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Nor thwestern Universi ty, Evanston, I l l inois DIPAK JAIN Kel logg Graduate School of Management FOR DIPAK JAIN, THE NEW DEAN OF KELLOGG, two things set the school apart: an attitude and a curriculum. "We've always followed what I call the culture of change and innovation," he says, "so we are continuously evolving, depending on what the market needs are." To meet the demands of a changing marketplace, North western has added new majors in technology and commerce, biotech- nology, media management, analytical consulting, and analytical finance. Kellogg is also strengthening internation- al alliances by launching programs with Wharton, London Business School, and York University in Toronto. Jain acknowledges that none of these changes would be entirely possible without new technology. "Technology improves efficiency and restructures the course by enrich- ing content," Jain states. "While you're discussing a case, Dartmouth College, New Hampshire, dean Paul Danos notes that "every student has a state-of-the-art laptop and virtually every seat—in classrooms, in study rooms, in bedrooms, and even in lounges—is network-ready." Danos is not particularly worried about the potential nega- responsibility and control over his or her own learning process, while the teacher becomes a learning facilitator and a tutor." At Tuck School of Business Administration, tive aspects of too much reliance on technology. "Up to this point, technology has enhanced learning without hurting per- sonal interaction," he says. "Even at Tuck, where we have cut- ting-edge technology and a strong tradition of teamwork, tech- nology has given the many teams better ways to communicate and do rigorous analysis. Having said that, we firmly believe that there is no substitute for high-potential people working in close proximity, getting to know and appreciate each other in ways that cannot be replaced by computers." "WE'VE ALWAYS FOLLOWED WHAT I CALL THE CULTURE OF CHANGE AND INNOVATION, SO WE ARE CONTINUOUSLY EVOLVING, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE MARKET NEEDS ARE." you can get immediate access to the Internet to look at what the company is doing." He's not as comfortable with any form of e-learning that takes place entirely through electronic media. "I don't think e-learning is going to be a substitute for what you learn in the classroom," Jain says. "One very important part of the program is what you learn together, which is not possible when you sit at home alone and learn on your computer." He acknowledges that the coming decade will not be easy. "There will be more pressure on business schools from corporations to offer MBA-type programs in a shorter time period. Companies cannot afford to let people go for two years," he says. Meeting that demand will be the first challenge. The second, Jain asserts, "is to keep attracting the best students, and the third is to retain and attract new faculty members who will also want to do research." Even so, he surveys the future with a certain buoyancy. "It's going to be challenging, but it's also going to be interest- ing," he says. Any time you're presented with a challenge, he believes, "it makes you more innovative, because you think of more creative ideas about how to thrive and grow." 22 BizEd NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2001 Gearing Up for Change Even as deans and administrators tame technology to suit their needs, they're facing a future that will require them to be even more nimble. Change has already become part of their environ- ment, and it will reshape the landscape even more. Kellogg dean Dipak Jain notes a number of key changes that have already transformed business schools: the global focus, the impact of technology, the impact of entrepreneurship, the emphasis on teamwork, and the fact that more programs are designed "with the corporate world in mind." But one of the most striking changes, he believes, is that students themselves have become more demanding. "The change in the quality of students is one of great significance," he says. Partly because of these new, demanding students—and partly because the world of business itself is moving so rapidly that keeping up is almost impossible—many administrators expect the future of business schools to be one of sweeping change that per- meates down to the very structure of teaching. "We must be more flexible and responsive to changes and opportunities that are evolving," says Alutto of Ohio State University. "There are far too many rigidities built into the normal operating structure of the college to address needs of corporations, individuals, and technologies, particularly when one thinks of an environment characterized by shifting alliances and partnerships."