Last modified: Monday, May 15, 2006
Kelley School executive programs ranked in top 20 worldwide, first among U.S. public institutions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 15, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Customized executive education programs offered by Indiana University's Kelley School of Business moved up into the top 20 in the world as ranked by the Financial Times today (May 15) in its annual survey of international non-degree programs.
In a field dominated by business schools from across Europe and North America, the Kelley School ranked 20th overall -- moving up from 29th last year -- and 13th among U.S. institutions in the London-based financial newspaper's ranking of customized executive education programs. The Kelley School was ranked first among U.S. public universities. No other business schools in Indiana were ranked.
Tom Lenz, chairman of Kelley Executive Partners, was particularly pleased that the Kelley School ranked first among all U.S. public universities and sixth worldwide as a best value for the money.
"All of us are delighted to learn that the Financial Times has again ranked Kelley Executive Partners as a leader in custom executive education programs," Lenz said. "This year's rank of 20th among worldwide executive education providers represents a marked improvement over our 2005 ranking, while our rank among U.S. competitors held steady.
"Our world-class capabilities in the area of custom executive education programs stem from a strong commitment to understanding our customers' needs, access to a faculty comprised of internationally recognized classroom teachers and a highly skilled professional staff," Lenz added.
The Kelley School was ranked in the top 20 in several categories. Its faculty was ranked sixth best, the design of course offerings was eighth and preparation was ninth. Teaching materials were ranked 17th and facilities were 18th.
Dan Smith, dean of the Kelley School, added that, "Our improvement in the Financial Times rankings reflects the dedication of Professor Lenz and his team. They routinely go the extra mile for the companies with whom we work. Likewise, our high level of faculty commitment to tailoring their materials to the needs of specific client firms has long been the hallmark of how we approach executive education. I'm delighted, but not surprised, to see that our faculty are ranked sixth in the world."
The custom ranking is compiled from responses to two sets of questionnaires. The first is a client survey -- compiled from telephone interviews of the top corporate purchasers -- and the other is a survey of statistical data completed by the business schools. The data from the client questionnaire accounts for 80 percent of the school's final score.
At the start of the custom program surveying process, each school is asked to provide contact details for its top 10 clients. The clients are telephoned and surveyed about the school and, if applicable, about a second school from which they have also purchased customized programs over the past 12 months.
The Kelley School has been a leader in custom-designed executive education since 1968, when it established its first educational partnership to link program content with the strategic business objectives of the firm. Kelley Executive Partners' custom product line has grown extensively in scope and variety as it works closely with its clients. The value of these programs is measured not only inside the classroom in terms of innovative learning environments, but outside the classroom in terms of improved organizational performance, breakthrough thinking and business results.
The Financial Times rankings follow recent recognition by Business Week magazine for other Kelley School programs. The magazine ranked Kelley's undergraduate program as 10th best in the nation in its first-ever survey of such programs, and Kelley's MBA program was ranked 18th.
