Black MBA - Winter 2007/2008 - (Page 29) Today’s business world is fast-paced and changing rapidly. Denise Stewart looks at how historically Black colleges and universities are adjusting their programs to keep their students on top. I f you gain admission into the five-year MBA program at the Hampton University School of Business in Hampton, Va., get ready for golf. And while you are at it, prepare for a broad but focused curriculum that includes everything from engineering to accounting and from chess to martial arts. The Hampton program, one of the top in the country, is designed for students who are not only bright, but can also think through problems and opportunities and then take action, said Dean Sid Credle. Leaders at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) say they are currently attracting some of the brightest students in the country. For those who will enter the business world, the goal is to prepare these students for a constantly changing environment. “We give them the competencies they need to be successful,” said Credle, a former professional accountant who jokingly says he retired to academia. “They take five courses in engineering and six in accounting. They also take tennis and golf.” There’s a reason for having students take these country club sports – many of them will have careers that place them in this environment, Credle said. “We don’t want them at the club playing spades,” he said jokingly. Hampton launched its five-year MBA program in 2000 with 58 students. About 40 of these students completed the program and all graduated with jobs, Credle said. Today, about 1,200 students are enrolled in the program. Also, there are about 25 students in the two-year MBA program, he said. Like Hampton, the School of Business and Industry (SBI) at Florida A&M University (FAMU) also has a majority of its students enrolled in a five-year MBA program. Since it began in 1974, SBI has produced CEOs, entrepreneurs and other corporate leaders. To continue this legacy and stay current, Dean Lydia McKinley-Floyd said the program is broadening its instruction methods for a group she calls “the new millennial students.” “We have to reinvigorate, revise and do better,” she said. Lydia McKinley-Floyd ©Powell Photography Inc. BlackMBA • Winter 2007/2008 29 29
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