Undergrad Business School at Cornell Soon?

<p>Is it plausible for Cornell to create an undergrad business school soon? I think students will be excited to have an undergrad business school.</p>

<p>I guess if some rich guy will donate millions of dollars..</p>

<p>I will!!!! Please do not found an undergrad business school until 15 years later (when I have $$$$) I'll donate all to Cornell ^^. LOL</p>

<p>no thanks...if you want a generic business degree go to a state university kthx...</p>

<p>I talked to someone on the CALS adcom and they told me the AEM department will not be splitting from CALS to create its own school anytime soon :-)</p>

<p>thank God.</p>

<p>"keep Cornell different" should be the new motto.</p>

<p>I'm of the opinion that Cornell shouldn't have an undergraduate business program either. But, rest assured, it's coming. </p>

<p>Expect AEM to be 'named' by a wealthy doner sometime in the next two years. And it is already functioning as an independent fiefdom within the Ag school, so it's just a matter of time before it starts directly reporting to the provost.</p>

<p>I think we have high rankings partly b/c it is so unique. So keep it unique for now as it grows in strength and credibility and only break off when it is extremely strong and stable. But ya when the AEM school breaks off it'll definitely improve Cornell's stats/image/future networking potential...altho it will take away a unique part of it (altho if I were an AEM major I would hate being in CALS lol).</p>

<p>It's a good thing that Cornell is unique in it's own way and doesn't facilitate and undergrad business school, but what's so wrong with having one?</p>

<p>It perpetuates a culture of pre-professionalism on campus that can lead to a lack of attention on academics and a true education.</p>

<p>If Cornell is to go for one, they need to keep it small. And they need to figure out ways to keep ILR, PAN, and Hotel Management distinct.</p>

<p>I hope the CEO of "Summer's Eve" makes a massive donation.</p>

<p>
[quote]
I hope the CEO of "Summer's Eve" makes a massive donation.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>wow! gomestar?! u been keeping fresh lately?! XD</p>

<p>
[quote]
It perpetuates a culture of pre-professionalism on campus that can lead to a lack of attention on academics and a true education.</p>

<p>If Cornell is to go for one, they need to keep it small. And they need to figure out ways to keep ILR, PAN, and Hotel Management distinct.

[/quote]

Sorry, I don't really follow..why would it lead to a lack of attention on academics and a true education?</p>

<p>Cayuga,</p>

<p>You mention the pre-professionalism, and while you have a point, I would much rather spend an elective studying medieval history than the required 2 couse bio sequence. When it splits, it will hurt the ag finance guys but will be better for everyone else that can say i did my undergrad a <em>johnson</em> like the wharton kids do. And lets be honest, thats where everyone studying in AEM wants to be.</p>

<p>on another note, when this does happen, what do all the aem majors in cals write on their resumes assuming they got a degree that may no longer exist?</p>

<p>Titanboxer -- </p>

<p>You have a good point as well. And the required bio courses for all CALS students represent a massive waste of teaching resources at Cornell.</p>

<p>Not certain whether or not the Johnson name would be applied to the undergrad school. It would make sense, though, for the new school to share more resources with the Johnson school. And the Johnson's parking lot seems ripe for a new building.</p>

<p>It's going to be interesting to see how it all develops. Ag has a pretty good thing going with AEM, but keeping AEM within Ag compromises programs across the rest of the university. So Ag might be willing to relinquish control of the undergraduate business school, but only if it keeps a small department in food and farm management, as well as agricultural and resource economics. </p>

<p>I have quite a few thoughts on the matter, but I'm in absolutely no position to influence Cornell's path.</p>

<p>Again, I'm actually in favor of Cornell not having an undergraduate business program altogether. But if is to have one, it might as well work with the rest of the University.</p>

<p>Getting undergraduate business out of CALS would be the best thing that could happen to the school and AEM. Right now, the school is basically made up of three types of students: wannabe i-bankers, pre-meds, and actual Ag students. And the ag group is slowly getting smaller as the other two take over. Dean Henry doesn't seem to mind because business is where all the money is and wealthy doctors have money to donate but farmers don't. She's a molecular biologist, not a aggie. </p>

<p>The undergraduate and graduate population in AEM are like two different departments. Every undergrad has their eyes on Wall street whereas the graduate students are still true to their agricultural economics roots. The faculty also have their opinions on the AEM undergrads. The department could easily be the best undergraduate education in agricultural economics, environmental and resource economics, and other applied economic areas, but business is sucking the life out of it. There are so few undergrads in these programs that its a wonder why they still have the option for them. </p>

<p>What titanboxer syas is ture, everyone in CALS, including the AEM kids, want to be in the Johnson. The only people stopping it are the administration, they want the money, and (parents of) the new york kids, who want the tuition discount. I'd be interested in what the Johnson school's opinion is. </p>

<p>And I agree with Cayuga Red that the Johnson Parking lot is ready for a new building. I'd even give up Wee Stinky Glen.</p>

<p>EnviroGuy -- </p>

<p>I agree with most of your analysis. I'm assuming that you are lumping in all of the environmental science/biometry/natural resources/nutritional science/food science/science of earth systems in with the group of 'actual Ag students'? And I would actually argue that a fair number of Ag biology majors are interested in research and field work. The Communication program is just a complete odd-ball.</p>

<p>Where things get a bit interesting is that the Johnson is 'endowed' Cornell, whereas AEM is 'contract' college. So it might be politically difficult to merge the two. Ideally, I think AEM, the Johnson School, and the Hotel School should all start to report to the same budget unit at Cornell. Way too much redundancy is occurring.</p>

<p>I do agree that the Ag school should keep a program in resource and agricultural economics for interested undergrads. </p>

<p>But I wouldn't give up Wee Stinky Glen. If you read the Master Plan, it seems like the whole plan revolves around Week Stinky Glen. The fact that it still survives on campus is reason enough to keep it around.</p>

<p>Has anyone actually heard anything concrete about Cornell actually doing this, or is this all speculation? I highly doubt this is going to happen any time soon because this would take a lot of effort and all of Cornell's colleges are so decentralized. IMO, because of this decentralization, I just don't see anybody taking the initiative to make this happen.</p>

<p>At the very least, expect AEM to become 'named' by 2010. A lot of the initiatives behind the capital campaign haven't been formally announced yet simply because funding hasn't been shored up yet.</p>

<p>Some of the undergrad business organization leaders (think business clubs) have begun talking to administration about a cohesive undergrad business program, but there are a lot of factors going against it. </p>

<p>As long as the Hotel school is the top hospitality school in the world, they are not going to give up their exclusivity (ie: increase the size of their program), or strong hospitality focus to join an overall undergrad business program that would have hotel as just a concentration. Especially since so many proud hotellies are big time donors, and would likely be up in arms. </p>

<p>The AEM program has climbed in the rankings to #4, and considering that it has become one of the top undergrad business programs while still in CALS, there isn't a ton of incentive to move it out. The number of applications are increasing exponentially regardless of what school it is in. Also, AEM is adding new concentrations, including the addition of a full accounting program (an initiative funded mostly by Ernst & Young, a big 4 auditor). They are also in the process of finalizing plans to renevate Warren Hall as the AEM building, which will being in the next few years.</p>