Kelley's executive education program ranks nationally

A ranking recently published by the London-based Financial Times placed the Kelley School of Business's custom executive education program as 29th in the world and 13th among U.S. programs. \nThe rankings, which have been published for the past seven years, evaluated the programs based on surveys completed by 445 clients of custom programs. \nLesli Gordon, custom relationship manager for the executive education program, said because the rankings are the direct result of customer feedback, they accurately reflect the quality of IU's program. \n"The rankings show that we provide world-class executive education that produces a high level of customer satisfaction," she said. \nInterim dean of the Kelley School of Business, Dan Smith, also said he believes the ranking is a true reflection of the program's merit. \n"Our client firms are consistently delighted with the quality of our work," he said. "The recent Financial Times ranking further confirms the quality of the programs we deliver." \nThe executive education program, which was ranked 16th in a 2003 survey conducted by Business Week, provides general management programs and courses for the public as well as customized programs for client companies. According to the program's Web site, www.kep.indiana.edu, previous clients include world-famous companies such as Microsoft, Rolls-Royce, Old National Bancorp and 3M. \nRanked 46 in the Financial Time's 2003 ratings and unranked in last year's survey, the executive education program scored higher this year for a number of reasons, according to Gordon. One of the key successes of the year, she said, was the program's relationship with global giant 3M, the company responsible for Post-It products, Scotch tape and many other well-known brands. \n"We had a great year of custom programs with several clients, 3M in particular," she said. "We ran a program with them almost once a month for the entire year, which is huge. You just don't do that very often." \nSmith also credits the disparity in rankings to some recent developments in the program. \n"In the last year or two, we have stepped up our efforts in the executive education arena," he said. "We appointed Professor Tom Lenz to head our executive program's operations. He and his staff have made a host of changes that are recently beginning to bear fruit." \nOther U.S.-based institutions ranked in the survey include Northwestern, Duke, Stanford and Columbia universities. Only schools which produced at least $2 million in business from custom or open programs were considered in the ranking. \nAccording to the executive education program's Web site, the most important asset the program has to offer is a high level of individual attention. \n"Every company has a unique set of environmental variables and organizational characteristics. Consequently, efforts to link education to business performance must be true to the reality individuals face within their respective divisions, business units, or departments," the site reads. \nSmith said this approach is what sets IU's program apart from other schools. \n"We are highly committed to listening to what our client firms need and going the extra mile to meet their needs and exceed their expectations," he said. "Our faculty and executive development staff go out of their way to ensure that our programs are truly world-class"