The Division of Business at Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus (IUPUC) presented its 2011 Community Partner Award to Cummins during a May 13 reception for MBA graduates at Simmons Winery.
The award was presented to Mark Gerstle, vice president and chief administrative officer for Cummins. Gerstle was joined by Mark Osowich, Lorrie Meyer, and Andy McGuire who also represented Cummins at the event.
IUPUC established its Community Partner Award to honor organizations and individuals who have been exceptionally engaged with the MBA program, its students, and the university.
“Cummins was selected for this award because of its strong support for higher education in the region. Not only does the Cummins organization encourage employees to pursue their educational goals, it offers tuition reimbursement benefits. Through its global operations, Cummins has attracted a diverse population to Columbus. As a result, our students are exposed to a variety of global perspectives and ways of doing business,” said Marwan Wafa, IUPUC’s vice chancellor and dean.
According to Michael Oakes, director of the MBA program and interim head of IUPUC’s business division, Cummins executives offered valuable counsel and support when the university recently redesigned its MBA curriculum. “Cummins leaders embraced our efforts and were quick to grasp the potential for deeper learning when content is integrated rather than delivered in functional silos,” Oakes said.
The new, cohort-driven MBA curriculum is comprised of six integrated modules that allow students to complete their degrees in 24 months. Each cohort consists of about 25 students who take classes two nights per week. Previously, then program had a more traditional structure and took 33 months or more to complete.
Oakes notes that civic engagement remains a key component of the program. Since 2001, the university’s MBA students have consulted on more than 50 projects with local and regional non-profit organizations, representing an in-kind total of $160,000.
Past winners of IUPUC’s Community Partner Award include:
- Dick Johnson | Columbus Regional Hospital
- Jack B. Hess | Arvin Meritor
- Mayor Fred Armstrong | Harold Force
- Arvin Gift Fund | United Way of Bartholomew County
With 11 full-time faculty members, the Indiana University Division of Business in Columbus serves more than 300 undergraduate and graduate students each year. It is a candidate for accreditation by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB).
For more information about the Indiana University MBA program at IUPUC, please visit www.iupuc.edu/MBA or call 812.348.7263.