Kelley's tagline these days is "One School. Endless Possibilities". Among those possibilities is the ability to pursue your MBA in either the full time residential program in Bloomington, the part-time evening program in Indianapolis or online through Kelley Direct.
While it is "one school" each of the three will, at times, put their own spin on the educational experience. One value of pursuing a degree in such an integrated school is that even though I'm a student in the Indianapolis program, I typically get the chance to participate in special events and opportunities offered in the others.
I had the good fortune to take part in the "IU Entrepreneurial Connection" put on The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and the Bloomington MBA's a few weeks ago. This event was to bring together Kelley students, alumni, and entrepreneurs across the state in a unique learning and networking experience.
The keynote speaker was Mr. Herb Kelleher, founder of Southwest Airlines and the Johnson Center's current IU Distinguished Entrepreneur-In-Residence. Mr. Kelleher, who apparently goes by "Herb", is certainly an impressive man who has done impressive work.
(Image courtesy of Indiana University)
He spoke of the keys to Southwest's success, like the importance of their corporate culture (the company President is also the "Chief Cultural Officer"), their dedication first and foremost to their employees (if employees are happy, they'll serve the customers well and shareholders will benefit), and the importance of hiring the right employee for the company (they hire people with the right attitude, skills can be taught).
It's tough to find a more successful entrepreneur than Mr. Kelleher and not every business school gets the benefit of his time and attention. Luckily, for all of us in Bloomington that day, Kelley is that school.
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