Home > Update > December 2006

From the Dean

Fall is always busy on campus, but this year was extraordinary. More than a dozen events—including program reunions, board meetings and executive summits—enriched our educational experience. Taken together, these events drew more than 1,000 alumni and friends back to campus to advance our mission in a variety of ways.

Alumni involvement is, by necessity, the lifeblood of
a private school. And so it will be for us in the years ahead.

One of the most exciting events was the first ever UW CEO Summit to celebrate the great legacy of executive leadership our university enjoys. Special thanks are due to our alumnus, John Morgridge, who conceived of and helped plan the event. The CEO Summit was a first-step by the university to build a productive network for the many executive leaders we have produced. In the process, we hope that this network can help us perpetuate our legacy of leadership. As the university that produces the most executive leaders in the nation, it only makes sense that we deliver a leading program in corporate governance. Our Directors’ Summit™ was attended by more than 100 board members from around the country. One of our own board members, Lowell Robinson, played a central role in designing the program and many alumni participated as panelists and attendees.

Three of our established specialized programs held major reunions/conferences for their alumni this fall. The Applied Security Analysis Program (ASAP) hosted more than 150 top money managers from around the world. Two program graduates were honored with our Distinguished Business Alumnus award —Paul Leff and Phill Gross. More than 400 alumni convened for the biennial reunion of our Real Estate program. A major focus of the reunion was a fundraising effort to name the Real Estate Center after James Graaskamp. We expect to reach that goal by year-end. The A.C. Nielsen Center for Marketing Research held a Marketing Research Summit that drew almost 150 professionals to campus, most of them alumni of the program, to share cutting-edge knowledge.

There were numerous meetings of our school and center advisory boards. These boards help us develop and shape our programs, mentor our students and create opportunities for our graduates. They have become an important part of the fabric of our school and a fundamental reason for progress we are making in our MBA program.

Together, these events represent a critical ingredient common to world-class business schools: The most accomplished alumni of the school gather regularly on campus to lead discussion on important issues facing business and society, contribute ideas for programs and make a difference in the lives of students. We hope to use this recipe for success to even greater effect in the future.

When I moved here from a private business school over four years ago, I was convinced that the more than 34,000 alumni of our institution represented the greatest potential asset for advancing our mission. Alumni involvement is, by necessity, the lifeblood of a private school. And so it will be for us in the years ahead. My sincere thanks to all our alumni, advisory board members, faculty, staff and other friends who help us deliver a better experience for our students. We value your partnership and hope to build on our already strong foundation of alumni involvement.

Michael Knetter
Dean