Monday, April 24, 2006
Dean Light = More strenuous academics
The announcement today that Jay Light will go from Acting Dean to the real thing was probably not a real surprise to people who have followed the situation closely, though I was caught a little off-guard. I guess with the situation with Summers at Harvard they wanted to get someone in here before Summers left so there wouldn't be the uncertainty and instability of two Dean searches at the same time.
Regardless, it is probably important to know that the official appointment of Dean Light is definitely a signal that HBS will be returning to it's academically rigorous roots in the coming years. The creation of Learning Teams and the return of grade disclosure already heralded more rigor in the program and this is just confirmation of the trend. According to classmates who had Dean Light as a professor last year, he was a big fan of the cold call and didn't tolerate students who were unprepared. I think that's great, as nothing kills class discussion faster than a low level of discipline and thus lack of preparation. However, as I outlined in my position on grade disclosure, this institution needs to make sure that the benefits of the HBS experience outside the classroom aren't diminished more than the experience inside the classroom is enhanced. It will be interesting to see how the administration accomplishes its goals without a return to the supposed cutthroat days of HBS.
Regardless, it is probably important to know that the official appointment of Dean Light is definitely a signal that HBS will be returning to it's academically rigorous roots in the coming years. The creation of Learning Teams and the return of grade disclosure already heralded more rigor in the program and this is just confirmation of the trend. According to classmates who had Dean Light as a professor last year, he was a big fan of the cold call and didn't tolerate students who were unprepared. I think that's great, as nothing kills class discussion faster than a low level of discipline and thus lack of preparation. However, as I outlined in my position on grade disclosure, this institution needs to make sure that the benefits of the HBS experience outside the classroom aren't diminished more than the experience inside the classroom is enhanced. It will be interesting to see how the administration accomplishes its goals without a return to the supposed cutthroat days of HBS.
