What’s New at U. Michigan Ross School of Business
Not even the Polar Vortex can hamper student and applicant excitement about the innovations happening at Michigan Ross School of Business.This week, Ross MBA students fan out across the globe for a transformative experience in action-based learning.
For the next seven weeks, participants tackle real-world business challenges through the Michigan Ross MAP program, a hallmark of the school’s MBA degree and one of the most extensive and intensive hands-on learning programs of its kind.
Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the Ross School, says this real-world experience gives MBA students a head start in both the job market and their careers.
The MAP program connects 450 first-year students working on 89 projects with 81 different companies and organizations regionally, nationally, and in 24 different countries. This year’s projects include developing market entry strategies in Central America and the Caribbean; developing digital banking services in India; and launching a new pharmaceutical product in Europe.
“MAP stretches and challenges students,” adds Valerie Suslow, senior associate dean for MBA programs at Michigan Ross. “It provides them with a potent learning experience which incorporates diverse group dynamics, cultural awareness, and self-leadership – all while staying on task to provide actionable recommendations for companies and organizations.”
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In February, the Ross School opened the call for submissions for the first annual Positive Business Project, a contest that aims to identify, profile and showcase exceptional business leaders that make a positive difference in their work.
Submissions for the contest are in the form of an original two-to-three minute amateur video highlighting positive business practices in the workplace. The video can focus on an individual or the company as a whole, and multiple individuals from the same company can submit entries.
“Business can be an extraordinary vehicle for positive change in today’s dynamic global economy,” says Wally Hopp, senior associate dean for faculty and research at Ross. “The Positive Business Project will shine a spotlight on some of the very best examples of this and inspire others to bring similar strategies to bear in their own organizations.”
The project is part of the first annual Positive Business Conference, taking place May 15-17, 2014 on the Ross School campus in Ann Arbor, Mich. Finalists will be showcased at the event, where a grand prize winner will be named.
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Finally, the University of Michigan regents met last month to consider a $135 million plan for the business school. The project would include a new academic building and major renovations to the Ross School of Business library.
Business school namesake and alumnus Stephen M. Ross made a $200 million donation to the university in September, a part of which was earmarked for business school facilities upgrades.
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