The Monroe Street Journal

Issue date: 12/14/09 Section: News

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Being on the MSJ Board has its perks, one being the opportunity to sit down and interview Dean Dolan. While we selfishly wanted to select the questions for the interview, we realize that you, our readers, would be better served if the questions came directly from the greater student body. While some of you wanted to question the Dean's taste in carpets, we thought his time would be better spent addressing the most pressing issues here at Ross.

The interview opened with the most commonly asked question amongst students: How is Ross going to maintain its competitive advantage with its action-based learning and what is our high-level strategy going forward?

According to the Dean, our overarching plan has a few different components. While there was some recent debate surrounding whether or not we should abandon our action-based learning as the cornerstone of our brand and pick a "new horse," the faculty has chosen to "feed and care for the horse we've got." In other words, the school recognizes that we do action-based learning better than any of our competitors and it should prevail as our primary differentiating factor. Moving forward, Ross looks to grow this strategy by taking it abroad.
 
Ross has already successfully established hundreds of relationships with organizations throughout the world via MAP. In doing so it has created a barrier of entry of sorts for other competing MBA programs who aspire to replicate the success of our program. In addition, because MAP is required for all full-time MBAs, the Ross faculty rallies around its students more so than in other programs where action-based programs are merely an optional part of the business school experience. 
 
Beyond improving the value of action-based learning at Ross, the Dean is committed to achieving a stronger global footprint a la the strategic placement of offices throughout the world starting in India and then China. This maneuver helps accomplish a few things. First, having offices in Hyderabad, Mumbai or Bangalore, for example, will help Ross better source field-based projects for MAP. Second, these offices with local roots and community contacts will facilitate better placement of Ross students who desire to work in India upon graduation compared to our current efforts based in the United States. Third, international offices will expand the breadth of international electives currently being offered. And lastly, building offices in international locations will yield a significant increase in international applicants to the Ross program.

Continued...

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