FACULTY FOCUS: WAYNE ANDERSON
Professor Wayne Anderson joined the faculty of Missouri State University (then Southwest Missouri State University) in 1984. Through the years, he has won multiple teaching awards, including the Foundation Excellence in Teaching Award (1993), University Teaching Award (2000), and the College of Business Administration Teaching Award (2002, 2005).
Professor Anderson’s recent course offerings include LAW 231 (Legal Environment of Business), LAW 332 (Debtor and Creditor Rights and Remedies), and CIS 747 (a cyber-law course for the MSCIS program). The average class size for his LAW courses is about 70 students with intersession classes running as high as 130. His courses focus on the legal difficulties that students might encounter in both their professional and private lives. As Professor Anderson puts it, “I am not trying to create Junior Attorneys in my class, rather I am trying to keep them out of trouble by showing them when they need legal counsel and when they should be extremely cautious.”
Professor Anderson is an accomplished researcher and writer as well. His articles have been published in the Journal of the Missouri Bar and the Computer Law Journal. He has also authored a book called The Legal Profession: Is it for You?
Prior to his move to Missouri, Professor Anderson lived in Southern California for many years. He attended University of California at Irvine for his undergraduate degree, and received his Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree from California Western in San Diego. Professor Anderson practiced law for a few years before starting his academic career in Missouri. His education also includes an MBA degree from Drury in Springfield, Missouri.
Professor Anderson is married to Janice, a physical therapist. They have three children – all in college now. In his spare time, Professor Anderson is, in his own words, “definitely a car guy.” He enjoys working on cars and participating in car shows. Also for fun, he works on a farm most weekends, chopping wood, raising blueberries, and “messing” around with the tractor.
Looking back at his tenure at Missouri State University, Professor Anderson gives much credit to Dr. Vencil Bixler, former head of the Finance and General Business department, for being a great mentor and boss. After extensive discussion of Anderson’s farming interest, Dr. Bixler offered him a course to teach utilizing that experience. That course expanded rapidly to Professor Anderson’s current status.
Professor Anderson is the faculty adviser for Delta Sigma Pi (a business fraternity) and has served in that role for 21 years. When asked what career advice he would give to students, Professor Anderson says “My advice to students is to find a major that really sings to them. When you enjoy the material you will do well and will be willing to go the extra mile. If you know what kind of job you are ultimately looking for, then become involved with related groups (on and off campus) to learn all you can prior to starting your career. Sure, your employer will give you some training but they will assume that you arrive at the interview with an applicable skill set and knowledge of the given field. Do some internships and externships and volunteer at a business that does the type of work you hope to do. Get your foot in the door and assure yourself that this is the right career move for you. Find a job you love.”