The Six Initiatives

I. Program Innovation

Johnson delivers strong, innovative program content and experiences that make our graduates highly sought after by recruiters across the globe. We will expand and build on Johnson's strong, innovative program content by:

  • Integrating our four MBA programs to capitalize on the strengths of each, to strengthen the collaborative environment among students, and to leverage study and research opportunities with other Cornell University colleges and schools
  • Adding concentrations in the second-year of the residential curriculum to enhance students' customization of their MBA educations
  • Adding intense leadership training throughout the MBA experience, to hone skills in communication, teamwork, and integrative and analytical thinking
  • Delivering enhanced programming to the Executive MBA programs, from residential programming, such as speakers

  • Launching an enhanced advising initiative to ensure that all Johnson students have comprehensive guidance regarding careers, curriculum and their personal goals, timed to maximize the value of their personal Johnson MBA

II. Global Education

We aim to educate students to excel in a complex global business environment and contribute to improvements in global business practices. Our global vision and model will be developed and executed through:

  • Hiring tenured faculty with experience in global business to enhance our capabilities in this area
  • Developing additional global business research and offering enhanced global programming and curriculum for our students

  • Establishing a global presence in Asia, Latin America and Europe

III. Thought Leadership

Innovative thought leadership enriches the practice of business and our students' educational experiences. We will insure that Johnson is viewed as a thought leader on important business topics by:

  • Further developing the resources that support faculty members in their research, including the maintenance of a strong PhD program
  • Enhancing our thought leadership communication to the broader business community
  • Maximizing the presence and visibility of existing centers and creating new centers to highlight research and conduct outreach to corporations

  • Recruiting the faculty of the future, including PhD-holding research and teaching faculty and seasoned practitioners who strengthen our immersions and other performance-learning activities.

IV. Alumni Engagement

We seek a lifelong partnership with alumni of Johnson. This enhances both the experience of our students and the value of Johnson degree. We will forge these relationships by:

  • Building a network and culture of mutual assistance, as exemplified in the new JPals and JCoaches initiatives, connecting admitted students, current students, and alumni

  • Developing a stronger alumni services program to include comprehensive career and placement assistance, lifelong learning opportunities, and improved networking opportunities

V. Deepen Connections to Business

It is important for the school to have deep connections with businesses on a multitude of levels. We seek connections with companies that help businesses find real solutions, and our students to forge careers with the best companies in the world. We will strengthen these relationships by:

  • Incorporating representatives of key corporations into advisory councils for centers, immersions, and ongoing initiatives

  • Developing an enhanced corporate relationship program that promotes and tracks all interactions with key companies, from performance-learning projects to classroom speaking, recruiting, and beyond

VI. Financial Support

Johnson depends on a mixture of revenue sources to sustain our operations, including annual giving and returns from our endowments. In order to ensure ongoing support to achieve the School's vision, we will increase our endowment and its proceeds by:

  • Securing endowment funding for programs that are outgrowths of this strategic plan, such as those related to curriculum, global business, and alumni services
  • Seeking financial support for new facilities in space adjacent to Sage Hall and in New York City
  • Securing new endowed chairs for faculty, including term chairs for assistant and associate professors, and chaired positions for practitioner faculty