Though an institution with a longstanding tradition and continued base in the liberal arts, Curry College has seen enrollments soar with increasing numbers of students majoring in management and other professional fields. Today's undergraduate management program is one of the most popular majors at the College.
In recent years, alum after Curry alum inquired about the potential to continue their management education at the graduate level at their alma mater. Local business leaders echoed their desire. College officials took notice, envisioning an MBA program distinct from any other in the area.
That vision is now reality. At its December 7, 2004 meeting, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education officially approved Curry College's 'Articles of Amendment' after an extensive application and review process, which permits Curry to offer the Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree.
The approval and launch of the MBA program marks another significant achievement of a strategic plan goal, as Curry adds a third graduate level program to its offerings. Graduate programs already in place are the long-standing M. Ed. and the more recent Master of Arts in Criminal Justice.
Academic Vice President and Dean of Faculty David Fedo couldn't be more pleased.
"The faculty and administration know that we can offer an MBA program that is unique," says Fedo, who believes the teachings of founder Samuel Silas Curry continue to impact the culture, and success, of the College today."
Dr. Curry said 'Dare to dream, but be not an idle dreamer. Dare to do what you dream.' That's what we do. We carry on the Curry tradition through initiative s and programs that will raise the College to the next level of excellence in education, in keeping with our mission, and taking action to make that happen.
"The launch of the MBA program - particularly at the culmination of the College's 125th anniversary celebration - truly evidences the legacy of Samuel Silas Curry in action today."
The Management Department and the Division of Continuing and Graduate Studies collaborated to conceive and craft the program curriculum which focuses on four key themes: leadership and ethics, strategic planning, decision-making, and problem solving.
"We surveyed hundreds of people, conducted numerous focus groups and engaged in a great deal of re search in the program development," reports Judith Stoessel, Dean of Continuing Education and Graduate Studies. "We're confident we have something different to say about a d vanced management education in today's marketplace."
The Curry College MBA Program utilizes a cohort group learning format, meaning that students in the program begin as a group and take all the same classes together start to finish. This format replicates the business environment, where teamwork is so important .
Cohort group learning has proven to be very effective for adult learners because it creates a community of professionals who can study together, provide support , and offer networking opportunities. A distinct feature of the Curry cohort model, however, is that the experience will be integrated among program faculty too.
"We are asking the faculty to engage and operate as a team, modeling the behavior for our students," explains Dean Stoessel. "We expect our faculty to communicate about their courses and case studies to one another, and
that the case studies will carry from course to course across the curriculum. The faculty will serve as a teaching team, contributing to the big picture experience, not just their own class."
Dean Stoessel says the cohort model also works well with the accelerated schedule providing a built-in support group for students who help each other get through the program successfully in a concentrated period of time.
The Curry MBA has established working partnerships with local businesses and industry leaders, whom Dean Stoessel believes will provide a competitive edge to the program and a greater level of business insight to students. Partner companies will provide case study material and will have the opportunity to engage cohort groups as consulting teams on their current business issues.
"Today's business environment is complex and rapidly changing," stresses Dean Stoessel. "Employers want people who not only understand management trends and issues but who also possess a broad base of skills in order to effectively communicate and build teams."
Those who lead Curry's partner companies say that mastering 'soft' skills bring solid rewards when it comes to achieving success in the real-world.
Management Advisory Council member Jan A. Miller, President and CEO of Wainwright Bank and Trust Company in Boston affirms that he looks for these attributes in his company's employees.
"Today's financial services manager needs more than just technical competence; an understanding of the big picture and a vision for the future is essential," states Miller. "The Curry MBA program will prepare graduates to function effectively as part of a team in order to fulfill these objectives and thus deliver real value."
Paul J. Taylor, Senior Vice President of Organizational Development at South Shore Hospital agrees.
"From my work in the health care industry, I know that we place tremendous value on employees who are multiskilled and who can
adapt to a rapidly changing environment," says Taylor. "Curry College's MBA program will give students the right combination of strategy and theory, hands-on practice and decision making tools, and teamwork and communication skills."
Michael P. Reardon, Vice President of Reardon Associates in Dedham, MA, one of the area's most established professional placement firms, shared his experience working with candidates and noted the difference that soft skills make in a hiring decision."
In my work at our executive recruitment firm, I interact with clients who have great engineering and IT technical skills but sometimes lack the big picture and communication skills to be successful in today's business arena. Curry's MBA program, with its focus on teamwork and strategy, will be a great endeavor for professionals who want to thrive in today's complex business environment."
The Greater Boston business market should benefit from the new program, according to Steve Grossman, President of Mass Envelope Plus in Somerville, MA.
"I believe that Curry's MBA program will have a meaningful impact on the community because of its focus on innovative, hands-on, common sense solutions to business problems," says Grossman.
The MBA credential and its accompanying skills certainly have application within a wide range of industries and should appeal to a diverse pool of program candidates.
Applicants to the Curry MBA program must have two or more years experience in a business setting, so that each student will bring something
to the table in their cohort group through their practical experience and perspective.
Some candidates will aspire to obtain a managerial position. Some candidates may already have a title of manager or director but are playing catch up. They are savvy business people who may have advanced in their career without the credential, but now need that and more to go higher in their organization. Others may be solo entrepreneurs who are n ow ready to expand and hire employees, or heads of established small to mid-sized companies who have achieved success but are now ready to step up and take their business to the next level.
The Curry MBA will be offered at all three campus locations, beginning in Fall 2005 in Milton and Spring 2006 in Plymouth and Worcester.
Reports of the program launch on the Curry website and in the February 2005 edition of @CURRY, the new alumni email newsletter, has already led to a great response by alums either interested in enrolling or willing to help spread the word as an alumni recruiter.
Curry alums, like David Hemenway '81, President of Integrated Media Networks, Inc. in New York, NY are thrilled about the news. Hemenway, a successful entrepreneur, is confident the program will benefit its graduates.
"As someone who has developed several communications businesses since graduating from Curry, I know that Curry's MBA program, with its emphasis on good communication and leadership skills and intent to foster sharp decisionmaking and problem solving capabilities will be a real winner."