Kellogg Magazine  |  Fall/Winter 2015

 

 

THE ROAD TO 2020

THE ROAD TO 2020

FIVE YEARS INTO ITS TRANSFORMATION, KELLOGG HAS PROVED ONCE AGAIN THAT IT IS A PIONEER AMONG BUSINESS SCHOOLS.


KELLOGG HAS LONG BEEN A PIONEER OF BUSINESS EDUCATION. Its breakthrough research in marketing, game theory and negotiations; its teamwork approach to teaching; and its innovative degree portfolio have distinguished the school for decades. But as the business landscape changed — and as competition grew more intense — Kellogg saw that it needed to innovate once again.

Over the last five years, the school has done more than innovate — it has committed itself to transformation. Kellogg has embarked on a plan to invest in its faculty, expand and enrich its curriculum, strengthen its global presence and deepen its commitment to its unique brand and culture.

“Our goal in undertaking this work was to cement Kellogg’s legacy for the next generation and ensure our place on the 2020 global short list of premier business schools,” says Dean Sally Blount '92.

“The transformation has been incredibly fast,” says Tim Simonds, chief marketing and engagement officer. “You don’t often see this pace of change in higher education — or even in most corporations.”

Q & A WITH DEAN SALLY BLOUNT
And the effort is already paying off. Faculty research is robust, the quality of students continues to rise and the school’s global presence is stronger than ever. “In every major area the metrics are pointing in the right direction,” says Simonds.


Innovating TO MEET DEMAND


A key part of Kellogg’s transformation has been to once again innovate and enhance its portfolio of degree programs.

“All along, the focus has been on bringing the best and brightest to Kellogg and connecting them to the right programs,” says Betsy Ziegler, who was recently appointed Kellogg’s chief innovation officer after four years as associate dean overseeing MBA operations. “And we do that by listening to the market. We have always believed that business education is not one size fits all.”

To better address market demand, Kellogg has built on its strong foundation of flexible degree offerings. The One-Year MBA Program — first introduced in the 1960s — has expanded by 20 percent in just the last five years. Its three-year JD-MBA remains extremely popular. And its pioneering MMM Program now offers a dual degree in business and design innovation.

Kellogg has also launched a new MS in Management Studies program, which is designed to equip recent college graduates — especially liberal arts and science majors — with specialized management and business skills in less than one year.

Ziegler says the demand for business education (up 50 percent over the past 10 years) and the spread of online degree programs has pushed Kellogg to experiment more with blended learning formats and to share exciting course material through massive open online courses.

“For us, it’s not about online degrees,” she says. “It’s not about headcount or margin. It’s about using technology to further enhance face-to-face learning. After all, we built our reputation by enriching the student experience.”

7 year plan for transformation


  • 2010
    Sally Blount ’92 returns to Kellogg as Dean
  • 2011
    Kellogg unveils 7-Year Plan   New series of C-level programming debuts with Marketing Leadership Summit
  • 2012
    Strategic initiatives launch
  • 2013
    First Kellogg Brave Leader Series convenes with Irene Rosenfeld, CEO of Mondelēz International   Kellogg kicks off public phase of $350M capital campaign and breaks ground on Global Hub   Revamped MMM Program focuses on core business skills and design innovation
  • 2014
    Enrollment opens in MS in Management Studies Program   Executive MBA global network expands to include Guanghua School of Management   “Inspiring Growth” brand strategy launches   President Barack Obama speaks to Kellogg students
  • 2015
    Annual Fund sets record for fourth straight year with $6M in gifts   Campaign reaches $250M mark   American Academy of Arts and Sciences elects Tim Feddersen, who joins the ranks of Jan Eberly, Ehud Kalai and David Austen-Smith
             
    One-Year Program marks 50th anniversary, welcomes largest class   Dean Blount visits White house to discuss women in business   Global Hub reaches its final height


Read: Adding a second dimension »