Raleigh Residency Brings Online MBA Cohort Together for First Time

In a three-day event during NC State University’s fall break, the fall 2012 cohort of online Jenkins MBA students converged on north campus to meet one another face-to-face and to interact with their faculty.

This is the second Raleigh Residency hosted by the Jenkins MBA program, and students reported that the meeting afforded them several opportunities, both academic and social, that they enjoyed.

For fifth grade teacher Jocelyn Jackson and engineer Jordan Smith, the residency was an opportunity to strengthen already growing bonds between the members of their collaborative learning group, but also to branch out and meet the other members of their cohort.

“From the get-go, our group has had really good chemistry,” Smith said.

For this reason, Jackson said some of the groups decided to spend time mingling with the other members of their cohort during a networking and cocktail dinner hosted by the MBA program at The State Club.

She said that the opportunity to meet with other students and faculty was a way to further expand her network within the MBA program.
In addition to the social and networking benefits of the event, students also had the opportunity to interact in a classroom setting—something rare for online students used to communicating and working virtually.

This year’s sessions included:

• Guidelines for Case Analysis and Discussion with Dr. Jon Bohlmann
• Team Development with Tony O’Driscoll
• Business Communications with Dr. Barry Mitsch
• Critical Thinking with Dr. Cecil Bozarth

• Career Development with John Hutchings

A favorite among orientation and residency groups he’s worked with, Tony O’Driscoll’s session on team development was once again enthusiastically received by the MBA students.

In a survey after the sessions, one student commented, “Tony was exceptional and gave me extra vigor as I start my journey toward the MBA.”
Another reported that O’Driscoll’s session was “top notch.”

Jordan Smith said his favorite session was Dr. Jon Bohlmann’s “Guidelines for Case Analysis and Discussion.” The session allowed him to leverage the wide range of consulting knowledge in operations and supply chain management that Bohlmann acquired working with companies like ABB, Bayer, Daimler-Benz, Duke Energy, IBM, GSK and BlueCross BlueShield.

For Smith, pursuing a degree online was the best fit for his schedule, but doesn’t dilute the rigor of graduate-level coursework. As an engineer, he said he’s already comfortable with numbers and the quantitative aspects of business, but he has never been expected to write as much before.

“It’s a good balance,” he said, “between rigorous and overwhelming.”

Jackson said a highlight for her was a Career Development afternoon session with John Hutchings. As a teacher used to creating a nurturing learning environment for her fifth grade language arts students Jackson commented, “Learning about how to think like a business student was really interesting to me.”

She said Hutchings’ session helped her further differentiate between the communication styles she learned training as a teacher from the characteristics of effective communication for business as she trains to transition into that world. For example, Hutchings worked with students on topics like identifying specific learning styles to preparing elevator speeches. “We created personal brands about ourselves and how to present ourselves as professionals,” said Jackson.

Moving forward, Jackson and Smith agreed that their group dynamic has only improved since having the opportunity to interact with each other and work face to face. They meet virtually every Saturday. Jackson logs in in from Asheville, NC and Smith from Cary, NC. Another member of their group is based out of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Despite the distance between them, the shared goals of learning and preparing for their next step professionally keep the online Jenkins MBA candidates on track. “The assignments are going so much smoother. We fell into our group roles,” Jackson said. “I think we’ve grown as a group over the last few months.”

To view photos from the dinner, check out the NC State Jenkins MBA Facebook page.