of UToledo COBI students participate in internships
- John B. and Lillian E. Neff Trading Room offers students live and delayed feeds from all of the world's stock exchanges
- Students have an opportunity to manage a $3.5 million investment fund for the UToledo Foundation
- Home of a top sales program, the Edward H. Schmidt School of Professional Sales
Mission Statement
We integrate business education, meaningful research, and diverse partnerships to foster tomorrow’s leaders, transform businesses, and support the regional and global community.
Vision Statement
Transformative – Innovative – Relevant - Impactful
We will be the energized, forward-thinking college of choice for transformative learning, innovative programs, relevant research, and impactful partnerships, achieving international recognition and reputation.
Core Values
Life-Long Learning: We value formal business education, as well as self-initiated and continued learning for all; directed at the drive to explore and learn, enhancing quality of life and sense of self-worth. This value supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education.
Student-Centeredness: We embrace the student experience and are committed to creating an inclusive environment that connects the unique facets of the faculty, alumni, and community to the learners of the Neff College of Business and Innovation.
Scholarship: We promote a vibrant academic environment that fosters knowledge creation and application, driving innovation, excellence, and impactful research contributions to the field of business.
Principled Leadership and Professionalism: We empower principled leaders and professionals to support an organization’s mission and values, develop others, create processes for achieving goals, build trust, care for people, and be direct, honest, and transparent.
Diversity: We have respect for students, staff, and faculty of different backgrounds and lived experiences, and appreciation for the divergent approaches to knowledge acquisition, education, and scholarship, as well as the varied thoughts and opinions among students, staff, and faculty.