As part of orientation, incoming Class of 2008 students participated in the first sessions offered through the School’s new Program on Social Intelligence, an experiential learning series designed to enhance students’ abilities to lead individuals, teams and organizations throughout their careers. The School welcomed more than 500 new full-time MBA students last week. The class has an international profile: close to half of the students were born outside of the United States, representing over 50 countries. More than 70 percent speak two or more languages; nearly half speak Spanish, and close to a third speak French. The average student has five years of postgraduate work experience.
The new students completed three orientation sessions last week that included negotiation and goal-setting improvisations as preparation for forming study teams. The sessions were led by Daniel Ames, the Sanford C. Bernstein Associate Professor of Leadership and Ethics; Professor Michael Morris of the Management Division; and Craig Fox, a visiting professor from UCLA. Aspects of PSI were derived, in part, from the success of previous, similar efforts in the Executive MBA Programs. The PSI orientation programs will be followed by core management courses such as Creating Effective Organizations and Leadership throughout the academic year. The program is headed by Morris, and its faculty includes experts in psychology, motivation, decision making, teamwork and social networks.