The Future of DeGroote

The DeGroote School of Business is launching a new strategic planning process designed to assess our place in the current business school landscape and identify opportunities to grow. This project will begin with a robust scan of our environment and our internal data. It will also seek feedback from a broad spectrum of internal and external stakeholders. The insights derived from these processes will form the foundation of a new strategic plan that reflects DeGroote’s priorities and values. In addition to the strategic plan, we are also undertaking a review of the MBA program with a focus on improving the learning experience in the first year of the program. These projects will be widely consultative and in-depth in their approach, seeking feedback from all members of our DeGroote community.

Starting today, I invite everyone to provide comments on these projects in the links below.

Following an extensive RFQ process, DeGroote has engaged one of the leading post-secondary research and consulting firms in the country, The Strategic Counsel (TSC). We are pleased to leverage their expansive knowledge of Canadian post-secondary institutions, and in particular, their expertise with business schools including The Rotman School of Management, Ivey Business School, The Schulich School of Business, and The Ted Rogers School of Management. See below for more information about TSC.

The Strategic Planning Process

Our previous strategic plan spanned from 2015 to 2020, with a focus on Education with Purpose. While 2015 was only seven years ago, we can all agree much has changed since then.

The global pandemic has upended both business and education. We’ve witnessed tremendous shifts in healthcare management; the role of technology in business and society; social values and perspectives on equity, diversity and inclusion; and ethics in an increasingly polarized world, to name just a few.

What is the future of DeGroote? What is its role in preparing graduates for careers shaped by digital disruption, AI, health crises, wealth inequality, climate change, supply chain disruptions, and changing global dynamics? How can we best support our researchers in advancing the global knowledge base on these critical issues? How will we make the most of opportunities to collaborate with partners?

How can we make an even bigger impact on our communities, both at home and around the world?

The strategic planning process will learn from previous iterations and be truly consultative. It will include five major phases, the first of which has now begun. Insights gained from each phase will inform the next, with the final strategic plan reflecting the cumulative knowledge gained throughout this extensive process and staff, students, faculty, alumni, employers, administrators, and industry partners all engaged.

I look forward to working with all members of our community throughout this process. We expect the final report to be delivered this summer.

Provide your feedback on the Strategic Plan here.

The Future of the MBA Program

Our goal is to evolve the structure of the Full-time and Co-op MBA programs to maximize their effectiveness for students, faculty, and employers in the years to come.

To this end, we will examine best practices from other leaders in this field and seek input from faculty, staff, students, alumni, and employers. We will also hear from stakeholders who do not have direct connections with DeGroote but are engaged with MBA programs at competitor schools.

Like the process for strategic planning, the MBA review will include a large number of consultations which are currently underway.

Once the review is complete, a team of faculty representing all Areas and approved by Area Chairs will apply these extensive insights and data to the redesign of our MBA program.

Provide your feedback on the MBA Program Review here.

About The Strategic Counsel

The Strategic Counsel (TSC) are renowned not only for their post-secondary expertise, but also for their extensive work with Canadian business schools. They see business schools as a specific niche with uniqueness and nuances that are different from other faculties and are noted for their understanding of business school students, faculty, culture, and leadership.

TSC has helped business schools address areas such as:

• The development of a long-term strategic positioning strategy
• Understanding factors driving a decline in enrollment
• Optimization of program offerings for their part-time programs

Additionally, TSC has worked with DeGroote twice before, once in September 2017 examining students’ motivations for post-secondary choices and again in February 2017 to examine market demand for the new Blended Learning Part-time MBA program which was launched with great success in 2018.

We are embarking on a new era for DeGroote, one which will help us better understand how to  maximize the impact of our students, educators, researchers, programs, and partnerships.

I am delighted to launch these efforts today and hope you will all offer your thoughts and voices in the days to come.

Khaled Hassanein

Dean, DeGroote School of Business