08.27.09 
Husband and wife with banking and marketing expertise join Southeastern's teaching ranks

By Southeastern University

Even though the goal of non-profits isn't to turn a profit, these organizations still need marketing, says Dr. Carolyn Tripp, a business professor, who along with her husband, joins Southeastern's faculty this semester. Charities, Christian groups, and other non-profits, must market themselves to attract donors, volunteers, and other partners, Dr. Tripp says.

In her classes, Professor of Marketing Dr. Carolyn Tripp plans to emphasize the importance of marketing in non-profits. Both she and her husband, Professor of Finance Dr. James Tripp, will offer students business instruction drawn from their professional experience, academic research, and teaching careers.

The Tripps join Southeastern with nearly 20 years of teaching experience, and about 10 years of industry experience in their respective fields of marketing, and finance and banking. In fact, the couple came out of a recent retirement--a year for him, and less for her--to teach at Southeastern.

So why did the Tripps come out of retirement--most recently after a decade-long stint at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois--to teach at Southeastern?

Both say the opportunity enables them to fulfill a desire to teach at a Christian university. In addition, the Tripps like new challenges and meeting new people, Dr. Carolyn Tripp said.

The Tripps also were inspired to join Southeastern because they admire how quickly university leaders make a dream, a reality, from the renovation and construction of campus buildings, to the establishment of the Jerusalem Studies Center in Israel. "These people act on creative ideas and get it done," she said.

The Tripps, who will split their time living in Lakeland, Florida, and Springfield, Missouri, will teach some of their classes online and others on campus. This semester, from Missouri, Dr. Carolyn Tripp is teaching an undergraduate principles of marketing class online; in the spring, she'll teach that same marketing class on campus, as well as an undergraduate advertising and promotions class.

Dr. Carolyn Tripp has published extensively on consumer behavior and marketing. Before she became a marketing professor, from 1983 to 1986 Dr. Tripp managed a $1.1 million annual promotion budget for the Assemblies of God's Gospel Publishing House.

Working remotely from Missouri this semester, Dr. James Tripp will begin to help other Southeastern business professors increase their research and publish their work in academic and trade journals. In the spring on campus, he will teach a financial markets and institutions class for undergraduates, and a special topics course that will analyze the recent global financial collapse. Undergraduates and Southeastern MBA students may both take the special topics course, he said.

While Dr. Carolyn Tripp hopes to stress the importance of marketing within nonprofits, Dr. James Tripp also has a personal goal for his teaching tenure at Southeastern: to inspire some undergrads to become finance majors.

"There's a need for some ethical bankers, for sure," he quipped during an interview this summer. He hopes that bringing in guest speakers, such as bank presidents and locally based national bank regulators, will help build student excitement for the field, he said.

Prior to becoming a finance professor, Dr. James Tripp worked in commercial banking and ultimately managed the $20 million Assemblies of God credit union from 1983 to 1986. As a professor on sabbatical during the 2003-2004 school year, he spent two weeks observing the Supervision and Regulation area of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago and two weeks observing the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System in Washington, D.C.; in both experiences he gathered information to help teach students how these bodies work.

In addition to his observation of the Federal Reserve, Dr. Tripp has produced dozens of articles and presentations about his research into credit unions and banks. He may give students insight into how the U.S should change consumer credit regulations and the oversight of financial institutions, said Dr. R. Joseph Childs, dean of Southeastern's College of Business and Legal Studies.

Southeastern also may host public forums--featuring Dr. James Tripp--about how the country should proceed in the aftermath of the financial crisis. Having professors with expertise in current business issues, said Dr. Childs, will give students fresher insights than ones they'd receive at other universities.

And the Tripps say they're thrilled to share their expertise with students. "We're very excited about coming to Southeastern," said Dr. James Tripp, "and becoming part of the program there."