Tomorrow’s Business Schools

 

With the advent of new technology and infrastructure, times have changed. These changing times call for changing educational facilities and procedures. The days for big box educational infrastructure having carefully partitioned classrooms, hidden lounges, and enclosed hallways are over. 

The business education of today calls for teamwork and hands-on learning which requires educational institutions to build or modify their infrastructure. But amidst of all this the education providers should not forget the fact that in its entirety they must create an environment that suits its mission, expresses its personality and serves the needs of its students.

AACBE has identified a few important factors in the modern business schools infrastructure. These educational needs are in correlation with the social community. So to better inhabit and serve that world, modern business schools and AACBE accredited member institutes should be constructed with five important “C’s” in mind: collaboration, connectivity, comfort, convenience and most important, community.

Education in business schools is happening collectively as the world of internet and technologies has made us more interactive and collaborative society. AACBE suggests that the modern business school infrastructure calls for a user friendly space where team work and collaboration is focused upon. There should be open spaces such as executive suites and lounges breakout rooms, and places where groups of individuals can work together on projects to instil community and culture system. The business schools ideally should have collaborative work rooms, an auditorium, area for socializing and a cafeteria along with a wireless network throughout the school so to foster human interaction, recommends AACBE.

To create an ideal learning atmosphere, business schools can create a central courtyard or an atrium with open meeting areas and a vaulted, glass ceiling where people could talk, meet, or read; and study and exchange ideas. Since there would be students busy working or collaborating round the clock, this call the need for vending machines and kitchens.

To foster human interactivity, business schools can also offer more and more business programs by creating joint programs with other entities or integrating them with other entities courses. So there will be more faculty teaching outside the business school and more non- faculty teaching inside the school. This is where connectivity comes in and plays its role.

With the boom in business school education expected to continue, the changes in technology occurring at a rapid pace and business schools new emphasis on collaboration, AACBE believes that the online business schools design should be learning oriented and not teaching oriented. The modern business school should be designed for the needs of the present, but always with an eye on the future trends. It should be an embodiment of a new level of integration, representation of collective decision-making of students, faculty, staff, alumni and community and is connected.