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Volunteers Crack Case, Consider School's Future
I knew there had to be a hitch when HBS invited its alumni volunteers — fund agents, reunion organizers, and my fellow Class Notes correspondents — back to campus in early November for two days of free food and learning. Sure enough, when I opened my registration packet for this year's HBS Volunteer Conference, there it was, staring me in the face: a case.
Led by Professor Howard Stevenson, the Saturday morning session was to be a discussion on "HBS: At the Crossroads?" This wasn't some lightweight two-page case, either. It totaled fifteen pages, plus nine exhibits — many with numbers! I could feel the flashback chills begin.
On the surface, volunteer conferences at HBS seem pretty enjoyable. They provide a chance for those of us who contribute our time in one way or another to catch up on the latest developments at the School. In keeping with that goal, Friday's events featured presentations that focused on the School's past, present, and future. Associate Professor Nancy Koehn's talk touched on highlights of HBS history, from 1908 to the present. Dean Kim B. Clark outlined current initiatives and priorities, and Assistant Dean and Chief Planning Officer Angela Crispi's presentation focused on current construction projects and plans for the future of the campus.
By the end of the afternoon, we volunteers — nearly one hundred altogether, spanning classes from 1935 to 2000 — felt well informed. At dinner, Professor Stevenson did his best to make us also feel thoroughly appreciated. "Incoming students are very important, because one day they will become alumni," said Stevenson, the School's senior associate dean and director of External Relations. Flattering, if one could shake the feeling that he was simultaneously scanning the audience to pick out his opening cold call for the next morning's case discussion.
Jarred back to anxiety, that night I assumed the classic posture — highlighter in hand, scrutinizing the case as if my life depended upon it. Early Saturday morning, the familiar debate began — thankfully without a cold call — but with an unfamiliar slant: HBS itself. Should the School set up international centers or develop in-country partners and sublicense its brand? Do we invest in the physical plant or go virtual campus? Can we be both Rolls Royce and VW? Can we segment the alumni? Wait a minute — that's us!
In the end, no matter how much we learned about changes at the School, the discussion in Aldrich 111 reminded us that some things remain the same: "That's an interesting point; I would push it further...."
The classic chip shot. Some of us still haven't lost our touch.
— Laura Singleton
Laura Singleton (MBA '88) is a Class Notes section correspondent and a frequent contributor to the Bulletin.
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