Issue link: http://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/57875
From the Editors Will Work for Experience When I was in journalism school, I participated in an unpaid internship program called "Teaching Newspaper." During my junior year, I was sent to the Journal and Courier, a small newspaper in Lafayette, Indiana, where I earned a quarter's worth of credits toward my BSJ. I wrote features for the lifestyles section of the paper, interviewing everyone from local citizens to visiting rock stars. All of my articles appeared in the paper alongside the work of the paid staff. When I wrote a humorous column about Groundhog's Day, it made the front page. (Slow news day, I guess.) I participated in the Teaching Newspaper program during a period when I was having some doubts about whether journalism was some- thing I wanted to pursue. But after I returned from Lafayette, I knew: This was the career for me. Any time students get a chance to do meaningful work in the field for which they're studying, they will be better equipped to enter that field—and to know in advance that it's the right one for them. But experiential learning isn't really possible without the collaboration of the corporations and organizations that will be hiring graduates. That's why it's so essential that business schools build relationships with cor- porate partners who will mentor students, provide them with intern- ship experiences, and offer them jobs when they earn their degrees. Deans know that, in today's business climate, they have to work harder than ever to strengthen the bonds between academia and industry. In this issue's article "Advise and Connect," we look at how three schools are developing those ties through their innovative use of advisory boards. Such relationships between business schools and corporations are enriching education and better preparing students for the working world. In fact, most educators believe that a deepening emphasis on expe- riential learning is one of the reasons today's business schools are so good. How good? Don't miss "Critical Mass" by Paul Danos and "The Best Business Educa- tion Ever" by R. Glenn Hubbard, two prominent deans who forcefully outline the merits of 21st-century business education. Much has been written in recent years about whether or not management edu- cation is staying relevant. But business schools that work hard to develop corpo- rate connections are ensuring that they're providing the most relevant, up-to-date education possible. When students get a chance to work in real business environ- ments, they sharpen their skills and develop their professional networks. When top executives participate in business educa- tion, they help prepare the next generation of business leaders to step confidently from the classroom to the boardroom. Even an intern at the Journal and Courier would recognize that as a powerful story. ■ z 6 BizEd SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2007 BILL BASCOM ZEFA/JUPITER IMAGES