Students are drawn to the Fairfield University MBA program by its accreditation by AACSB - The International Association for Management Education and the first-rate educational facility where they meet.

But what they really appreciate on a day-to-day basis is the actual classroom experience. "What really sets the Fairfield MBA apart is that the faculty routinely invite business leaders into our classes, says Joanna Serkowski, who is an international implementation Manager with GE Supply.

Dean Walter Ryba introduced Frank Williamson, the CFO/VP of Finance, Strategic Planning, at Colgate Palmolive to his 'International Law' class to discuss legal challenges related to that industry and how to get into international markets. Such immediate access to the business world and its challenges creates a dynamic business environment for students.

The faculty are part of that dynamic process - not only are they experts in the theories and concepts of their disciplines, but they also have an average of 10 years of business experience in their fields.

Most recently, Dr. Carl Scheraga, associate professor of business strategy and technology management, invited Jacob "Jack" Goldman in to speak to his students in the "Global Competitive Strategies" class. Mr. Goldman is about to publish a book about his experience as the Xerox chief scientist who encouraged Xerox to invest tens of millions of dollars in a think tank that produced technological innovations that Xerox never capitalized on.

Mr. Goldman urged the students to be innovative and not fear risk or change. To illustrate his point, he displayed a list of companies, like Atari and Wang, that once were leaders in the information revolution, but failed because they didn't adapt to change.

Other executive guest lecturers have included Charles Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, Terrence Murray, president of Fleet Bank, Ruth Brophy, CFO of Harris Publishing, Leif Edvinsson, vice president with Skandia in Sweden, and Robert Ollweather, director of finance with Merrill Lynch.

Fairfield University students also have the option of international study and internships. MBA students may apply to study at universities in England, Germany, Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands or Russia. In addition, Fairfield has initiated a joint MBA program with other Jesuit business schools at China's premiere university in Beijing, China.

For additional information on the MBA program, please call (203) 254-4180.

Posted On: 04-15-2000 09:04 AM

Volume: 32 Number: 214