Active and interactive class sessions: Classes typically run from 9 am until 6 pm with a break for lunch. These are long days that require a varied and active learning environment. It is essential to energize the class and maintain a feeling of intellectual involvement throughout the day.
Effective managerial thinking or KT approach: CIMBA is committed to teaching Kepner-Tregoe (KT) thinking in the MBA program. KT is the primary decision-making vehicle influencing the way acquired knowledge (traditional course content) is used. Materials describing the four essential KT elements (situational analysis, decision analysis, problem analysis, and potential problem analysis) are available from CIMBA and can be used to help you introduce these components into your course.
Practical, real-world, international examples: In accordance with CIMBA’s educational philosophy, we find that students prefer faculty to simulate real-world experiences through relevant cases and exercises. They are not only looking for well-known company examples, but also small- and medium-sized company examples to which they can readily relate. We have found that they respond more favorably when examples are brought in from a variety of international settings.
Class and personal preparation: Planning course coverage is particularly important for CIMBA students. Students expect assigned cases and readings to be addressed and sometimes express displeasure if slides from the professor’s course pack are skipped due to lack of time. Similarly, they tend to resent having additional information introduced as filler once the assigned material has been covered. Of course, no one can program his or her course perfectly, but the intense time pressures under which CIMBA students operate causes them to be particularly sensitive to the amount of material covered in their classes. Finally, most students like to have all assignments and materials in their hands at least two weeks before classes begin. This particularly helps students who wish to read ahead (especially those for whom English is not their first language). Remember, your first weekend will cover nearly one half of a normal class and the accompanying reading material. Students will normally have access to you during the week between classes and also via email. However, once classes are completed, the demands of subsequent courses and activities tend to minimize additional student-faculty contact and therefore will limit your ability to provide additional information that was omitted during scheduled classes.
Daily assignments and quizzes: Managing time is an ongoing challenge for CIMBA students due to the structure and demands of our program. Therefore, giving assignments and short quizzes is one way to increase the likelihood that assigned materials will be read or completed for class. The purpose here is to give students an added incentive to come to class fully prepared. (This suggestion actually was made by our students.)