MANAGEMENT EDUCATION ALLIANCE
SEPTEMBER 2005 NEWSLETTER
INSTITUTIONAL ENRICHMENT
In its quest to strengthen business education for
African- and Hispanic-Americans, the Management
Education Alliance has focused on faculty
effectiveness as the key determinant in the student
learning process. It has striven to increase faculty
effectiveness in three ways: faculty development,
curricular innovation, and institutional development.
Faculty development and curricular innovation are
easy to understand. The former includes programs
addressing business topics of interest—such as Supply
Chain Management and Business Ethics—and the art
of teaching; the latter includes programs addressing
new or improved course designs and content. In
contrast, Institutional Enrichment is not so obvious.
Simply stated, Institutional Enrichment is focused on
strengthening a business school’s abilities to provide
an intellectually rich and supportive environment to
the faculty by enhancing the strategy and operations of
the organization. While all business schools offer
courses on formulating and implementing business or
corporate strategy, many fail to practice what they
preach. Yet, business schools are in business,
competing for students, for faculty, for recruiting
firms, for grants and donations, and for public ranking.
To compete successfully for such assets—best
students, most talented faculty members, strongest
placement, strong cash flow—business schools need a
game plan or strategy that can result in a sustainable
competitive advantage.
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Early in its history, the Alliance began promoting such planning.
For example, in 1995, it encouraged South Carolina State
University School of Business, because of its distinctive strength in
agribusiness, to focus attention on preparing students for working
in food- and fiber-related related industries. The logic was
compelling:
• Agribusiness accounted for 17% of the nation’s GNP and far
more when all firms with important agriculturally-related
business interests are taken into account;
• The leading firms in the industry—such as, Nabisco R. J.
Reynolds,
Coca-Cola,
International
Paper,
DuPont
(agricultural chemicals)—wanted to hire qualified AfricanAmerican graduates for management positions;
• No business school with large numbers of African-American
students explicitly served this market;
These facts revealed an
opportunity for SCSU
to become a leader in
preparing students for
agribusiness-related
managerial positions,
attracting leading firms
for recruiting and
creating opportunities
for faculty research and
consulting.
This
strategy would enable
the SCSU School of
Business to compete
more effectively for
faculty,
students,
funding
recognition.
While the idea of a focused strategy is appealing and relatively
easy to understand, it is not easy to implement, especially in an
academic setting where tenure and tradition hold sway. For this
reason, MEA selected Bentley College as the site of its Annual
Meeting in May, 2005. Bentley College, a long-standing supporting
business school member of the Alliance that was successfully
engaged in carrying out a strategic redirection, would serve as a
case study for the other schools to consider.
The meeting began on Sunday afternoon, with a tour of the Bentley
Campus in Waltham, Massachusetts, featuring the Hughey Center
for Financial Services (Trading Room), The Winer Accounting
Center for Electronic Learning and Business Measurement, The
Center for Languages and International Collaboration, the Center
for Marketing Technology, and the Design and Usability Center.
Phil Knutel, tour leader and Director of Academic Technology,
Library, and Research Services, mentioned how in 1985 Bentley
was one of the first
schools to require that
each student have a
personal laptop (then
portable or luggable)
computer and in 1991
received a national
award for its $22
million
academic
technology
facilities
and their use in
educational programs.
An informal
presentation
by Bentley
Phil Knutel leads a tour of Bentley’s campus.
President, Joseph Morone, followed.
and
He described how the school had been somewhat adrift in its search
for a defining and unifying strategy when he arrived eight years
earlier. His first task was to gain the confidence of the faculty,
Similarly, in 1997, MEA worked with St. Mary’s School of
administrative officers, and board of trustees in support of his
Business and Administration to focus on preparing students for
intention to follow and elaborate a strategy of focusing on
international operations in Latin America. The recent creation of
information technology as an integral part of every aspect of
NAFTA, proximity to Mexico, and a predominantly Hispanic
business management. Business ethics and international business
student body provided St. Mary’s with an opportunity to gain a
were also identified as important elements of the emerging school
leadership position in this market. In 2000, the Florida International
strategy. The Center for Business Ethics, founded almost 25 years
University College of Business Administration, with its large
earlier, provided a firm platform for the former element.
Hispanic student body in Miami, followed suit in adopting a similar
strategic initiative. In the same year, North Carolina A&T State
The fourth and possibly the most radical element of change was to
University School of Business and Economics announced approval
make Arts and Sciences an “equal partner” with business in the
of a Master of Science in Management degree program that was
Bentley learning experience. English addressed business
designed to prepare students for managerial positions in
communications, mathematics connected with finance, philosophy
technology-related businesses, thereby exploiting the university’s
with business ethics, history with general management, and foreign
strong reputation and capacity in engineering and technology. The
languages with international business. A new organizational
MSM includes program concentrations in Transportation and
structure was created to include a Dean for Arts and Sciences on a
Business Logistics and in Management Information Systems.
par with a Dean for Business under a Provost and VP for Academic
Affairs.
These various initiatives shared two features in common. First, they
focused on distinctive aspects of business practice that would
Initially, all went well. It was only when President Morone decided
appeal to large numbers of companies: SCSU on an industry with
to accelerate the changes that he encountered pushback. The
distinctive characteristics (agribusiness-related), St. Mary’s and
important lesson that he learned and shared with MEA deans was
FIU on a geographical area (Latin America-U.S. interconnection),
to beware of overconfidence in leading organizational change and
and NCAT on a functional area (technology-related management).
not to get too far ahead of the people involved.
Second, by virtue of their focus on distinctive areas of business,
Reengaging the faculty in a more consultative manner and with a
they also placed increased emphasis in the curriculum on business
more deliberate pace, Dr. Morone was successful in regaining
practice as compared to general academic theories, with a greater
support for continued change.
use of case studies and field work.
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Accreditation Standards for Business Accreditation manual, as
revised in January 1, 2005, provided the participants with detailed
guidelines for each consideration.
Bentley Tour: (left to right) Dean Russell, St. Mary's; Vice
President Scott, Springs Industries; Dean Craig, North Carolina
A&T State; Professor Konsynski, Emory
Bentley’s strategy for moving to “the next level” and then to “the
next, next level” was marked by the following accomplishments:
• Alumni support increased appreciably, enabling the school to
make the expenditures necessary for improving facilities and
faculty.
• The quality of faculty hires increased markedly in all areas of
business and the arts and sciences.
• The quality of undergraduate enrollment improved between the
years 2000 and 2005 with the mean SAT score increasing from
1130 to 1220, the percentage of SATs greater than 1200 from
26% to 62%, and the percentage of students in the top 20% of
their class from 48% to 71%.
• Bentley gained recognition in the business press, ranking
nationally among the Top 50 undergraduate business programs
and the Top 20 Information Systems and Accounting programs
in the “America’s Best Colleges 2006” edition of U.S. News
and World Report.
Dean Joyce Elam of Florida International highlighting the
challenges the new AACSB standards pose.
The following brief excerpts describe the nature of each topic:
In summing up the school’s efforts to date, Dr. Morone indicated
that the major part of expanding and improving facilities has been
accomplished. Funding will be redirected to building the academic
strength of the faculty, with increased support for research and
teaching. In conclusion, he happily reported a unanimous faculty
vote in support of a proposed new doctoral program and a highly
favorable AACSB accreditation evaluation as recent signs of
positive momentum in moving ahead to “the next, next, next level.”
Deans’ Workshop Discusses New AACSB
Accreditation Standards
On January 30-31, 2005, the deans of the MEA core schools met at
Florida International University’s College of Business
Administration in Miami for the annual Deans’ Workshop to
discuss the challenges of meeting the new AACSB accreditation
standards. As stated in the invitation, “Most of us will be going
through the new Maintenance of Accreditation over the next few
years. The purpose of the workshop is to share information with
each other—what questions you might have in preparing for the
maintenance of accreditation review, what new processes and
programs you have put in place, what challenges you have
encountered in implementing the new standards, what you have
learned from your participation as a Peer Review Team member on
previous visits, and other similar experiences.”
Participants were assigned to one of three panels to discuss and
present their views on best practices with respect to Strategic
Management, Participants—Students and Faculty, and Assurance
of Learning. The AACSB’s Eligibility Procedures and
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• Strategic Management - The school articulates its mission
and action items as a guide to its view of the future, planned
evolution, infrastructure, and use of resources. Strategic
management standards verify that the school focuses its
resources and efforts toward a defined mission as embodied in
a mission statement.
• Participants—Students and Faculty - A direct link exists
between a school’s mission, the characteristics of students
served by the educational programs, the composition and
qualifications of the faculty members providing the programs,
and the overall quality of the school. Learning by students as
they prepare for business, management, or academic careers is
strongly dependent on the quality of instruction offered to
them. Participants standards substantiate the characteristics,
interactions, and utilization of the human resources that
constitute the learning community of the school. Participants
and their interactions are at the center of much what defines
quality for higher education in business.
• Assurance of Learning - Student learning is the central
activity of higher education. Members of the business
community, students, and faculty members each contribute
valuable perspectives on the needs of graduates. Assurance of
Learning Standards evaluate how well the school accomplishes
the educational aims at the core of its activities. Few
characteristics of the school will be as important to
stakeholders as knowing the accomplishment levels of the
school’s students when compared against the school’s learning
goals.
Whitlock, Director of Compensation and Benefits and current
program coordinator, “Frequently, parents and other family
members attend the intern’s final presentation to the management
team. It takes on the feeling of a graduation, of sorts.”
Subsequently, each student’s supervisor provides a written
performance evaluation designed to provide feedback to SCSU
faculty and constructive guidance to the student.
In reviewing the first session of the program, Jim Dorton, then vice
president, treasurer, and coordinator of the student intern program
observed, “A properly run internship program takes a lot of hard
work but pays huge dividends to all participants. The company gets
highly motivated temporary employees and at the same time is able
to give deserving students their first big break.” Shortly after the
conclusion of the first session, Bowater announced the hiring of
Marcus Wells, an intern who had graduated the prior May, as an
auditor.
Dean Ben Newhouse describing North Carolina Central’s
approach to meeting new AACSB standards.
The workshop participants included:
Dean Joyce Elam
Florida International University
Dean Glenda Glover
Jackson State University
Dean Otis Thomas
Morgan State University
Dean Quiester Craig
North Carolina A&T State Univ.
Dean Benjamin Newhouse
North Carolina Central University
Dean Keith Russell
St. Mary’s University
Dean Alicia Jackson
Tuskegee University
Dr. Francis Aguilar
Harvard Business School
Dr. Clifford Perry
Florida International University
Mrs. Jennifer Scott
Springs Industries Corporation
Bowater Incorporated is a leading producer of newsprint and
coated papers in North America.
Reflecting on more recent sessions, Human Resources staff
member Angela Dickard commented, “I think the interns are
surprised when they first start their assignments to find that we
have ‘real work’ for them to do. By the end of the internship, they
feel that they have really contributed to our operation. They walk
away from Bowater with a sense of accomplishment, excellent
work experience and some friendships that were developed along
the way. I think that we learn as much from them as they do from
us.”
The discussions proved so valuable that the participants agreed to
revisit the topic at the next Deans’ Workshop in 2006 to track
progress, share experiences, and consider future actions.
Bowater Completes 15th Session of its
Student Internship Program
In 2005, Bowater Corporation completed the fifteenth session of its
internship program for students of the South Carolina State
University School of Business. Since its inception, 36 students
have participated in the program, with assignments in
Finance/Accounting (17), Information Systems (12), Human
Resources (5), and Corporate Communications (2). As stated in the
company’s College Internship Program manual, “Bowater
recognizes internships as a valuable tool for screening and
recruiting personnel for future employment, as well as providing
college students with necessary values to become efficient
professionals.”
The program was launched in August 1997, when four SCSU
students began their three and a half month assignment at the
Corporate Office in Greenville, SC. As reported in the January
1998 MEA Newsletter, the program was designed to provide the
students with experience and skills that would aid them in their
chosen careers. In addition to the supervisor to whom each intern
reported, he or she was assigned a mentor who would help the
student to get acquainted with Bowater and to adapt to the
organization and to a professional work environment. At the
conclusion of the program, each intern made a presentation to
Bowater’s management on a topic related to his or her assigned
duties and of benefit to the company. According to Aaron
The following three students have just completed a four month
internship program working in the Corporate Accounting,
Corporate Information Services, and Newsprint Accounting
Services Departments: Erinn McCullough (junior year), Raghav
Sundaresh (completes his BS in Accounting at the end of the
internship), and Keith Teesdale (junior year).
ANNUAL MEETING, Bentley
Waltham, Massachusetts
College,
The annual meeting business was conducted on Monday, May 2,
2005. Among other matters, elections for Board Members,
Officers, and Committee Chairpersons were held. Please see listing
on page 5.
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Dean Liverpool (Delaware State), Dean Craig (North Carolina
A&T State), Dean Lohnde (South Carolina State), and
Professor Konsynski (Emory) at the annual meeting.
Board Members, Officers, and Committee Chairs
The Management Education Alliance member representatives elected the following persons to serve as members of the board and as
officers until the next annual meeting in 2006:
Board Members
Earl Avery
Paul Cimmerer
Quiester Craig
Joyce Elam
Sherwood Frey
Benn Konsynski
Jennifer Scott
Otis Thomas
Aaron Whitlock
Bentley
SUPERVALU
N. Carolina A&T State
Florida International
Darden
Emory
Springs Industries
Morgan State
Bowater
Officers
Paul Cimmerer
Quiester Craig
Sherwood Frey
Francis Aguilar
Chairman
Vice Chairman
Treasurer
Secretary
The following persons were assigned the chairmanship of the following board committees:
Committee Chairs
Finance
Sherwood Frey (Darden, University of Virginia)
Membership and Funding
Jennifer Scott (Springs Industries)
Programs Planning
Joyce Elam (Florida International University)
31 Attend Case Teaching and Case Writing Seminars
Thirty-one faculty members from Management Education
Alliance core schools attended the Case Method Teaching and
Case Writing Seminars at the Harvard Business School over the
past eighteen months. They are as follows:
Case Method Teaching Seminar:
Bridget Anakwe
Delaware State University
Avinash Arya
Morgan State University
William Brown
Clark Atlanta University
Minnette Bumpus
Howard University
Aya Chacar
Florida International University
Peter Dadalt
Morgan State University
Evelyn Dadzie
Clark Atlanta University
Caroline Glackin
Delaware State University
Hubert Glover
Howard University
Rajni Goel
Howard University
Sushil Gupta
Florida International University
Elania Hudson
Clark Atlanta University
Shirley Hudson
Clark Atlanta University
Jide Iwarere
Howard University
Alice Johnson
North Carolina A&T State University
Sumit Kundu
Florida International University
Leyland Lucas
Morgan State University
Janice Mereba
North Carolina A&T State University
Innocent Nkwocha
South Carolina State University
Alice Stewart
North Carolina A&T State University
Bala Subramanian
Morgan State University
Ravi Vellore
North Carolina A&T State University
Nanda Viswanathan
Delaware State University
Eileen Wall
St. Mary's University
Stephanie Ward
St. Mary's University
Case Writing Seminar:
Fred Fresh
Clark Atlanta University
Carlos Rodriguez
Delaware State University
Brent Smith
Morgan State University
Ora Spann
South Carolina State University
Ravi Vellore
North Carolina A&T State University
Joan Williamson
Delaware State University
Faculty Members Participate in Harvard Business
School Executive Education Programs, summer 2005
The following faculty members were sponsored for executive
programs offered April through August 2005, in Financial
Management, Technology and Operations Management,
Marketing and Human Resource Management. The published
fees for these programs range from $5,250 to $8,000. For further
information about these and related programs, please see the web
site www.hbs.exed.edu.
FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
• Driving Corporate Performance - Joseph Onyeocha, South
Carolina State
• Financial Instruments and Markets - William Barbee,
Howard
• Valuation - Joel Barber, FIU
TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT
• Building Competitive Advantage Through Operations Mohammad Sadoughi, Delaware State
• Managing the Supply Chain - Ganesh Bhatt, Morgan State
• Leading Product Development - Shona Morgan, N.
Carolina A&T State
MARKETING
• Consumer Marketing Strategy - Elania Hudson, Clark
Atlanta
• Strategic Marketing Management - Wen Gong, Morgan
State
• Marketing Innovative Technologies - Hector Butts, South
Carolina State
BUSINESS STRATEGY
• Strategic Human Resource Management - Ron Merrell, St.
Mary’s
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Management Education Alliance Past
Funding
UPCOMING, ONGOING
AND RECENT EVENTS
Since its inception in 1994 through 2004, the Management
Education Alliance has spent $1,116,903 in direct support of
programs. These funds were allocated as follows:
Upcoming Events
Faculty Workshop: Breaking Down Silos- Different
Approaches to Integration, addressing the Why and How to
foster learning across disciplinary boundaries by integrating the
curriculum.
Bentley College, November 2 – 4, 2005.
• Faculty Development - $526,092 or 47%
• Curricular Innovation - $279,419 or 25%
• Institutional Enrichment - $311,392 or 28%
When the estimated funds and in-kind contributions expended by
Alliance members in direct support of these programs are
included, the funding totaled $1,962,067.
Art and Craft of Discussion Leadership
November 2005 (tentatively)
Harvard Business School
Deans' Workshop 2006
Florida International University, to continue discussing the
AACSB Accreditation Standards for Strategic Management,
Participants, and Assurance of Learning. Sunday afternoon and
Monday morning, Jan. 29-30, 2006.
• Faculty Development - $946,966 or 48%
• Curricular Innovation - $406,890 or 21%
• Institutional Enrichment - $608,211 or 31%
In 2005, Faculty Development continues to receive the
preponderance of funding.
Case Writing Workshop
Spring 2006, (2 days, time and location to be determined).
Faculty Workshop: Supply Chain Management
Spring 2006, (1 and 1/2 days, time and location to be
determined).
Annual Meeting 2006
SUPERVALU, Eden Prairie (near Minneapolis), MN. April 30May 1, 2006
Recent Events
Executive Education programs in Financial Management,
Marketing, Technology and Operations Management, and
Business Strategy and Human Resources Management for
participation by faculty members from member minority schools,
offered from April through August.
MEA Annual Meeting
May 1 - 2, 2005
Hosted by Bentley College, Waltham, Massachusetts
For more information on the Management Education Alliance
or to comment on this newsletter, please contact:
Francis J. Aguilar, Executive Director
300 Cumnock Hall
Boston, Massachusetts 02163
Phone: 617-495-6494
Fax: 617-495-8736
e-mail: faguilar@hbs.edu
The Art and Craft of Discussion Leadership workshop at the
Harvard Business School, June 10-11, 2005 and March 18-19,
2005.
Deans' Workshop, at Florida International University, January
30-31, 2005, to discuss meeting the AACSB Accreditation
Standards for Strategic Management, Participants, and Assurance
of Learning.
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