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| Case Western Reserve University Weatherhead School of Management |
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1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics Graduates' Comments: I am proud to be a part of a program that enhances, not just fosters, my sense of diversity awareness and appreciation in both social and business forums. Our student population reaches almost 50% international students, representing approximately 46 different countries. As the business world becomes more global, an international approach is inevitable. There is no place more appropriate for enhancing this awareness than at the Weatherhead School of Management. --Sr. Consultant There are some visible weaknesses in leadership at WSOM since teamwork is always the rule. Moreover, as an international student, I felt that the career center was just slightly interested in helping foreign students even though we are about 30% of the total student body. --Unemployed In the year 2000, the school plans to move to its new location which is currently being constructed. Hopefully, the new Information Technology and presentation facilities will be upgraded. Weatherhead highly considers multination integration and orientation. The diversified students' extractions contribute to better understanding the importance of business globalization and enriched class discussions. Most of the courses integrated hands-on experiences and projects with theoretical models and academic materials. --Associate I think that this school has made great efforts in broadening their internationalization. This is especially admirable since WSOM is located in Ohio, quite traditionally closed to outside or foreign influence. WSOM has really carved out a niche in its entrepreneurial offering, especially with the Kuffman Foundation Scholarship and its links to the driving forces behind Cleveland's growing attractiveness to small-business startups. WSOM needs to improve two things to really be an excellent school a) the career center b) its computer lab. --No job track given Weatherhead is an excellent "regional" school. Anyone staying in Cleveland will benefit from the contacts here. --Senior Consultant Weatherhead exceeded my hopes and expectations about MBA school in that it not only provided the analytical tools critical to managing tomorrow's workforce, but also provided extensive opportunities outside the classroom for personal growth. Whether it was a social event for local charities, or the creation of an international fest, which celebrated the backgrounds of all our global students, the staff, faculty and administration truly supported and encouraged the students' development as leaders...leaders who have the tools, both quantitative and qualitative, that think about the entire organization and the people and families that are the most important part of it. We were enabled to grow as ethical and global citizens capable of meeting the challenges we face in whatever careers we choose. --Consultant I am very pleased with my education from the Weatherhead School of Management. Not only did I develop skills in and knowledge in the areas of finance, marketing and operations, resulting in a well rounded education, I also developed skills in many of the softer areas such as leadership, working in diverse teams, and communication, which are extremely important in the business world. --No job track given I also found the school to be extremely supportive of student life and activities, and the administration encouraged students to become active in extracurricular activities both on and off campus. By being able to pursue more than just academics, I feel I have gained many skills that will make me successful as a manager in the future. I also found that the students at Weatherhead were extremely supportive of one another. I often learned as much from my classmates, who were from all over the world, as I did from the faculty. --Human Resources Management Program Manager In every respect, the full-time MBA program at Case is inhibited by its students, who lack curiosity, aggressiveness, intelligence, and taste. The elective program in the second year forces full-time students (there are only a few) into night classes with part-time students, who bring very different interests and lower levels of committment to the classroom. Interestingly, nearly all the student leaders in the 1998 class were in the nonprofit management program, one of the few programs of distinction at the school, mostly becuase there simply aren't a lot of them (or there weren't when we started). The program's signature course, Management Assesment and Development can be a useful experience for people willing to give it a chance, but few do. --Non-profit One of the most fulfilling experiences during my MBA was my involvement with Students for Responsible Business (SRB). I served with the Weatherhead chapter. This opportunity really helped me develop my leadership skills. The leadership training I received both from the Weatherhead School and from SRB national contributed to my growth as a leader. One of the unique aspects of Weatherhead is it's Office of Student Life and Multicultural Activities. This office is really the students main link for making things happen on campus. The office staff not only knows how to get things done all over CWRU, but they serve as one link to the Dean, which has proved to be helpful to me on several occasions. This office is one of the reasons students at a small school like Weatherhead can accomplish all that they do in the area of student activities. --Non-profit The innovative curriculum and additional classes to assist in careers and future planning were invaluable. Activities outside the classroom supplement high-quality teaching skills. --Unemployed Weatherhead also made sense economically. The low cost of living in Cleveland has helped me to keep my student debt down. My starting salary is comparable to that of students who went to more expensive schools in more expensive cities. I was also able to find a great summer internship and part-time job, both of which helped me to land my current position. I feel that the Career Management Center has done a good job of attracting quality companies to recruit at our school. --Consulting It was a tough decision, but I chose Weatherhead because of its excellent academic reputation, and for its innovative program combining rigorous individual assessment with the development of a learning plan. Like many of my peers, I wasn't clearly focused where I wanted to be at the end of my graduation. The learning plan forced me to answer tough questions about my strengths and weaknesses in order to create personal and professional goals which guided my development. Even now, I continue to review my learning plan to see how I am measuring up. --No job track given When I thought about attending B-school in Cleveland, the "mistake by the lake" came to mind. Cleveland Heights offered Julians, the Winking Lizard, and The Record Revolution. The Warehouse district had the Spy Bar, Liquid Cafe, and the Humidor. Not to mention... the Flats! --Consulting The Weatherhead program is unique to the pool of management education opportunities available. It is therefore hard to capture the essence of the program using the standard template. I believe that candidates who are interested in a rich experience that emphasizes human value and international diversity should consider Weatherhead. We have been criticized for being low in competitive spirit, but this does not mean our students lack drive or ambition. We simply believe there is a better way to get there. That is why community service is a big part of the official program and can be integrated into the curriculum. The program truly demonstrates that shareholder value is fleeting when decisions are made contrary to the greater environment where both resources and customers are found. The school is a hub in the Cleveland community and this also enhances the experience. --No job track given The major weaknesses are in the area of facilities (technology) and career placement. The facilities problem is being solved by the building that will begin construction next year. --No job track given Though the director is enthusiastic about enhancing the recruitment position of the school by backdoor access to the top employers (actually every year more companies are "discovering" us and the well-rounded candidates we produce), the situation will only improve if employers spend less time assuming the top ten schools are the only pool. The alternative of Weatherhead tailoring itself to the generic rankings criteria in order win a few notches would be unacceptable to the students. So...we pick the great experience and a comprehensive and innovative learning environment over the easier job search. --Consulting The use of teams was excessive. Every class had a team even when one would not be applicable. --Finance In the year 2000 the school will move into its new building which is currently under construction. Hopefully, the new information technology facilities (computer labs) and the presentation tools will be improved. The diversed extractions and backgrounds contribute to better understanding of the new business arena, but, on the other hand, lower the average GMAT score since foreign students get, on average, lower scores. Most of the courses integrate hands-on experience with theoretical models development. This helps in understanding both the models and their implementations. --Finance Weatherhead is an excellent school and has made significant efforts to improve the quality of business education it provides. What hurts it is the limited recognition of the "Weatherhead" name, which can be attributed to its smaller graduating class size. Initially, I was concerned with the quality of the incoming class, compared to my expectations. But, through the elective courses, I came to know some very intelligent individuals from the part-time courses and the executive MBA courses. That has made it a great learning experience for me. Weatherhead also has some very talented and dedicated faculty members. I would also like to recognize the school's efforts in finding me a mentor in the first semester. The mentor program has been a great success for me. It was a "perfect match" and helped me tremendously in the process of learning about the IT industry and career development. --Information Technology Things like registration and career management are handled in a confusing manner. They really need to iron these things out in order to make planning a course of study easier. Also, the full-time program needs to be separated more from the part-time program. The entire second year consists of night classes made up of 75% part-time students. This has the positive of allowing networking, but it breaks up the feeling of being a member of a business school class. However, there are many extracurricular groups begging for leadership and they provide an excellent training ground for learning to lead. --Information Technology As both a part-time (first year) and full-time (second year) student, I was able to see the two sides of the CWRU program. I enjoyed both. I met a lot of great people, and I learned a great deal about the business world through multiple perspectives. There are advantages to both programs -- part time allowed me to continue working and progressing towards a degree, while the full-time program allowed me to focus on my studies more thoroughly. I became friends with a lot of people I would never have met because of both programs. --Operations The placement office stinks! Case needs to recruit more companies outside of the Cleveland area to hire its students. Also, eliminate the evening courses in the second year. It makes no sense to have classes from 6-10:15 pm for the second years and morning classes for first years. The first-year "touchy-feely" classes need to be eliminated also for those students who have several years of work experience and are focused. Those classes are a waste of 3 credit hours! Make them electives instead! --Marketing At Weatherhead, its unique Managerial Assessment and Development course will allow students to find out who they really are, what should their future goals be, and how to implement strategies as well as action plans to achieve those goals. The elements of this course superbly teach students to be visionary leaders, a crucial characteristic for successful managers in today's globalization era. --Marketing Back to Top 1999 Profile Update School Profile School Statistics |
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