Innovation: Around The MBA RoundTable

The premiere issue of The NetWork celebrates to the tune of Innovation . We caught up with Mr. James Danko, Associate Dean at Tuck School of Business (Dartmouth College) and President of the MBA RoundTable. He tells us more about his role as an Innovator in the MBA world.

The NetWork: The MBAR sounds like a fascinating organization that is dedicated to American management education innovation. What compelled you to get involved?

Jim: The MBA Roundtable (MBAR) existed very informally during its early years in the mid ‘90s. At the time, a small group of business school faculty were the driving force behind MBAR. As someone who had been involved in major curricular innovations at the University of Michigan Business School in the early 1990s, I was asked to make presentations at various sessions that were held at academic conferences on the subject of curricular innovations. Shortly thereafter the Roundtable became a formal organization, and I became actively involved in it since I was very interested in advancing the cause of innovation and improvement to business school curricula.

The NetWork: As President of the MBAR and Associate Dean at Tuck, what is a typical day like for you?

Jim: I am really involved in a wide range of activities at Tuck so as a result, every day is different, which makes my job quite enjoyable. At Tuck, I am responsible for overseeing several of Tuck’s departments including Executive Education, MBA Admissions, Career Services, Fiscal Services, Information Technology, and Marketing. Tuck truly has an outstanding team of directors, so the day-to-day management of our departments is in good hands, but I typically get involved at the more strategic level and I work with directors on annual departmental and personal goals, and supporting Tuck’s overall strategy. The past couple years I have been particularly active in leading the development and implementation of a new strategy for Tuck’s new executive education strategy, and our expansion into the custom program market. On any given day, I am likely to be meeting with the dean and directors on various issues and strategic plans.

The NetWork: What changes to the curricular have actually been implemented since you’ve been President?

Jim: I can speak to what Tuck has been doing with respect to curricular innovations, since the faculty and administration are quite supportive of making changes to our MBA program to assure that it is relevant for today’s business issues. When I arrived at Tuck, the school was just about to implement a redesigned curriculum that included modifications to the core, the inclusion of electives in the first year, a re-sequencing of courses to support better integration, and introduction of the Tuck Leadership Forum -- a multi-faceted 2-course credit program that combined classroom learning, an intensive team project, and lectures by business leaders. During this current year, Tuck has implemented the Personal Leadership Development Initiative for our first-year MBA students. The Initiative provides an opportunity for students to assess their own leadership competencies through peer reviews, and then to develop and pursue their own leadership development plans.

The NetWork: What do you envision for MBAR’s future?

Jim: The MBA Roundtable will continue to stay focused, like no other business school industry organization, on facilitating the discussion and dissemination of information about curricular design and development among graduate management programs. We will continue to develop publications and data, while participating in conferences that support the ability of graduate business schools to assess the relevancy and impact of their programs, and allow them to introduce innovations and make improvements that enhance their curricula. Ultimately, this will positively impact MBA students and support the achievement of their learning and career goals.

The NetWork: We noticed you at Tuck’s Diversity Conference. You seemed pretty comfortable in the intense rays of multiculturalism that weekend. Why do you think some people are uncomfortable? How can we get people to genuinely embrace diversity in the MBA community?

Jim: It is hard to generalize why some people may be uncomfortable in such situations. No doubt there are some people who just do not appreciate the value that is achieved through multiculturalism, while others are probably so arrogant that they are unable to see beyond their own value, whether that has to do with race, education, or wealth. But the fact is we are all equal and each of us has something to contribute, with no one group graced with special status. Once you realize this, not only are you comfortable with multiculturalism, but you actually embrace and appreciate it. The Tuck Diversity Conference was a great event because it was attended by so many different and interesting people, most of whom were interested in advancing their own education and ability to make a difference. As for how we can get people to genuinely embrace diversity in the MBA community, it starts with business schools doing a good job in assessing applicants to our programs and in admitting students who already appreciate the value of diversity. Our schools can further support and advance diversity by assuring that diversity is an integral value within our programs.

The NetWork: So, you’re into baseball… particularly the Cleveland Indians. What do you think about the newcomer Scott Stewart from Montreal?

Jim: Well, it is going to take a lot more than Scott Stewart to turn the Indians around. After some very exciting years, the Indians have become just another ordinary (at best) team. With the exception of too few good years in the 90s, I have suffered with them for all my life, so I guess I will have to tolerate a more years of not winning. Too bad, because it was fun watching them win and fill seats at Jacobs field. No complaints, though, since some of my fondest memories have been taking my two daughters to Indians games, and reliving through their eyes the joy a child experiences watching their first major league baseball game.

The NetWork: Thanks for your time, Jim. We'll continue to anticipate the innovative improvements to American management education through MBAR.

For more information about the MBA Roundtable, please visit http://www.mbaroundtable.org/

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