LFGSM Return on Gift Investment

RO(G)I: Return On (Gift) Investment – July 2008 through June 2009

Every step of our day is carefully thought out to bring us closer to our vision of being recognized as “the preferred business management education choice and the standard against which other providers are measured.”  Whether it’s student interaction, alumni events, fundraising, program enhancement or faculty development – it is always with that same purpose.

To download RO(G)I results as a PDF, click here.

LFGSM realized many school-wide achievements during this fiscal year. Here are a few examples of note:

Progress in Challenging Times
Making Education Possible
Thinking Globally
Delivering Real-Time Insights
Enhancing Our MBA Program
Serving and Inspiring Alumni
 Continuing Success through Lake Forest Corporate Education (LFCE)
Providing a Healthy Work Environment
 Celebrating People

 

Progress in Challenging Times

To say the last year was challenging is an understatement.Like every other educational institution, we had to confront the realities of operating in an extraordinarily difficult economic climate. And so did our students. 

But by continuing to focus on what we do best – turning functional experts into general management leaders – and vigorously pursuing our vision, we made great strides. We are proud to highlight some of those accomplishments here. 

Our success is possible because of your ongoing generosity. Your dedication to LFGSM is what enables us to develop the right kind of business leaders. Our students are the managers who make companies flourish and the community volunteers who make the world a better place. 

As this year closed, we congratulated 250 graduates; they owe you a debt of gratitude for helping make LFGSM the high-caliber school that it is. We thank you on their behalf. Next year, we anticipate welcoming almost 300 new students; they will depend on your continuing support to achieve their dreams.

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Making Education Possible

As employers cut jobs and slashed tuition reimbursement in the face of the economic crisis, the need for tuition assistance rose dramatically. The number of scholarship applications more than tripled in the past two years. In response to this unprecedented level of need, LFGSM provided four times more scholarship aid than just three years ago, and we intensified our efforts to raise more funds: 

  • LFGSM Scholarships –  $200,000 in scholarships was awarded to LFGSM students in need, representing a 33% increase over the previous year. 
  • 2009 Scholarship Golf Outing & Dinner – This year’s event drew 111 golfers and 28 sponsors, and raised nearly $60,000. Title sponsor ITW Foundation donated $10,000.
  • Overall, 376 individuals and corporations made gifts to the School, a few special contributions are noted below: 
    > Trustmark Foundation underwrote our Business Education Forum Series with a $50,000 gift.
    > Baxter Foundation continued its generous support with a $20,000 gift again this year. 
    > Tovar Snow Professionals (Jeff Tovar, Class of ’03) donated $14,000 in services.

  • We also launched planned giving urging people to include LFGSM in their estate plans.The Maurice F. “Moose” Dunne Legacy Circle – named for the School’s first president, who served in a leadership capacity for 46 years – honors friends of the School who make gifts that extend beyond their lifetimes.

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Thinking Globally

Global Business Night – Presented in partnership with BusinessWeek, this event featured Keith Fox, President of BusinessWeek, as the keynote speaker.His talk, “Leveraging Global Trends to Compete in a Global Marketplace,” and an expert panel discussion broadened attendees’ global business perspectives.

Business Education Forum – Featuring Harold L. Sirkin, author of Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything.

International Students – LFGSM signed a cooperative agreement with the Warsaw School of Economics to provide a post-graduate study program in Innovation Management for Polish business leaders, including two weeks of study at our Chicago Campus. In addition, 51 LFGSM students completed Global Practicums (overseas study courses): 15 in Europe, 19 in Asia and 17 in Latin America.

Poland: Your Strategic Business Partner in Europe – This event boosted attendees’ global business savvy by focusing on Poland as a potential business partner. Featuring Poland’s Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy and a panel of business experts, the event was a collaboration with the Warsaw School of Economics and various government agencies and diplomatic offices.

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Delivering Real-Time Insights

“Economic Policy Options and Ramifications for the Economy and the New President” – In the weeks before the election, expert economists Robert Kallen (LFGSM faculty) and Michael Miller (DePaul University faculty) convened a town hall meeting to discuss the financial rescue package passed by Congress.  

“The Obama Administration’s First 100 Days” – Ed Greelegs, savvy political expert and former chief of staff to Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, used a town-hall style executive briefing to provide an insider’s view of how the new president’s first 100 days might shape the economic and political landscape. 

“Making Sense of the Economy: A Fact-based Review” – Featuring Bill Bridgman, LFGSM faculty member and financial expert, this webinar covered the causes of the crisis, provided an overview of the stimulus package, and analyzed economic forecasts.

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Enhancing Our MBA Program

Completed Rollout – The rollout of our revised curriculum, based on 10 management competencies identified by extensive research as essential to career advancement, was well received with an average evaluation of 4.51/5.0. 

New Courses – Developed for launch in ‘09-‘10:  1) Sustainable Business, providing a strategic view of the triple bottom line: people, profit and planet, and 2) Business, Government & Democracy, which includes a trip to Washington, D.C. to meet with legislators, policymakers and lobbyists to discuss the influence of money on government and the ethical ramifications. 

Introduction of STEP – Our new Success in Teaching Excellence Program (STEP) offers faculty the opportunity to have a greater learning impact.  Twenty-five faculty members have completed workshops in teaching with technology, case facilitation, and providing student feedback.   

Equipment Upgrades – Replaced the projectors and computers in all classrooms and installed new computers in the student lab at the Lake Forest campus.

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Serving and Inspiring Alumni

Business Education Forum (BEF) Series – Our BEFs, sponsored by Alumni Relations and made possible by the generous financial support of The Trustmark Foundation, featured two internationally known experts and best-selling authors: 

  • Harold Sirkin, Sr. Partner & Global Practice Leader, Boston Consulting Group, headlined Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything 
  • Dr. Oren Harrari, Professor of Strategy at USF-GSB, named one of the 40 best business minds in management, presented Break From The Pack: How to Compete in a Copycat Economy 

Talent Summit – Helped students, alumni and friends facing unexpected career transitions build the skills they need to thrive in the current economic downturn. The Summit also offered networking opportunities and inspiring success stories.

LFGSM Alumni Group on LinkedIn – More than 900 people joined the group in the first year after its launch and are actively supporting one another. 

Meaningful Involvement – More than 850 alumni took active roles in the life of LFGSM this year by attending events, volunteering and sharing their expertise. 

Referrals – For the fourth consecutive year, alumni were the top source of new student referrals, reflecting their deep satisfaction with the MBA program. More than 60 alumni made referrals that yielded 21% of newly enrolled students.

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Continuing Success through Lake Forest Corporate Education (LFCE) 

2009 ASTD Excellence in Practice Citation Award – LFCE and Hollister Inc. were recognized for a program that helps Hollister create a stronger pipeline of skilled managers ready to assume global leadership positions. This is LFCE’s ninth national award recognizing excellence in leadership development. 

New Clients – This year, LFCE added 12 new clients to its roster, including: Abbott, Baxter, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Caremark and W.E. O’Neil. Tapping Into Scientists’ Business Potential – LFCE completed its research study on “Optimizing Scientists’ Contributions to the Commercial Enterprise,” developed a white paper on the topic, and designed and delivered leadership development programs to harness the talents of business-savvy scientists. 

Retention Rates – LFCE achieved an 85% client retention rate for the fifth consecutive year, with a client satisfaction rating of 4.3/5.0.   

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Providing a Healthy Work Environment 

Companies That Care (CTC) Recognition – LFGSM was recognized on the CTC honor roll for the fourth consecutive year. Our efforts promote a positive culture that allows us to attract talented staff and bolsters our efforts to be socially responsible. Participating in CTC’s Terrific Tales program of donating books to local schools fits with our mission to help people improve their lives through education.

Talent Management Implementation – Completed the multi-year rollout of a  new Talent Management program for LFGSM staff members that enhances performance management and increases our leadership bench strength. Thanks to generous donations from the Trustmark Foundation and gifts from  the Trustmark Companies’ CEO Dave McDonough and Chairman Grover Thomas, we implemented SuccessFactors, state-of-the-art software.

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Celebrating People

Awards:

  • Distinguished Executive – David B. Speer, Chairman and CEO, Illinois Tool Works Inc., for outstanding career achievement and commitment to education
  • Distinguished Director – Ken Hoffman, Group President, Industrial Packaging, Illinois Tool Works Inc., for outstanding leadership and service 
  • Distinguished Faculty – Z. John Babij, Director of Global Marketing, Jarzen Global Consultants Ltd., for teaching excellence, as chosen by our students        
  • Distinguished Alumni Professional Achievement – Rick Surkamer (Class of ’87), President and COO, Sun Times Media Group 
  • Distinguished Alumni: Service Achievement – Steve Gadomski (Class of ’03), CEO of UeQuest and CEO of VantagePoint Benefits Advisors, Inc.

New Board of Directors Members

  • William Colbourne, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration, Blue Cross Blue Shield Association.
  • Pamela Mix, Vice President, Human Resources and Governance Services, College of American Pathologists.

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> Download RO(G)I results as a PDF