Mission statement
Our MBA is an expensive proposition. We invest time, money, and emotional energy. We have left behind jobs, travelled away from home, and even relocated spouses and children. And for what? We did it not just for a degree or a job, but for relationships, learning, and fun. For these reasons, the four of us believe that the time has come for the WGA to invest in Wharton. Ladies and gentlemen of the classes of 2009 and 2010, “let’s go long”.
How do we go long? We propose four key investments:
1. Closer Community – Social Capital
2. Better Learning – Intellectual Capital
3. Target Big Things – Financial Capital
4. Improve Little Things – Physical Capital
1. Closer Community – Social Capital
We believe in relationships – they matter! We plan to start an Alumni Mentor Program so that current students can benefit from the experience of previous graduates. We have spoken to many alumni, all of whom irrespective of their age or geographic location are keen to get involved. We want to enable MBAs to forge closer relationships. To do so we need congregation points, physical spaces where people can gather, talk, share ideas or simply hang out. Our team has been scouring the Penn campus for potential congregation points and has found that the ground floor of the “Class of 1920 Commons” is not being used. For those of you unfamiliar with the building, it neighbors Jon M. Huntsman Hall just over the Locust Walk Bridge. Up to 150-200 people can congregate there to eat, talk, watch TV or even play pool. We have spent the last week talking both to the Wharton administration as well as Penn administration about using the space. Support has been positive, and if you vote for us we will work to make it a reality for the Fall 2009 semester.
We also want to establish a greater emotional connection to the school by creating moments that live on in memory. When students are first admitted we want Wharton to send a Wharton t-shirt and cap along with their enrollment information. We plan to get everyone a special discounted membership for all Wharton students for Pottruck Gym and organize activities like Rock Climbing. We are also speaking with school administration about a future building near campus for MBA-only living as well as the possibility of a pub which operates five days a week instead of one. Finally, we plan to organize social events that are more inclusive so those with families and significant others can participate.
2. Better Learning – Intellectual Capital
We will stand steadfast and resolute on GND. For Wharton to retain its uniqueness, GND is critical. However, we do want more flexibility in the core curriculum so that students can tailor their courses to a greater degree. We will persuade the faculty to institutionalize mid-term feedback so that professors can calibrate their teaching according to the needs of their students. We will suggest more applied classes and push for a role for students in selecting faculty members. Finally, we have been in talks with other Penn schools, GAPSA, and the Director of the Graduate Student Center to increase inter-disciplinary interaction with other Penn graduate students through lunches, drinks, and other events. This would especially benefit entrepreneurs on the lookout for engineers and lawyers.
3. Target Big Things – Financial Capital
Two things matter most given the current economic climate. First, students should be able to take out loans to finance MBA. Many foreign students are currently fretting about next year’s loans, and the incoming class of 2011 will have similar worries. We will push Wharton to design a loan program which ensures that every student is able to get a loan. We will work with the school to forge relationships with non-US banks and launch an Alumni Donation Campaign to achieve our vision. Second, we aim to improve the job search process. We will work with MBACM to improve appointment scheduling, invite employers from different parts of the world and space out information sessions to serve the students better. We will reach out to alumni, not just through our Alumni Mentor Program but also through more organized outreach programs and regular events like coffee chats/cocktail hours with alumni in both Philadelphia and New York. We will work tirelessly to make the recruitment process better and will be open to any suggestion, initiative or idea that you might have.
4. Improve Little Things – Physical Capital
Little things matter whether it is the food we eat, the bulk packs we need or the toilet paper we use. We want to make our two years at Wharton as comfortable as possible and end nickel and diming. We will persuade the administration to deliver bulk packs to every student on an individual basis on the first day of class, saving them queuing. We have already suggested to the administration to employ more cleaning staff for toilets during peak class periods and improve the quality of toilet paper. We will also focus on food. Au Bon Pain is overpriced and of inadequate quality. As their contract soon expires, we will strive to have two food vendors in the same building so that competition improves quality and price. As stated earlier, we are already trying to set up a separate dining area and have talked to Aramark who runs Houston Hall and Marco Lentini, a Wharton Alum who runs Gia Pronto and is eager to help out.
We will improve reprographics, the bane of your existences. We will try to get them to accept credit/debit cards and be more efficient. We also need more desk/study space and will get the school to designate two classrooms for this purpose. We will try to reduce the number of emails bombing your inboxes. All clubs and committees will be encouraged to use Spike as much as possible in order to make our lives just a tiny bit easier. We will continue the current WGA’s initiative for greater transparency and will send you monthly updates. We will improve the website, put the constitution online, and start an online discussion forum so that you can give us constant feedback or ideas and tell us both what we are doing right and what we are not.
The WGA is about you - so tell us what issues matter to you and what more we should consider doing. We aim to serve you, be your voice, and make your Wharton experience interesting, enriching and fun.
So ladies and gentlemen of the classes of 2009 and 2010, we say again, let’s go long!
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