<p>Students and Alumni Opinions on GEMBA Recruitment Suspension</p><p> </p><p>Dear Dean Ellis and Dean Zhou:</p><p> </p><p>Greetings!</p><p> </p><p>On behalf of all USC-Shanghai Jiaotong Global Executive MBA (hereinafter referred to as “GEMBA”) students and alumni, we would like to bring the following to your attention.</p><p> </p><p>At 13:52 Beijing time of November 23, 2016, students of GEMBA 12 and 13 have received an email forwarded by Mr. John Van Fleet (hereinafter referred to as the “11.23 email”). It was the very email sent by Vice Dean Suh-Pyng Ku to GEMBA faculty at 11:02 Beijing time of November 23, 2016. We believe you both are well aware of the content of the 11.23 email. We cite parts of the 11.23 email below:</p><p> </p><p>“Over the past several years, however, and despite our best efforts, enrollments have been disappointing. Looking ahead, we see increasing challenges in China and cannot envision a scenario where we are attracting a sufficient number of students to maintain a sustainable program.</p><p> </p><p>As a result, we want to make you aware that, after much deliberation, we are suspending recruiting for the next cohort of GEMBA and are in discussion with our partner to review strategic options, including unwinding our joint Global Executive MBA (GEMBA) program.”</p><p> </p><p>This 11.23 email, especially the above content of it, has raised serious concerns among us students and alumni, since the moment it hit our mailboxes.</p><p> </p><ol><li><strong>First of all, the procedure of this decision. </strong></li></ol><p> </p><p>The way that this most significant and important decision was communicated does not reflect the fact that GEMBA students and alumni are crucial stakeholders of the program. There was not even an email addressed to us students and alumni, not to mention any face to face communications. We learned later that most GEMBA staff in Shanghai and GEMBA professors in L.A. did not have any prior knowledge to this decision before this 11.23 email.</p><p> </p><p>We had very intense internal discussion among our students and alumni wechat groups. Putting aside the shock, anger, disappointment, sadness, bitterness and all other negative emotions that we felt from the bottom of our hearts, we decided to do two things: having an in-person meeting with Mr. Van Fleet and Professor Dai Fang, and writing this email to you and other leadership in L.A.</p><p> </p><p>The meeting was held on Nov 28 at Jiaotong University. We attach a memorandum of the meeting with this email. As experts and educators of this sophisticated business world, the leadership must have understood unequivocally how crucial and important face to face communication is.</p><p> </p><p>At this moment, we still do not know the answers to many very important questions, such as the details of the “<strong><em><u>much deliberation</u></em></strong>” mentioned in the 11.23 email, the timing of this sudden suspension decision, how the decision will be implemented, what the damages control measures are in order not to tarnish USC and Jiaotong branding, whether students and alumni will be part of the strategic review, etc. Therefore, we respectfully invite you and all leadership of GEMBA to visit Shanghai and have a face to face meeting with GEMBA students and Alumni regarding GEMBA recruitment suspension and its negative consequences, as soon as possible.</p><p> </p><ol start="2"><li><strong>Second of all, the decision itself and its negative consequences. </strong></li></ol><p> </p><p>We understand that GEMBA enrollment has been not exciting in recent years. We also understand that a strategic review will be conducted within 60 days starting from the date of the 11.23 email according to Mr. Van Fleet. We see the problem too and we support the idea of strategic review in a way that is not harmful to the reputation of GEMBA, USC, and Jiaotong, such as conducting the strategic reviewing without suspending recruitment. Unfortunately, suspension of GEMBA recruitment <strong><em><u>IS</u></em></strong> detrimental. We learned in our first module that GEMBA was a courageous and forward-looking effort by both Marshall and Antai 13 years ago. This innovative product has been through SARS, global financial crisis and all kinds of difficulties. GEMBA survived the hardship and thrived. As far as we know, both current students and alumni have or had very positive experiences with GEMBA. This sudden decision to suspend the program extremely and extensively damages all stakeholders’ reputation and interests.</p><p> </p><p>Among all stakeholders, GEMBA 13 students are the ones who are negatively affected by the suspension decision most. GEMBA 13 students are very concerned about the quality of the program for the rest of our sessions. We all had alternatives, such as CEIBS, Chang-Kong, Fudan-Washington, and other choices. But we chose GEMBA because we trust USC and Jiaotong’s reputation to deliver excellent and complete experiences of EMBA study and network. Now it is highly likely that there will not be a coming GEMBA 14 class next year. We will lose the opportunity to interact with them, which is an essential part of the curriculum. Professor Baizhu Chen’s words still are at our ears when during our last session in Shanghai he mentioned he may change our next May session to a later date according to Professor Joe Nunes’ schedule so that GEMBA 13 and GEMBA 14 can have classes together.</p><p> </p><p>In addition, we have 2 students in our GEMBA 13 class who have postponed 2 sessions due to business and personal reasons. Werelied on the faith that GEMBA is an ongoing program and can join GEMBA 14 or GEMBA 15 to complete their study, because as executives and senior managers we may all well encounter situations that demands us to postpone our study for a year or two. This suspension decision destroys the opportunity and forces us to face a potential dilemma either to miss a GEMBA session or to miss something important in our work or life.</p><p> </p><p>All GEMBA students and alumni will suffer from the suspension decision and the possibility of unwinding the program. As Professor Chen mentioned in our first module that we chose USC because we do not need to explain to others why you chose this school and its program. Now we have to explain to others why this program is suspended, or unwound. A decision to join GEMBA used to make us so proud, will become a wrong and unwise decision that needs to be explained.</p><p> </p><p>USC and Jiaotong’s reputation will be severely damaged by the decision too. It took GEMBA pioneers so many years and so much hard work to build up a great program. But it can only take an email or a simple decision to destroy it all. Suspension of GEMBA and the possible unwinding of it will be deemed as failure of USC-Jiaotong cooperation. Both partners have learned and supported one another over the last 13 years and have gone through the ups and downs. It is important for both sides to cherish the relationship which could be the real competitive advantage for both sides. We hope GEMBA leadership has thought this through and is ready provide answers to us.</p><p> </p><ol start="3"><li><strong> Last but not least, constructive advices.</strong></li></ol><p> </p><p>Based on the above analysis, we respectfully request the suspension decision be lifted while leadership is conducting the strategic review, and continue recruitment of GEMBA 14. We also request GEMBA students, alumni and staff representatives be involved in the strategic review and grant access to documents such as financial reports of GEMBA, because we are all important stakeholders.</p><p> </p><p>We learned from Mr. Van Fleet that GEMBA has returned deposits to three potential GEMBA 14 students, and sent emails to interested candidates that the program is suspended. This only deteriorates the problem. All these candidates will turn to other schools. We suggest stop doing it and get the students back. GEMBA 14 classes start next May. It is too early to give up.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p>The moment we joined GEMBA, we became a family. When a problem or a crisis occurs, we unite, we face it and we conquer it. We believe if all of us stakeholders can join the fight, we will finally solve the problem and make a much stronger GEMBA family.</p><p> </p><p>Fight on!</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p>Yours Sincerely</p><p>GEMBA Students and Alumni</p>
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