Why I Do What I Do

Paula Murray - Associate Dean For Undergraduate Programs, Professor of Business Law

In 1980, as a new graduate of the UT law school, I was lucky enough to have the opportunity to teach the business school’s core business law class. I was only 24—younger than many of my students! I remember showing my ID to people to prove that I was indeed an assistant professor. I also remember loving it from the start.

Through the years, miraculously, the students have stayed the same age while I have gotten older. Nevertheless, they keep me on my toes and as young at heart as can be reasonably expected.

In my class I hope to impart a respect and appreciation of the law and legal reasoning. But I am not out to create little lawyers. My goal is to give our future business leaders the tools to recognize potential legal problems before they become problems.

In the last 10 years, ethical concerns have become increasingly important. Enron and other scandals have been a factor, but so has the growing awareness of the value corporate social responsibility can play in the long-term health of an organization. At McCombs, I’m proud to say that we have brought ethics to the forefront of our teaching, and it is now a core element of our entire curriculum. As a result, it is easier to make decisions such as the one McCombs did last fall, when we announced our school would no longer accept money from tobacco companies. It was a first for a business school, and I couldn’t be happier helping to make it happen.

Also in 2007, I became associate dean for undergraduate programs. Boy, did my life change! Faculty members basically operate independently, with nobody to supervise and nobody supervising them. Now I’m leading an undergraduate program with 4,500 students, one of the largest in the country. I had never managed people before, and now I manage a staff of about 50.

What in the world would possess me to take on such a challenge? That’s easy—our phenomenal students. Our undergraduates constantly amaze me with their enthusiasm and initiative. Most walk in our door with experience in leadership roles, and they are ready to contribute from day one. Many are ready for internships after their freshman year, and in some cases, they are even working on their own businesses!

And they get better each year. I am more than happy to be the program’s head cheerleader. Hook ’em!