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In the News: Business School Opportunities in Africa, UC Ber

Published: Sep 29, 2010

 Education       Grad School       

UMass Amherst unveils its three-year graduation program

This fall, the University of Massachusetts Amherst will introduce a formal three-year graduation option for undergraduates, in an attempt to mitigate growing concerns about the cost of a college education. According to The Boston Globe, "although many colleges allow some students to graduate early, UMass will be the first major university in Massachusetts to offer a formal program, which will include advisers who can help students plan a path to a three-year degree." Detractors argues that three-year degree students will be considered less employable, and therefore find themselves with fewer job prospects, than their peers.

UC Berkeley budget cuts force team cutsUC Berkeley cuts five athletic programs, eliminating 163 coach and athlete spots

After complaints that academic departments were the ones bearing the majority of the budget-cutting burden, University of California, Berkeley has cut baseball, men's rugby, men's and women's gymnastics, and women's lacrosse from its athletic line-up, despite the excellence displayed by the teams (the rugby team has won 25 NCAA national titles in the past 30 years). Although no longer university varsity teams, the athletic programs may continue as club teams, meaning they are financially self-supporting. Though sad, the cuts do have an upside, as they should save the university about $4 million a year.

Fordham receives its largest ever gift from alumnus

This week Mario Gabelli, chief executive of Gamco Investors and a graduate of Fordham's undergraduate program in business, donated $25 million to Fordham University. This is the largest gift the Jesuit university has ever received. It will use the money to build its undergraduate business school, renaming it the Gabelli School of Business.

Business schools move into more international marketsBusiness school opportunities in Africa--for schools and students

Business schools have long been expanding into India and Asia, and they are now moving into Africa, reports Bloomberg BusinessWeek. The continent is experiencing strong economic growth, and residents are eager to earn their MBA closer to home. Though there are currently no AASCB-accredited business schools in Sub-Saharan Africa, foreign business schools, like CEIBS, are opening campuses in major cities.

Harvard endowment "difficulties" still haunting the university

When Harvard University lost over 25 percent of its endowment back in 2008, it had to spend money to help deal with those losses and had to cut some corners. These days, although the endowment is growing each year, the university is still struggling with over $4 billion in debt. Its growth programs are still not back on track (its Allston expansion is officially "back to the drawing board") and likely won't be until for at least another three years.

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