WHAT IF WE RAN THE MBA PROGRAM LIKE THE REAL WORLD?

I was wondering the other day, what if we ran our MBA program according to how some events played out in the real world?

For example, you might recall that the Iowa Supreme Court recently considered the question of whether an employee who has not engaged in flirtatious conduct may be lawfully terminated from employment simply because the boss views the employee as an ‘irresistible’ attraction. The Iowa Supreme Court ruled yes. On that basis, wouldn’t we need an Irresistible Attraction Committee at the College of Business to decide which MBA students should be dismissed from the program?

You’ve no doubt seen the stories about online retailers varying prices based on a customer’s location. Customer #1 wants a Swingline stapler so she goes to the Staples.com website and sees that it’s listed for $15.79. Just a few miles away, customer #2 looks for the exact same item and it’s priced at $14.29. Most individuals are completely unaware that many websites take several factors into account before giving you their price, including: 1) your specific location; and 2) your distance from a rival brick-and-mortar store. So, for example, if you were within 20 miles of an Office Depot or OfficeMax, Staples.com would show you a discounted price. So, I guess our way of emulating that would be the next time you went online to register for an MBA class, your price would be a function of not only your physical location but also your proximity to another college/university offering a competitive MBA program.

There is a simple provision in the new fiscal cliff tax law that passed in January that reinstates the marriage penalty and essentially translates into higher tax rates for high income married couples than single individuals making the same amount of income. Some very happily married couples are getting a “Tax Divorce”. To simulate this same effect, we’d make textbook prices in the bookstore higher for married MBA students than for single MBA students.

Lastly, South Carolina offers a $50-per-couple tax credit for premarital counseling. A couple can claim an extra fifty dollars by completing a six-hour premarital course taught by "an active member of the clergy in the course of his or her service as clergy, or his or her designee who is trained and skilled." As long as that couple obtains a certificate of completion and a state marriage license in that tax year, the tax credit is theirs. Business faculty would offer a 6-hour pre-MBA counseling class and students could get a $50 reduction in their overall tuition by attending it.

I’m trying to decide which of the above would be the most popular….

POLITICS AND BAKED POTATOES: APPLYING TO THE MBA PROGRAM

We had an MBA social the other evening and one of the conversation topics was the amount of preparation required just to apply to our MBA program. One student remarked, “I thought it was just an extension of my undergraduate work – you know, fill out a quick application on Friday, enroll in a few classes on Monday, buy some books on Tuesday and after a few semesters of this, get awarded the MBA degree. Was I ever wrong!”

I had a professor who liked to always say, “The further you go in education, the more political it becomes.” At the time he was preaching this, I was an undergraduate student and had no idea what he was talking about. I was precisely like the student above – about as political as a baked potato. But I learned rather quickly that any graduate program typically has a precise set of rules, procedures, and required documents that must be submitted to be considered for admittance. I thought it might be useful to briefly review the process of applying to our MBA program and the rationale behind certain requirements.

STEP 1 is to complete and submit an online application at www.applytexas.org.

                Purpose: This essentially initiates the application process for you.

STEP 2 is to submit the following documents:

(1)    official transcript(s) from the Institution(s) where you earned your Bachelor’s degree and any Advanced degree(s) [if applicable]. These transcripts must be received directly from the degree granting institution(s);

(2)    official GMAT score report; and

(3)    official TOEFL score report if you graduated from a foreign university.

to:

UHD Office of Admissions-Graduate Admissions

One Main Street

Suite 325

Houston, TX  77002

STEP 3 is to submit three documents in .pdf file format to gradadmissions@uhd.edu.

(1)    Current resume reflecting a minimum of three (3) years of post-baccalaureate professional work experience.

Rationale: This experience requirement is important for several reasons. First, it turns out that the most important attribute to students in MBA programs is not the professors, not the perceived quality of the school, not the curriculum, but rather the quality of the students in the program. One of the key components of student quality is (you’ll never guess) – business experience. Second (and this goes along with the first reason), the MBA is an applied degree, i.e., while there is a theoretical foundation, maximum benefit accrues to someone with an experience base (i.e., management experience). And lastly, for those who think that the argument “No other MBA programs have experience requirements,” holds water, I would challenge you to find any quality MBA program without an experience requirement;

(2)    Two (2) letters of recommendation from professional (not academic) references.

Rationale: This is to further substantiate the “experience” factor;

(3)    Personal statement of 250 words or less about why you are pursuing an MBA degree (This is optional but recommended).

Rationale: To get a brief feel for your writing style as well as some insight into your motivational make-up.

When all of the above items have been received by UHD, your file moves from the Application Process to the Admission Consideration Process.  Your completed file is forwarded to the MBA Admissions Committee for full review and determination of eligibility. Decision regarding admission follows.

When my wife was proofreading this blog for me, she asked in her mock serious tone whether now that I was a Dean, did that mean I was a baked potato with sour cream, butter, bacon bits, and chives?

Some questions don’t even merit a response….