"We have an orientation program and invite all interested managers," said Pollard. "At the orientation session we review the challenges and opportunities of the two-year program and stress that students never have to leave the ScientificAtlanta facility to complete their degrees. Books are shipped here. Registration takes place on site. From there it is up to them to take the required steps."

Approximately 200 attended the orientation for the current session. The average GMAT score of those accepted in the program was "right around 600," according to Pollard.

TRAINING FOR THE BEST AND BRIGHTEST

While the MBA program is well under way, the leadership education component is still under development. Bill Bommer, an assistant professor in management for RCB who instructs in the MBA program, is working with Scientific-Atlanta on finalizing the curriculum for the training of top managers. The goal is to provide leadership development for up to 3,000 employees. "It is important to recognize," said Bommer, "that Scientific-Atlanta has a professional development program in place. RCB's role is to inject some specialized instruction into the curriculum and to counsel with Scientific-Atlanta management on overall leadership development activities."

According to Pollard, "The opportunity for professional development is the number one reason employees stay with a company" She also distinguishes between what she calls the "process" of professional development and the act of staging individual events, which may have an immediate impact but often little or no lasting value.

It is Pollard's goal to take real business issues and bring them into the classroom for short periods of time, therefore giving managers an opportunity to apply what they learn. She believes RCB is exceptionally strong in providing this type of "real-world" instruction.

Pollard noted that leadership development included programs in personal leadership, team leadership and organizational leadership. According to Bommer, while Scientific-Atlanta can and does provide the basics of leadership development (time management, organizational skills, etc.), the Robinson College will add programs that stem from faculty expertise in cutting-edge management approaches.

"Take for example the eCommerce program," said Pollard. "Our executives can go to a four-hour session, identify a problem related to e-business strategy, receive direction on a possible solution and then work on that problem for a month and return for more discussion and evaluation. The Robinson College offers a practically oriented program that really works."

A CORE VALUE

Professional development is one of ScientificAtlanta's core values, particularly in the past six years since James McDonald became president. "Prior to that," said Pollard, "our philosophy leaned toward buying the best. Now it's retain and develop."

And what does this mean for the ScientificAtlanta/Robinson College partnership in the future? According to Koenig, "The company is dedicated to professional development at all levels. We want to institutionalize leadership, and we see Georgia State playing a big role for a long time to come. No institution is better at bringing the practical side of the MBA to students than the Robinson College."