Koenig further noted that "the MBA program also serves as an ideal complement for ScientificAtlanta executives who, on a day-to-day basis. are involved in the exciting cable industry." The company is enabling cable operators to deliver digital and interactive TV services to subscribers across the country and around the world with its Explorer family of digital interactive set-top boxes and two-way interactive networks.

THE INITIAL ALLIANCE

While the partnership between Georgia State and Scientific-Atlanta has grown, there was an initial on-site MBA offering in 1995-96. Beth Pollard, director of human resources for the Business Services Division of Scientific-Atlanta, helped orchestrate that first alliance. "After much discussion and approvals right on up through the Board of Regents (the governing body for higher education in the State of Georgia), we were able to offer an on-site MBA program, which in 1996 graduated 25 students.''

The success of that program led to other activities such as a certificate program in organizational development delivered by RCB to ScientificAtlanta's managers in 1999.

"We learned a lot from those earlier efforts," said Pollard. "The result is a program that's really making a difference for our employees and our company Our MBA graduates become more marketable and better positioned for personal and professional growth at Scientific-Atlanta. That has certainly helped us retain talent in a very competitive marketplace."

RCB found experience can be a teacher as well. According to Mike Jedel, associate dean of the Robinson College, "On-site programs must be looked at very carefully. They have the potential of taking the faculty away from other duties,'' he said. "There is also the matter of additional costs and the danger that you have too homogeneous a group when you're dealing with one company at one location." Jedel noted, however, that "our initial efforts with Scientific-Atlanta, and the spirit of cooperation achieved, helped us work through those first two issues."

FROM THE STUDENT PERSPECTIVE

On the matter of classroom interaction, listen to James Peta, an electrical engineer with ScientificAtlanta. "People told me not to take this program because of the lack of diversity. But the members of our class bring lots of experience and different backgrounds. I learn from every discussion."

Peta did his undergraduate work at Georgia Tech and sees the RCB MBA as a way of broadening his background and accelerating his career He's not alone.

Tyrone Thompson is a network engineer A graduate of Winthrop College, he took a circuitous route to his position with ScientificAtlanta including a job in media relations with the Carolina Panthers of the NFL. He has an entrepreneurial bent and feels the RCB MBA program is the answer.

Still another student, Stacy Mastrolia, director of Worldwide Accounting Operations for ScientificAtlanta's Business Services unit, sees her entrance into the program as "the fulfillment of a lifetime goal." A public accounting veteran and possessor of a CPA, Mastrolia felt the RCB program would give her the knowledge and credentials necessary to become more marketable. "The time, place and opportunity were just right," she added.

Although about two-thirds of the students in the class have an engineering background, there are others in fields as diverse as marketing, information technology (IT), finance, legal, program management and customer service, said Pollard. She noted that the ages of class members range from 24-48 with an average age of 35. In addition, there are 10 women in the class. Pollard said that there are no restrictions on who partakes in the class so long as they qualify. Requirements are the same as those for RCB's standard MBA.