New beginning of year activities

I am looking forward to the Welcome (Back) reception on September 13 at 4:30pm; there will be some kind of food, probably more like a lot than a little. This is the first time that this has ever been done, and we need to show that School that the BBAs can and will support such an event.

I'm currently working with two of the School's best faculty members to design a new and improved BBA Orientation. Tom started the process and I will be carrying it through to the finish line. I'm really excited about it and you will be too when you hear about it. I won't give you all the details yet (because I have no idea of what they will be) but I will say that it's going to contain a lot more activity-based programs and a lot less talking-head programs. More details to come later.

New Grading Curve passed

The new Grading Curve passed (by a wide margin). This will be implemented starting with this Fall's classes. The curve is set up in the following way:

Core Classes

• ≤ 40%: A-, A, A+
• ≤ 80%: B, B+, A-, A, A+
• ≥ 20%: B- or below

Electives

• ≤ 60% A-, A, A+
• ≤ 90% B, B+, A-, A, A+
• ≥ 10% B- or below

The faculty feels that the Core Grading Curve gives a little bit more guidance so that there will be more of a distribution of grades within courses. Further, it also offers a bit of encouragement to give more difficult assignments so that there will a wider distribution in scores on those assignments.

We have never had an Elective Grading Curve in the BBA Program. We looked at historical grades and about 80-90% of the classes already follow (or nearly so) this grade distribution. The faculty want to do two things with this curve: 1) Provide guidance for new faculty so that they know the norms of the School, and 2) Encourage faculty that aren't currently following this Curve to change their evaluation procedures so that they have some differentiation in their grading.

I'm very happy that these curves will be in place next year. There should be less anxiety about how grades will be allocated during the year. Anything that can reduce th anxiety level around here is a good thing.

I am named the new BBA Program Director

I am the new BBA Program Director. I am looking forward to working with faculty, staff, and students over the coming year, and to taking advantage of all of the positive energy that was raised (especially during the last month or so) in relation to the BBA Program revision.

I worked with Tom quite closely over the last couple months and tried to learn as much as I could of what he knows about and thinks about the Program. I hope I've learned enough to be successful. We'll soon find out!

Two pieces of big news:

1. The new Grading Curve passed the faculty vote (by a wide margin). This will be implemented starting with this Fall's classes. (More on this in a later post.)
2. The new 3/4 year BBA Program passed (by a wide margin). We (the faculty) have now shown that we are capable of change. This is a very good thing for the School.

On another note, I am looking forward to the Welcome (Back) reception on September 13 at 4:30pm. I am also working with two of the School's best faculty members to design a new and improved BBA Orientation.

Tom Jones says 'goodbye'

Tom Jones spent the last year as Executive-in-Residence in the role (which he created) of BBA Program Director. He has now retired from this job and is going on to bigger and better things after a summer spent 'Up North' (as we say here in Michigan). As the School's first BBA Program Director, Tom showed the School the value of having such a position.

I'm going to miss Tom a lot. He was a wonderful friend to the Michigan Business School in general and to undergrads in particular. Tom has been a great person to bounce ideas off of. He brought the corporate perspective to the School --- one that is generally missing from these parts. He had a sensibility about him that is so refreshing to someone (me) who generally deals with academics full time and had, honestly, forgotten what it was like to think about the world in that way.