Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56537
Next-Generation Education by Tricia Bisoux already in the process of reinventing their approaches to busi- ness education. "We looked at the world around us and saw that it was demand- T ing different skills," says Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the University of Minnesota's Carlson School of Management in Minneapo- lis. "Our students were telling us, 'We can do more.'" Just what does "more" Business schools are reinventing their programs, going beyond 20th-century mindsets to teach 21st-century skill sets. mean to 21st-century busi- ness education? For the business schools profiled here, it means designing degree programs that are more flexible, integrated, and experiential. It means exposing undergraduates to business prac- tices earlier than ever. It means taking once-optional educational experiences—such as international study, consulting, and intern- ships—and making them mandatory for every student. And it means emphasizing a wider range of skills than 20th- century business programs ever addressed, including good judg- ment, personal awareness, and personal initiative. In the process, professors aren't just reinventing what they teach. They're chang- ing how they think—about teaching, about learning, and about what's essential for the business curriculum. 24 BizEd MAY/JUNE 2009 he current shift in the world's collective fortune has underscored the need for new approaches in the business classroom. However, long before a financial tsunami hit the global economy, many schools were