In a recent series of small meetings, Dean of the new School of Business George Najjar thoroughly briefed students, officials, and business managers on the highlights of the School's new curriculum.

At the April 27 meeting, attended by Minister of Finance, Fouad Siniora and Deputy of the Central Bank, Nasser Saidi, Dr. Najjar declared that : "We have to operate in the big league or get out of the game and the new curriculum is only a step along the way."

Najjar said they hoped to have eight new faculty members by next October. "There will be plenty of room for strategic part timers and a faculty mentor for each intern. An executive in residence will be on hand to share corporate experience.

Students will have the advantage of a service center with orientation and placement for internships. The new curriculum will also feature no-fee zero-credit workshops where topics can be adjusted to suit current needs.

The curriculum of the new School of Business will not introduce new degrees; the BBA and the MBA degrees will remain the only two programs offered. The new BBA curriculum will be effective in fall 2001 and the MBA in summer 2001.

Regarding the focus of the degrees, planners had a choice between offering a generic degree or one with a specialized focus. The generic degree would have less marketability; on the other hand the special knowledge gained in a focused degree would go out of date in four or five years. AUB's new curriculum took a middle path and produced a hybrid degree combining general grounding with a specialized focus.

The program does not divide the new School of Business into different departments; instead, it defines interdisciplinary integrated tracks that develop cross-functional skills and incorporate leading best practices. Most important is the fact that the program has been designed with professional accreditation (AACSB) as a strategic goal; benchmarked against half a dozen leading US programs, so far the curriculum is AACSB compliant.

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