Integrating The Executive MBA Curriculum: Tales Of The Cat Herder

Abstract

Continuous improvement has been a strategic priority for Loyola College in Maryland’s Executive MBA (EMBA) Program since the program’s inception in 1973.  In the summer of 2008, Loyola began an intensive EMBA curriculum review.  The process resulted in a recommendation to make a significant shift in the curriculum’s emphasis. This paper reports on the factors involved in that review process and the leadership lessons learned from the endeavor.  The lessons learned are reported using the metaphor of tales of the cat herder in reference to a widely-held belief among academicians that working with faculty is like herding cats.