Articles/Quotes/Press
Articles
The Times: "Purdue Cal MBA program targets executives."
Purdue Calumet Magazine: "Purdue Calumet Winter/Spring 2000"
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Publication date: 11/29/99
Purdue Cal MBA program targets executives.
DAN BARON
When Jerry Davis of Highland finishes his work week at US Steel at Gary Works, he unwinds -- for a few moments.
On Saturdays, he goes to Purdue University Calumet, where he's pursuing an MBA degree in an intensive 18-month program for executives.
Students at Purdue Calumet -- and Indiana University Northwest -- have long benefited from the convenience of taking classes at a regional campus. Now, the MBA for Executives program reaches those already working full-time.
"There's no more nine to five for many people in business," said Davis, 36, who works as a department manager of financial analysis at US Steel. "This was the best way -- and the best time -- for me to learn these skills."
The program, in its second year, was created in response to student requests for an MBA program that met the needs of full-time employees. Though a few MBA programs targeting this audience exist in the Chicago area, PUC saw a niche for a Saturday program in Northwest Indiana.
"Our students don't want to drive 45 minutes there and back to Northwestern or the University of Chicago," said Lori Feldman, director of the program.
Students in the program pay one fee for tuition, books and fees. "No one stands in line for books," Feldman said. Feldman said 80 percent of the students in the program have fees paid by their employers.
Typical MBA programs often take two or three years. The PUC program features six 10-week modules. In each module, students focus on two specific subjects each Saturday.
Recent trends in business suggest that problem-solving and working in teams will be key skills for the future. Students in the program get to know each other well through team projects and, in many cases, discussions about coursework between classes.
Classes also are taught in teams, often with two faculty members. Students are only admitted to the program in the fall. Feldman said between the first two classes, only one student among 62 dropped out of the program, and that was because of a job opportunity elsewhere.
A group of about 30 students works together throughout the program.
"We pretty much talk daily," Davis said. "We also tend to get together three or four times a week for study groups." Courses focus on statistics, finance, marketing, law and other topics.
Jeffery Keith of Schererville, 34, a vice president for Sterk's Super Foods, said an 18-month program might seem imposing at first, but he tries to break it down into manageable pieces.
"You win the war by winning the small battles," he said. "It's not until the end that you see the whole picture."
Davis said one advantage to the program is the wide range of business backgrounds of students. Participants have included MBA candidates who work for manufacturers, nonprofits, health care providers, public agencies and many others.
Feldman said she expects graduates of the program to earn more with their companies in a relatively short time. She also said 95 percent of all graduates from the school's existing MBA program stay in Northwest Indiana after they get their degree.
"We make certain sacrifices for this program," Davis said. "The yard may need mowing, or there may be a dinner function one night you can't make. But it really forces you to stretch more than you thought you could."
For more information, call Lori Feldman, director of the Purdue University Calumet MBA for Executives program, 219-989-2608.
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Cutline: Tracy Albano / The Times
Jeffery Keith, a vice president of Sterk's Super Foods, left, and Jerry Davis,
a department manager of financial analysis at US Steel, take Saturday classes
in the 18-month MBA for Executives program at Purdue University Calumet.
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Winter/Spring 2000
PURDUE CALUMET magazine
Pgs. 14-17
MBA for Executives
An accelerated MBA for executives
Intensive, 18-month Saturday program meets needs of busy, fast track business leaders
By MARY FOX
Mary Fox is a freelance writer and journalist.
Jeff Keith obviously has credentials: chief operating officer/chief financial officer of 3T, Inc., former vice president of Sterk’s Super Foods; owner of Sigma Management, a real-estate development and asset management company.
But titles, noteworthy experience and an impressive resume are not enough for him. He wants to be sure that he has the skills and knowledge to do the best job possible. A master's degree in business administration, he believes, is essential to him.
That degree is offered at many universities. The Master's in Business Administration for Executives (MBAE) program at Purdue University Calumet, though, was the one that best suited him. It had what he wanted and what worked best in his schedule -- Saturday classes, an 18-month program and the promise to study with other executives.
Keith enrolled in the inaugural MBAE class in September of 1998. He and his 29 classmates earned their MBA degree a few weeks ago in February.
Except for brief breaks between course modules, Keith and his MBA classmates met from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. each Saturday during that year and a half. Those Saturdays were days of bonding with classmates as well as learning from them.
"You're not only learning from the professors, but you're learning from each other," Keith explained.
No kicking back on these Saturdays
An important component of the program is its cohort aspect. Members of a class start and finish the MBA for Executives program together. Students begin in September and commit to rigorous demands that include class attendance each Saturday throughout the program.
The program consists of six 10-week modules, with two courses taught each module—one in the morning and one in the afternoon.
In each class the knowledge the students hold is as valued as the that of the instructor. Associate Professor of Management and Program Director Lori Feldman explained that what has been culled from the work world is as important as the lecturer's wisdom.
"Teaching this program is very, very different," she said. "We act more as facilitators than pure lecturers. The students have as much to bring to the table as we do. They're the ones who are out there every day. Their experience and perspectives add a great deal of value to the class."
Diverse class makeup
What is brought to a course is as varied as the professionals who make up the class. Feldman pointed out that the makeup of each class is diverse. Some students work in finance, others in marketing, human resources or accounting. They come from all sectors of sectors of the business community, manufacturing, retail and not-for-profit.
To achieve this balance, all applicants undergo a personal admission interview to assess possible group dynamics and the varied professional experiences that are likely to surface. Keith appreciated the perspectives offered in classes with people from varied parts of the community. "We all tend to be somewhat subjective,” he said. “It gives you a different view of areas outside your own expertise."
The mix in the classes also introduces people to individuals they might otherwise not encounter. Members of the retail industry, Keith said, normally would not have much of an opportunity to mingle with managers at steel companies. Also, they likely would have little chance to absorb an attorney's knowledge of business law, as occurred in his class.
Just as he wished, Keith was stimulated intellectually by people who had years of work experience behind them. Criteria for admission into the program includes a minimum of five years of professional experience.
Purdue Calumet Professor of Economics and Graduate Program Coordinator Paul McGrath said that in each class, different people will emerge as knowledgeable in a field and pull others along. The person who can relate daily experiences in marketing, for example, may need help when the operations management class comes along.
Relating class material to job
The way students relate class material to their jobs is invaluable in making the subject understandable, according to Randy Brown, Pepsi Cola Munster plant manager. "The concepts that were being taught always hit home with somebody," he said, adding that when an individual explained how the concept was used in the workplace, others could understand it better. "Anytime you can identify how a concept has relevance to life, it's closer to home."
Rick Talbert, who with Brown is in the second class of students going through the program, said explaining a topic to classmates has helped him better understand what he knows.
"When I have to stop and explain, it helps build my knowledge of what's intuitively clear to me and why," said Talbert, project leader and senior engineer at Allied Signal.
Professor and head of Purdue Calumet’s School of Management Shomir Sil calls the MBA for Executives program the culmination of two to three years of effort and a dream. "It was always my goal to make the MBAE program a flagship program for both the School of Management and the University," he said.
While planning the MBAE program, the Purdue Calumet staff considered the needs of northwest Indiana area people.
"Our traditional program just wasn't able to reach some people who wanted to do graduate work," McGrath said, noting that some individuals who could not spare their evenings to attend traditional MBA classes preferred the shorter time frame of a Saturday accelerated program.
‘...committed to our success’
The length of the program was one factor that attracted Brown. He had started an MBA program while in another state but had to drop out when his job called for a transfer. Others, he said, also would have to weigh job concerns with a longer program.
"I worry about committing to a three- to four-year program," he said. "You can see 18 months down the road easier."
Nelda Sheagley, also a member of the second MBAE class, said that the accelerated program will encourage her to complete it. She, too, had what she called "false starts" in other MBA programs only to have something come up that warranted her dropping out. With 10-hour workdays, she says she must make the most of the time she has to study. Still, she thinks she can fit an 18-month program into her life.
She noted that Purdue Calumet and its professors do all they can to help students with their work. "They're committed to our success," she said. She explained that students have not had to hunt down books or educational software. "Everything we need has been provided and brought to us."
Indeed, when one module ends, the books for the next module are distributed in the classroom. "We take care of all the administrative details, so students can focus on their studies," Program Director Feldman said.
Lunch is provided, as are snacks. Professors often eat with the students. If an area of study is not understood, it is often discussed while dining. Julia Singleton, a member of the inaugural class, said that she has been pleased with the professors' accessibility. She has been able to contact faculty by phone or e-mail when she is unable to meet with them in their office.
Singleton, a pharmaceutical sales representative with Pfizer, entered the MBAE program to increase her marketability. Her time at Purdue Cal, she said, has broadened her horizons. "I see how businesses are run and how I can help my company," she said.
Different strokes for different folks
The classes are comprised of people with varied reasons for enrolling in the program. For some, an MBA is needed for advancement. For others, it will enhance their functioning in the job they plan to continue doing.
Sheagley, controller at LaPorte-based Howmet Corp., says she is not gearing up for any vertical moves in her company. Earning an MBA, though, will benefit her employer, she contends.
"If I'm a member of the management staff, I want to have the knowledge base to be the best possible member of the management team that I can be," she said.
Entrepreneurs, such as Dr. Jonathon Javors, want to know more about how a company is best run. Javors, an orthopedic surgeon, started the American Health Care Partnership. He said the MBAE program already has paid dividends by enabling him to understand better how his company operates. The program’s marketing class, he said, "helped me understand why our management team is doing what they're doing."
A member of the second MBAE group, he began the program last fall. From his very first class, he said, he applied beneficial lessons to his business. He regularly makes presentations on the American Health Care Partnership, and he credits his business communication class with having enhanced those presentations.
"I feel better about it,” he said. “It's easier for me to organize my thought processes."
Improving performance levels
It is the intention of the program to improve performance levels. "We're not only giving them knowledge, but skills -- better research skills, better public speaking skills, and, very importantly, the ability to understand what other managers are doing in their organization," School of Management Head Sil said.
Before students reach the end of the program, they should have learned enough about their organization to identify a problem and work toward a solution. The master's degree project, Feldman said, is designed for students to apply their newfound knowledge to an identified problem, typically one in their company. Working one on one with a faculty member, they develop a plan to resolve a trouble spot.
A skill that is a constant in the program concerns teamwork, McGrath pointed out. The workplace is no longer an area for solo acts. "They're going to be working in groups in the private sector, so you might as well prepare yourself to work in a team," he said.
This means that homework is not typically done privately in a study. Students have study or work groups. Talbert said that his group's dynamics have helped him be successful with projects.
"I can go into the project with my own set of ideas and, especially in the area of marketing, the odds of my having the most correct answer may be minimal,” he said. “Whereas, if you throw a couple of other people in with me, the odds are higher."
Solving problems with the strong leaders in the group, according to Talbert, also is helping him strengthen his leadership abilities at work. "It helps develop a personal method of striking a balance of working with other people," he said.
Sheagley noted that the team concept works the way companies do. "It's more like the approach that you have in the real world,” she said. “When you're a member of a management staff trying to make decisions, there are people in the room from a variety of backgrounds, disciplines and experiences, and--in my company--from varied parts of the country."
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FLOATING QUOTES
‘You’re not only learning from the professors, but you’re learning from each other.’
Jeff Keith
‘We’re not only giving them knowledge, but skills—better research skills, better public speaking skills, and, very importantly, the ability to understand what other managers are doing in their organization.’
Shomir Sil, professor and head,
Purdue University Calumet’s
School of Management
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