Dean's Corner
Dean Robert J. Swieringa
Issue date: 9/6/00 Section: Viewpoints
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There is an old quote by the baseball player Nolan Ryan that “there ain’t no off season any more.” This is true for the Johnson School’s MBA students, who spend their summers laying the groundwork for their careers, and it is equally true for their school. While you were away, we welcomed new twelve-month option students, executive development program participants, and EMBA students. We also brought an academic year to a close in June, planned for the next, and moved forward with several longer-range strategic initiatives that will ultimately enhance the value of your Johnson School degree:
· Branding and Communications—An intensive branding study with the marketing firm Arnold Integrated Services, involving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate partners, is helping us clarify the school’s unique strengths and develop a plan to articulate our strategic position with respect to our peer institutions, our recruiters, and our future students. Now that you have returned, we will be asking for your structured comments and suggestions in this important activity.
· Distance Learning—Cornell launched eCornell as a legally separate entity to develop, market, distribute, and maintain primarily asynchronous distance learning programs for the executive and continuing education market. We will be a key participant with eCornell and are analyzing which non-degree courses to offer initially.
· EMBA and Executive Education—We hired Tom Hambury to direct the EMBA program, with the priority to expand the program and locate a new facility. Tom previously directed the EMBA program at Vanderbilt University. A task force was formed to review our Executive Education program in light of a rapidly changing marketplace.
· Development—A new executive director of development, Roz Hines, who has over 12 years of development experience, is about to come on board to redirect our focus on new initiatives, now that the Sage Hall capital campaign has just been successfully completed.
· Branding and Communications—An intensive branding study with the marketing firm Arnold Integrated Services, involving students, faculty, staff, alumni, and corporate partners, is helping us clarify the school’s unique strengths and develop a plan to articulate our strategic position with respect to our peer institutions, our recruiters, and our future students. Now that you have returned, we will be asking for your structured comments and suggestions in this important activity.
· Distance Learning—Cornell launched eCornell as a legally separate entity to develop, market, distribute, and maintain primarily asynchronous distance learning programs for the executive and continuing education market. We will be a key participant with eCornell and are analyzing which non-degree courses to offer initially.
· EMBA and Executive Education—We hired Tom Hambury to direct the EMBA program, with the priority to expand the program and locate a new facility. Tom previously directed the EMBA program at Vanderbilt University. A task force was formed to review our Executive Education program in light of a rapidly changing marketplace.
· Development—A new executive director of development, Roz Hines, who has over 12 years of development experience, is about to come on board to redirect our focus on new initiatives, now that the Sage Hall capital campaign has just been successfully completed.