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New Collaborative MBA gets underway at Bluffton A new Collaborative MBA program, offered by Bluffton (Ohio) University, Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Va., and Goshen (Ind.) College, got underway with a week of residency at Bluffton in late summer. Thirteen Bluffton University business professor George Lehman (right) addresses members of the first cohort adult students in the new Collaborative MBA program that teams Bluffton with Eastern Mennonite University and from as far Goshen College. away as Iowa, Washington, D.C., and Ontario participated in an Faculty from Bluffton, EMU and Gos- said Bluffton business professor George Lehman. orientation to the program, interhen will each teach three of the nine Initial comments were positive. acted with professors through video courses via videoconference. Stu“I think I’ll have more courage to conferencing, and took a class on dents will take the remaining three speak about my values,” said Free“Leadership for the Common Good” courses, in their respective concenman Edwards of North Ridgeville, led by Bluffton business professor trations, from the institution where Ohio, who had considered other George Lehman. they are offered. Program concenMBA programs but thought this one The one-week residency was trations are leadership; health care seemed “the most ethical.” the beginning of a two-year journey. management; accounting and finanMarsha King, Goshen, Ind., saw Most of the program will now be cial management; leading nonprofits; the Collaborative MBA as “a bridge” taught via interactive videoconferconflict transformation; sustainabilbetween her Mennonite background encing. ity; intercultural leadership; and a and her corporate work in medical The curriculum is based on the self-designed concentration. device sales. She said the residency concept of “leadership for the comStudents came from diverse provided a community experience as mon good,” emphasizing six values backgrounds and ages (28-69). Mark a group with “connected values.” ◆ — spirituality, community, leading Leinbach, for example, is executive as service, justice, sustainability and director of SpringHaven Counseling global citizenship. Center, Dundee, Ohio. Doug Zehr is Students will jointly take nine a Foosland, Illinois, farmer who will of the 12 courses in the program. soon start a job with Orrville, Ohiobased Venture Products Inc. Dominique Burgunder-Johnson directs Comments? online campaigns for the National Visit our new online home at Wildlife Federation in Washington, Would you like to comment on www.marketplacemagazine.org, D.C. anything in this magazine, or on any where you can download past The event was planned to alother matters relating to business issues, read articles and discuss and faith? Send your thoughts to low group members plenty of time topics with others, all from your wkroeker@meda.org outside class to “bounce significant desktop or mobile device. day-to-day issues off each other,” The Marketplace November December 2014
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