In a recent letter to alumni, Dean Thomas Roberston of the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania spotlighted a wide-ranging list of triumphs and new initiatives the school has launched or celebrated in the past year. From enrolling a record-breaking percentage of women in the MBA class to marking the 10th anniversary of Wharton’s satellite campus in San Francisco, Robertson’s laundry list of achievements suggest that the school has enjoyed a very eventful year.
“Through our focus on innovation, global presence and social impact, the Wharton School commits every day to the belief that business can and must be a force for good, creating new wealth and economic opportunity for all,” Robertson wrote as means of introduction.
In the area of innovation, Wharton this year launched Wharton Digital Press, a new all-digital business publishing initiative designed to help disseminate business knowledge to an even greater global audience. The school also hosted the 2011 Wipro-Knowledge@Wharton Innovation Tournament, based on the book Innovation Tournaments by Professors Ulrich and Christian Terwiesch, which Robertson called an outstanding success.
In an effort to expand its global presence, Wharton faculty members this past year developed eight intensive Global Modular Courses delivered in relevant locations around the world. The school is also busy preparing for the 2012 Global Alumni Forums in Milan and Jakarta and working on new Wharton-Penn ventures in China and India, Robertson shared.
And to demonstrate Wharton’s continued commitment to social impact, Robertson called attention to the Wharton-Netter Center Community Partnership, the Nonprofit Board Leadership Program and the new Lipman Family Prize among a range of other programs and internships geared toward giving students an opportunity to tackle local and global social challenges. “For the MBA Class of 2013, the Wharton in Action initiative plays a particularly inspiring role by linking incoming students with concentrated community engagement and social impact projects at local organizations,” he continued.
Robertson also noted the school’s impressive enrollment and career statistics. Of this year’s MBA class, 36 percent are international, representing 73 countries. And a record-breaking 45 percent of the MBA class is female. Meanwhile, the MBA class of 2011 showed impressive gains in terms of job placement upon graduation. As of the end of September, 96 percent of students from the most recent graduating class had job offers, compared to 86 percent at the same time in 2010 and 79 percent in 2009. “If you are interested in hiring our students, I hope you will consider using Wharton talent and our recruitment resources for MBAs as well as undergraduates,” Robertson appealed to alumni.
Finally, the dean noted the celebration of Wharton|San Francisco’s 10th anniversary in June, which will be marked by the December 2011 move to a new home in the Hills Plaza Building on the Embarcadero. “This dynamic new space reflects our ongoing commitment to sustaining our strong brand and enhancing Wharton’s presence on the West Coast for our Executive MBA program and our non-degree executive education portfolio,” Robertson wrote.
Read the full article: U Penn’s Wharton School Dean Shares School Milestones, Updates