Request for Proposals
Submit your proposal by April 18 to present a concurrent session at the 2008 Executive MBA Council Conference, set for Oct. 26-29 in Chicago, Illinois
Consider sharing your innovative practices during a concurrent session at the 2008 Executive MBA Council Conference. The council is now accepting proposals from members for concurrent sessions at the conference.
Concurrent sessions highlight new and best practices on diverse topics and help reinforce the 2008 conference theme, Powering the Brand, Energizing the Industry. Topics that relate to issues such as marketing and branding, innovation, global perspectives, programmatic and professional development, and other related subjects are welcome.
The conference planning committee encourages concurrent workshops that represent the diversity of markets and the needs, interests, and roles of conference participants, as well as collaborative presentations with faculty or staff from different universities and international collaborations.
Use the RFP form and instructions available at http://www.emba.org/conference_rfp.htm to prepare your proposal. Please plan to submit your proposal by the RFP deadline of Friday, April 18.
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On Students' Minds
Results of the second Executive MBA Council Student Entry Benchmarking Survey shed light on key decision factors for students
The top five factors that students consider when selecting Executive MBA Programs include the quality of faculty, reputation of the school, program format, quality of classmates, and curriculum/class offerings, according to the results of the second annual Executive MBA Council Student Entry Benchmarking Survey.
The survey offers programs and the industry information about the factors that students consider when looking at programs, their expectations of programs, their information-gathering process, and their perceptions of the admissions process. Approximately 1,966 new students from 44 member programs responded to the survey.
The 2007 survey findings revealed that two-thirds (66 percent) of students in Executive MBA Programs considered applying 12 months before attending. To select a program, students weighed the factors listed below, which they rated on a 10-point scale. The mean rating is in parentheses. In this year’s survey results, curriculum/class offerings, strength of elective offerings, and the admission process increased in importance.
- Quality of faculty (9.06)
- School reputation (8.96)
- Program format (8.68)
- Quality of classmates (8.66)
- Curriculum/class offerings (8.34)
- Location/geographic setting of campus (8.29)
- Rankings (8.28)
- Global content (7.8)
- Strength of alumni network (7.26)
- Integration of technology (6.92)
- Strength in a particular functional area (6.69)
- Class size (6.60)
- Strength of elective offerings (6.38)
- Admissions process (6.28)
- Total cost (tuition and fees) (6.20)
- Career services (5.99)
- Program web site (5.29)
The top five factors that prompted students to consider a program were the same top factors that influenced their decision to apply: colleague/friend, alumni/current student, rankings, school information session, and campus visit. Rankings were more important when considering a program than when applying.
Students also rated on a 10-point scale the program resources that helped them make the decision to attend a particular program.
Again, the mean is in parentheses.
- Faculty/staff (8.24)
- Admissions process (8.13)
- Information session (8.11)
- Campus visit (7.79)
- Alumni (7.47)
- Program web site (7.27)
- Current student (7.25)
- Program brochure (6.62)
- Virtual information session (5.38)
- Program CD-ROM (4)
According to the survey, seventy-seven (77) percent of students expect to be given new responsibilities from their employers while enrolled in an Executive MBA Program. Thirty-eight (38) percent expect to be promoted while enrolled, and 59 percent expect to be promoted after they complete the program. Students expect that their salary at the end of the program will be 24 percent higher than when they started. Comparing incoming expectations with outgoing outcomes, about 43 percent of program graduates who completed the 2007 Executive MBA Council Student Exit Benchmarking Survey were promoted during their programs, and their salaries increased by 21 percent.
Sixty-seven (67) percent of students will be partially or fully reimbursed or sponsored by their employers. Incoming students expect that it will take 51 months to recoup their personal investments if they assume the entire cost of tuition. They estimate that the payback period for employers sponsoring students will be 29 months if the employers sponsor the entire cost of the program. Graduates in the 2007 Executive MBA Council Student Exit Benchmarking Survey estimated that the payback period was 45 months for students and 23 months for employers.
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Survey Registration
There’s still time to register for the Student Exit Benchmarking Survey and the Student Entry Benchmarking Survey
With graduation coming closer for many programs, now is a great time to register for the Student Exit Benchmarking Survey.
The Executive MBA Council offers the survey to give member programs a deeper understanding of student opinions and to provide a snapshot into industry trends. The Student Exit Benchmarking Survey is also available in a Spanish version. For general and registration information, visit www.emba.org/research_studentsurvey.htm.
Be sure to take advantage of the Student Entry Benchmarking Survey as well. Registration for the 2008 entry survey continues through October 31. The entry survey offers programs a cost-effective way to measure the perceptions and expectations of newly admitted students, gauge the effectiveness of marketing and admissions efforts, and compare results against those of similar programs. For information and to register, visit www.emba.org/research_studentsurvey_entry.html.
Results of the Program Survey, Student Exit Benchmarking Survey, and Student Entry Benchmarking Survey will be presented at the 2008 conference.
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Last Chance
Register quickly to take advantage of the remaining available seats for the 2008 Marketing and Admissions Program, scheduled for March 30-April 2, in Atlanta
A few seats still remain for the 2008 Marketing and Admissions Program, set for March 30-April 2, 2008, at the Georgia Tech Hotel and Conference Center in Atlanta. This unique professional development opportunity is designed for professionals who are involved in recruiting and admitting Executive MBA students.
The Executive MBA Council, in collaboration with the Graduate Management Admission Council, sponsors the program, which features best practices, practical tips, and ideas to improve your processes immediately. Experts in the field lead program sessions. Find out why the program consistently receives rave reviews from participants by registering today. To register or to learn more, visit www.embac.org/courses_marketing_admissions.htm.
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Upcoming Meetings
Executive MBA Council regional meetings continue
The 2008 slate of Executive MBA Council regional meetings began in February with the USA/Canada Western Regional Meeting, which took place Feb. 24-26 at the University of California at Berkeley.
Upcoming regional meetings include:
USA/Southeast Regional Meeting
April 6-8, 2008
Vanderbilt University
USA/Canada Northeast Regional Meeting
April 14-15, 2008 - Host: Columbia Business School, New York
See https://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/embac for agenda, registration, hotel, and other information
USA/Canada Midwest Regional Meeting
June 17-18, 2008
The Ohio State University
For registration information and updates, visit the council web site at www.emba.org/regional_upcoming.html.
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On the Web: Improved and New
Council updates program grid for members
The Executive MBA Council recently updated the Program Survey Snapshot Grid.
Available to Executive MBA Council members only, this profile snapshot offers a side-by-side comparison of key program features, including program type, cohort size, starting month, class time, status of international trip, total program cost, program length, accreditation, and management and work experience requirements.
Based on data from your school portal, the grid format allows for easy side-by-side comparisons of member program features. Check out the grid at https://www.emba.org/protect/formembers_program_grid.html
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Media Appearances
The Executive MBA Council contributes to stories about the degree
The Executive MBA Council recently provided information for a number of stories about Executive MBA education. Those appearances included the following:
- 2007 Executive MBA Council Survey Results Offer Industry Insights, appeared on Reuters wire service, Investor News web, Finanz Nachrichten web, and CNBC web
- Executive MBA Degrees Growing in Popularity, International Student Guide
- Boomers Pursue Executive MBA, by Myra A.Thomas, boomster.com
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Features
Update
By Michael Desiderio, Executive Director
It’s hard to believe that we’re fast approaching the end of the first quarter of 2008. It’s becoming apparent that it will be an exciting year, albeit a very busy year for the Executive MBA Council.
Already this first quarter we have seen the implementation for the 2008 conference in Chicago, set for Oct. 26-29, begin to unfold. Needless to say this conference is shaping up to be a stellar experience for all participants. In addition to working on the details for the 2008 conference, we also have been gearing up for the Marketing and Admissions Program, scheduled for March 30-April 2 in Atlanta Georgia. I will attend this program personally for the first time and very much look forward to experiencing an event that has played to rave reviews since its start in 2002.
The season for regional meetings also has begun. I attended my first regional meeting, which was hosted by Berkeley in sunny, and yes it was sunny, California. The well-attended meeting attracted approximately 40 people from more than 20 schools. The information sharing and collegial culture that is a council hallmark was alive and well at the USA/Canada Western Regional Meeting. My goal is to be at as many regional meetings as possible this year, and I would encourage you to come to the meeting in your region as well. It would be a pleasure for our paths to cross.
Finally I wanted to close by making you aware of some new council initiatives that will be “hitting the streets” in the next several months.
First, the council will launch a member’s only discussion board. This discussion board will allow members to share thoughts, insights, and raise questions in a forum that will facilitate dialog across time zones and geographic constraints. Our members have shared with us that they value the ability to further stimulate ongoing dialog with other members. Secondly, stay tuned for information about a pilot webinar that we will run in late April. This pilot will be small but it will serve as the potential launching pad for a series of webinars to help bring learning opportunities to our members in a short, convenient format to augment our current face-to-face professional development offerings.
As always, if you have questions, ideas, or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Looking forward to seeing you soon!
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Board Member Profile
Lyn Hoffman
Lyn Hoffman’s experience in the international arena began early in her career as a conference reporter with the International Air Transport Association in Geneva, Switzerland.
Hoffman spent more than half of the year traveling around the world, “staying in the most exciting cities for up to two months at a time, and observing some very smart and tough senior airline executives negotiating at the highest level on fares, routes, and conditions,” she says. “I think I understood ‘global’ even at that early stage in my career.”
Now associate dean, Sloan Fellowship and Executive MBA Programs, and associate dean, Global Partners, at the London Business School, Hoffman found those cultural immersions good preparation for her next steps.
As she studied for her master’s degree in English literature from the University of Melbourne in Australia, Hoffman tackled projects in marketing, sexual harassment, affirmative action, and human resources policies and discovered a new direction. “This was my first taste of education as a career rather than education.”
After completing her program, she accepted a position as enrollment officer at an Australian college and then become director of the MBA Program at Wolsey Hall Oxford. She subsequently joined the University of Bristol, which at the time had just launched an MBA in international business with partner Ecole des Ponts et Chaussees in Paris. She also earned her second master’s degree in education from the University of Bristol.
Some 12 years ago, the London Business School recruited Hoffman to direct its Sloan Fellowship Program. Now in addition to the Sloan Fellowship and all Executive MBA Programs, she is responsible for designing and implementing a strategy to build international alliances and partnerships.
Hoffman finds her exposure to Executive MBA students inspiring. “They are amazing,” she says. “They have committed to a rigorous period of study while at the same time performing well in a challenging career and also balancing the needs of family and friends. I admire them greatly. I also understand them because I did one of my degrees while I was working and know what it’s like to juggle a number of different and conflicting balls.”
Her connection to Executive MBA education led her to the Executive MBA Council. She first became involved with the council when she assumed responsibility for the Executive MBA Programs at the London Business School. It was a rewarding introduction.
“I was excited by the people I met, by the conversations I had and the sharing of experiences and knowledge,” says Hoffman.
Hoffman was elected to the council board three years ago and in that short time has seen the organization undergo much change.
“My term ends this October, but I am very excited by the future and will very much miss working with my fellow trustees and, indeed, our new Executive Director Michael Desiderio,” she says. “Together they are an extraordinary group of people, and the council is in terrific hands.”
Hoffman also shared some personal information with EMBA News:
My hobbies include: “There are a number of favorite things I do outside of work. We have a small house in Provence, France, and go there at every opportunity for long weekends. I also love art, so art galleries are my stamping ground, and when you see me curled up with a good book, you know I am at my most relaxed.”
My favorite city is: “Probably Paris, but London and New York are up there as well.”
I’m most proud of: “I have been married to my Australian husband Paul for almost 30 years; he and my marriage are the best things in my life.”
I’m reading: Saving the World by Julia Alvarez.
I’m passionate about: “France, art, and literature. I also have selective but strong political views; I marched for three hours against the war in Iraq in London, which is the first time I’ve participated in a political march in decades.”
You may not know that: “I started my doctorate in education before I joined London Business School – until I gradually realized that, sadly, the two were incompatible in terms of time.”
When I think about the Executive MBA Council, I think: “The Executive MBA Council is the most collegiate and supportive professional organization that I have been associated with.”
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Corporate Member Profile
CareerBeam
In the 1990s, Colleen Sabatino noted a growing trend at business schools. Increasingly, students in Executive MBA Programs, savvy business leaders with years of experience, wanted guidance in navigating the next steps of their career.
Sabatino turned that observation and her passion for counseling executives into CareerBeam. “We started the company in 1998 as a career management consulting firm to work with experienced professionals,” says Sabatino.
The timing was right, as Executive MBA Programs in the last decade responded to student interest by enhancing their career coaching and career service offerings. The number of students who paid for their Executive MBA education rose, helping drive more attention to career issues.
As a council corporate member, CareerBeam helps fill the career development gap for many Executive MBA Programs by offering an online career management package, as well as one-on-one coaching. The company also works with corporate clients.
“We can meet the need by providing a virtual career services platform or offer a higher level of service with personal career coaching,” says Sabatino.
Sabatino expects demand for career management services to remain strong among students in Executive MBA Programs and business leaders, who recognize its value in helping achieve their career goals. “This is a trend that will continue to grow.”
The broad term ‘career services’ can encompass many aspects, including professional development, career management, and job searches. “With professional development, the question becomes how do you make sure that you are prepared to advance in your career,” she says.
Career management looks at the means of reaching expectations, whether the expectation involves a promotion within an organization or a move to a new type of position. “It is very much focused on what you can do now to move you to where you want to be in the future.”
When CareerBeam coaches work with Executive MBA Programs, they describe the career management component of the Executive MBA Program at orientation. They also contact each student for a consultation to talk more about their goals and ways to reach those goals. Students can continue to work with one-on-one coaching throughout their program.
Online the CareerBeam virtual career services center guides Executive MBA students through all aspects of career planning. At their own pace, they can start with self-guided assessments and move to clarifying goals and developing and executing strategies. They can take advantage of numerous tools and resources along the way. Schools can integrate and brand the CareerBeam portal.
Sabatino learned about the Executive MBA Council through a member program and was eager to join. “It has been such a phenomenal fit for us,” she says. “It is a great group. We have more fun at the Executive MBA Council Conference than any other conference. I like this group of people.”
CareerBeam continues to grow with a cadre of counselors throughout the world. “We have a very strong track record,” says Sabatino. “We have 100 percent retention, and we had a 900 percent growth rate last year.”
A nationally certified career counselor and author of career development books, Sabatino has spent her career helping others advance in their careers. She served as assistant director of career services at Rice University and as a career counselor at Vanderbilt University, as well as president of Advanced Career Development Incorporated and director of Career Services for Jewish Family Services.
Along the way, she discovered a kinship with business leaders. “I really enjoy working with individuals who were more experienced in their careers,” she says. She continues to enjoy helping them reach their goals. “It’s simply rewarding to see the impact of what we do on the lives of students.”
For information about CareerBeam, contact Sabatino at colleen@careerbeam.com or visit www.careerbeam.com.
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