Walker College of Business

• In 1974, the College of Business began offering a BSBA in Management. 
• In 1976, the BSBA in Healthcare Management, to be housed in the Department of Management, was launched.The Healthcare Management Program would be accredited by the Association of University Programs in Healthcare Management in 1990.  The Healthcare Management major would later move to the College of Health Sciences in 2010. 

Dr. Richard Sorensen (1943-2020) became the second Dean of the College of Business. Dr. Sorensen was  instrumental in the development of the college. During his tenure, the college was named for John Walker, MBA and MS-Accounting degrees were developed, new departments were formed, initial AACSB accreditation was received, and the college grew significantly.

• BSBA degrees in Economics, General Business, Finance and Banking, and Marketing and BA in Economics were offered. The BA degree in Economics moved to the College of Arts and Sciences in 1974, and back to the Walker College of Business in 2011.
• Appalachian was merged into the 16 campus UNC System.

Four departments were formed: Accounting; Business Administration; Business, Economic, and Occupational Education; and Economics.

• On July 1, 1970, the College of Business began with one department, Department of Economics and Business, which moved from the College of Fine and Applied Arts. 
• The BSBA in Business Administration and BSBA in Business with a concentration in Economics were offered.
• The first Business Advisory Council with 42 executives was held in July.
• The College of Business joined the American Association for Collegiate Schools of Business (later AACSB) in November.

Dr. William V. Muse is named first Dean of the College of Business in April 1970.

Dr. Herbert W. Wey is named president and later chancellor, in 1971. The university became part of the University of North Carolina system in 1971 under the leadership of Dr. Wey (1969-79). He introduced innovations that earned Appalachian national recognition as an institution of change, all while enrollment doubled to about 9,500. Under his leadership, Appalachian implemented the student teacher program, College of Business, continuing education program and Watauga College, a small residential college within the greater university.

• Four new colleges at the University are established: General College, the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), the College of Fine and Applied Arts (CF&AA) and the College of Education (COE). The Department of Economics and Business was assigned to the CF&AA. 
• Department of Economics and Business in the College of Fine and Applied Arts began offering a B.S. in Business Administration.

• In 1967, Appalachian State Teachers’ College (ASTC) designated a “regional university” and the name changed to Appalachian State University.
• The Economics and Business Department completed a curriculum benchmarking study of business programs at 86 university members of the American Association of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
• The Business Administration program which was a major in the Economics and Business Department grew very rapidly.

• In 1966, a Department of Economics and Business is created, with Dr. Orus R. Sutton serving as chair.
• A data processing course is added to the curriculum.
• In 1967, the Department of Business and Economics, soon to be part of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, had experienced enormous growth, with 532 undergraduate students and 33 graduate students -- more than half in the non-teaching program.
• By 1968, a total of 167 degrees Economics and Business degrees have been awarded.