The Unique Governance Challenges of Graduate Contract-Cohort Programs

Abstract

One of the most significant trends that will affect management education in the 21st century is the relationships that will develop between universities and organizations in the area of employee education. Organizations recognize the importance of graduate management education. One model is for a number of employees to obtain their graduate degrees from various programs of differing quality at universities across the country. A recent and growing trend is for organizations to seek the benefits that come from a group of their employees sharing the same high-quality, graduate-level leadership and management experience. The purpose of this article is to point out challenges in this form of university-corporate partnership both for future research and for other universities that may enter into this type of relationship. These partnerships seem to be increasing, and our experience has been that they represent an excellent way for management education to be conducted.We have found the challenges, however, to be unique and novel compared with any other educational delivery mode.

Keywords: Governance, Challenges, Graduate Contract, Cohort Programs