Globe and Mail highlights Financial Times' ranking

Meals make Queen's business-school royalty

2000-05-24 - By Elizabeth Church
The Globe and Mail

Thinking of taking some executive courses at a world-class business school? According an international ranking released yesterday, no one puts on a better spread at meal time than the folks at Queen's University in Kingston. And the University of Western Ontario's Ivey School of Business has some of the best accommodations in the world.

"Good salads are symbolic of our overall attention to detail is about all I can say," responded Queen's business school dean Margot Northey, when asked about the first-place showing in food -- a category where INSEAD in Fontainebleau, France, was shut out.

"We pay attention to everything that we can to make the whole thing an experience where people go back feeling not only that they have learned a lot, but they are recharged."The Ivey School in London, Ont., placed seventh for its accommodations, usually provided at Spencer Hall, an off-campus mansion and former female residence. It got an eighth-place ranking for its grub.

"The whole place is designed for executive development," explained Wendy White, Ivey's executive director of executive education. "It really does have a big impact on the learning experience."

When it comes to course content, the two Canadian schools also fared well in this second annual survey compiled by the Financial Times. Ivey was part of a three-way tie for 18th spot for programs that are open to all executives. It placed 22nd in programs customized for specific organizations, and ranked 20th overall. It's the first year the school has taken part in the ranking.

Queen's School of Business placed 22nd for its open enrolment programs, up from 29th last year. Harvard Business School topped the list of 30 schools in this category; Columbia Business School got the top marks overall.

The ranking is based on participant surveys as well as a grading of the schools on factors such as facilities, international participants and faculty involvement.

In addition to putting on a good meal, Queen's University turned in a Top 10 showing for relevance of teaching, the modern nature of teaching materials and the ability of its courses to fulfill the personal objectives of participants.

Dean Northey said those results are especially gratifying because they are based on the responses of course participants.

"That for us is very pleasing and quite outstanding when you consider the kind of resources and long-standing roles that the other schools have had in executive education."

Ms. Whyte at Ivey said over time, rankings such as this one help to increase the international profile of the school.