This is a hard post to write because I’m admitting I’ve given up on something, that something is my goal of earning an MBA in Sustainability from Marylhurst. At lot of thought went into my decision, my only wish is that I had made it sooner. I’m not disappointed that I enrolled because I think the program is great, the students seem to be really sharp and the campus has its own cemetery. Really, the school has all the ingredients for a superb learning experience. I just couldn’t handle the debt – well, more specifically I couldn’t handle the thought of all the debt. If this past year has taught me anything is that there are no guarantees and I just didn’t feel comfortable with where I am at professionally to assume that level of financial commitment. So, now what? I still believe in the value of education but perhaps my route is through short, less expensive certification types of programs that I can pay as I go. But if you are looking for a super, online program in sustainability I still recommend you check out Marylhurst.
I’ve never really like that phrase about the journey of a thousand miles beginning with one step if only b/c you still have the thousand miles to walk…which is quite far. However, this week I started on my own journey, I started the Marylhurst MBA program in sustainability. I’m going to reserve opinion because it’s only just begun and although I feel like I am holding my own it’s only been three days. But so far, I have been very impressed with the opinions and level of expertise of my peers in the program. I was very concerned that an online only program would be spare on the discussions but everyone appears to be thinking hard about each of the topics and expressing themselves very well.
I recently saw a TED talk about where good ideas come from:
Steven Johnson talked about how when people started to meet in coffee shops in London the spread and sharing of ideas accelerated. He goes on to say how the Web is accelerating collaboration. So, what does this have to do with a my online MBA program? I think a lot. I think increasingly this idea of everyone going to single location, whether that’s an office building or a campus will become increasingly anachronistic. But the need to have a place where you can talk, share ideas and collaborate will still be critical. Today, you can go into just about any coffee shop in Boulder and people are working on projects and talking about ideas. I don’t think the value of face-to-face meetings can ever be underestimated but I do think as our online tools become more sophisticated the type of spontaneous sharing, working and collaboration that occurs in coffee shops, or shared spaces will happen online.
This program embodies a number of topics that interest me obviously but it is also the context that I find most fascinating. From medieval guilds, to Benjamin Franklin organizing printer meetings, to pursuing an MBA online, there has always been a desire to meet and advance our learning from our peers. That desire coupled with the technologies available today make collaboration a possibility with people from all over the world; a truly sustainable and sustaining next step.
Now, it’s serious. I’ve registered for my first two classes in the MBA in Sustainable Business and I’ve scheduled an advisory meeting for tomorrow. I don’t really feel like a lemming but I do feel like I’ve taken a leap. I’m registered for:
Principles of Sustainability
Strategic Leadership in Sustainable Management
and I start on September 27th. I feel like I should go out and buy new notebooks and pens and quite possibly a quart of ice cream.
But I also know statistics is out there…at some point…in the future…it’s there. Despite that looming cloud of destruction, I’m getting really excited about the readings, learning from my fellow students and just being included in discussions about ideas and new ways of doing business. I have no idea what to expect and that’s primarily because I know very few people in these types of programs. However, I am really hoping that as I progress through the program, I can begin applying some of these business principles to projects on which I am working. Maybe I am expecting too much, I am just optimistic that the exercise of learning and sharing ideas will energize my way of thinking and working. Or perhaps, I’ll just be exhausted. Hard to say until I get in there.
I just checked out a sample syllabus, which makes my decision feel much more real, immediate and life-changing (if only for the 18 months I’m enrolled) – I mean I’m going to have to do that work in the outline.
In the meantime, I’ve been reading a couple of life-changing books about cycling and cycling culture, which I’ll write about soon.
Last week I got the chance to head on up to Oregon to check out Marylhurst University. I wanted to head up there and get a tour of the school, where I’ll be working towards an MBA in Sustainability online. And while I am totally on board with the idea of using technology to enable distance learning, collaboration and networking, I also wanted to make sure they weren’t selling ginsu knives and chia pets in the parking lot.
I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the little town of Lake Oswego, which is located about a kick-off’s distance from Marylhurst campus. The hotel room, where I stayed the night before my tour of the campus, was perfect and when I parted the drapes of my room, a lake of blues and grays stretched out from my deck towards hills dark green with trees. Coming from Colorado, it seemed like the world was in technicolor.
My tour wasn’t until 1pm, so I had plenty of time to wander around Lake Oswego and still be on campus a little early. I got to campus around 12:30, gave my tour guide the heads up that I was on campus but early and would hang out at the coffee shop. The campus was pretty quiet and that may have been because of the summer session but it is also a commuter school. And although the school used to have dorms, they have been converted to classrooms. I got some coffee, wandered around campus for a bit taking in the scene.
You can't easily dismiss a place with its own cemetary
At 1pm I met up with Barbara, my guide, and she was super. She explained how the school was originally founded by Catholic nuns in the 1880s. Some of the nuns still associated with the school actually come back to retire on campus; there are a separate set of homes somewhat away from the main campus where they stay. What was very interesting was the cemetery reserved for the nuns, who started the school. Barbara mentioned that these women came from all over the country to help set up this school. She retold the story of a young girl of 5 dropped off at the school doors during the great depression, her father could no longer feed her and her sibling and she was orphaned to the nuns.
Barbara took me around talking about the school’s relationship with Portland; sometimes the Portland symphony will come out to play at Marylhurst. She took me to the art gallery and church, which had amazing stained glass. So far, so good. The place had history, a story, and from what Barbara said a real commitment to providing knowledge and education. You can’t so easily dismiss a place with a cemetery. She also mentioned how they have students in some of the more rural areas of Oregon, who are taking advantage of these online programs.
So, the campus tour took about a half hour. Not very long but it was great. Then I met up with Paul, one of the directors of the program. And here’s where I thought would be the final test of credibility, where either I would walk out comfortable with investing the time and money or fly home with a case full of chia pets. Paul and I talked about the program, the level of intensity, the types of instructors, etc. He made some insightful observations. I asked where he saw the program in 5 years and he responded there won’t be an MBA in sustainability because running your business sustainably will be the only way to run a successful business. There will be no distinction between a traditional and sustainable MBA. So, how do I feel now? Definitely more comfortable and although there are no guarantees I feel like this is right step for me.
