Mastering the Plan

CURRY LAUNCHES MBA PROGRAM

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

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."