TORONTO, December 10, 2000 -- The Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto is launching a new model of executive learning that is designed to develop Canada’s next generation of business leaders.

Called the “Foundations” program, this learning model is for executives and senior managers whose organizations seek a lasting competitive advantage in today’s globally-competitive economy.

The Rotman School is pioneering an innovative approach to executive learning so experienced business people can quickly:

• understand critical issues affecting their industries, and
• augment their own managerial skills.

The Foundations program is based on the work of Joseph D’Cruz, Professor of Strategic Management at the Rotman School. The model’s architecture is based on the learning platform of Rotman’s highly acclaimed Executive MBA (EMBA) curriculum.

The Foundations program separates the first academic year of the EMBA curriculum into “clusters” of courses that teach the fundamental skills of management and are tailored to the specific needs of an industry.

Each cluster can be considered a “building block” toward an MBA degree. Participants in a Foundations program can take only the first cluster, for which they receive a certificate. Subsequent clusters will also lead participants to a meaningful designation in their industry-specific management area. Successful Foundations participants who decide to further their education will be able to qualify to earn a Rotman MBA degree through the school’s EMBA program.

“Not all executives or managers want or need a formal MBA degree. Foundations gives them access to up-to-the-minute executive-level learning, targeted to their specific industry, without having to take special external testing, such as the GMAT, and without committing years to one academic program,” says Professor D’Cruz.

“From our years of providing executive-level programs across many industries, we know that senior business professionals learn in a different way than other types of students,” D’Cruz adds. “Executives bring their professional experience and knowledge to the classroom. They learn by interacting with peers who have faced similar issues. With our Foundations model, the Rotman School capitalizes on executive expertise in the classroom and provides a high-quality learning experience that is immediately applicable to the workplace.”

The Rotman School is applying this unique learning model to the new Aerospace Executive Management Program that begins February 2001. More than 20 experienced executives from 13 aerospace companies will participate in the inaugural, four-month program.

The Aerospace program was developed this year in partnership with the Ontario aerospace industry, working together through the Ontario Aerospace Council (OAC). The OAC is an active industry association of 100 member companies.

The Rotman School is now planning ways of applying its Foundations learning model to develop future leaders in other Canadian industries, such as pharmacy and other health care sectors.

Recently ranked by Business Week in the top tier of business schools in the world, the University of Toronto’s Rotman School offers leading-edge research and undergraduate and graduate degree programs, including the prestigious Rotman MBA, the newly redesigned Part-Time MBA, the Executive MBA, a first-rate Doctoral Program, the distinctive Master of Management & Professional Accounting program, combined programs with the University of Toronto faculties of Law, Engineering and Nursing, and an innovative series of Executive Programs tailored to the current needs of businesses and individual managers.

Ken McGuffin
Media Relations Officer
Rotman School of Management
Voice: (416) 946-3818
E-mail: mcguffin@rotman.utoronto.ca

John Mason
Marketing & Communications Officer
Rotman School of Management
Voice: (416) 978-1985
E-mail: mason@rotman.utoronto.ca

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