Schulich School of Business

Appreciation Event gives supporters of Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA (EMBA) students a glimpse into the "EMBA experience"

Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA (EMBA) students are mid-career senior managers and successful entrepreneurs in their mid 30s and 40s who are balancing the pursuit of a degree with their responsibilities at work and at home. The successful completion of their EMBA often depends on the support the student receives from family, friends and co-workers. In April, Kellogg-Schulich hosted an Appreciation Event for the people who support the EMBA students currently in the program.

"Completing the EMBA program requires a significant time commitment," says Su-Lan Tenn, Program Director, Kellogg-Schulich EMBA. "We don't want the people who are supporting our EMBA students to have an abstract understanding of how the program operates. We don't want them to be blindsided by the amount of time that needs to be dedicated to the program and studying."

EMBA students are encouraged to invite the person who they feel is giving them the most support in the program to the Appreciation Event.

"This half-day event is all about them," says Ms Tenn. "We bring them on-site for a tour of the facilities and to get a feel for the EMBA classroom experience. It allows us to show we appreciate the sacrifice they make to allow the EMBA student to complete the program."

During the event, attendees learn about the "EMBA Experience" with Professor André deCarufel, Academic Director, Kellogg-Schulich EMBA and participate in exercises that teach them about communication styles and team building.

In one exercise, attendees learn about their preferred communication style. The aim is to teach participants how they communicate so that they can learn how to better communicate with others.

"The EMBA students go through the same exercise prior to starting the program," says Ms Tenn. "Having the ability to identify someone else's style of communicating allows you to adapt to that style. You learn to respect each other's styles and how to get to what the other person needs."

Team dynamics play a significant role in the EMBA program. During the event, attendees participate in the "Marshmallow Challenge", an activity that requires teamwork and teaches important lessons about collaboration, innovation and creativity.

The task is simple: in eighteen minutes, teams must build the tallest free-standing structure out of 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of tape, one yard of string, and one marshmallow. The marshmallow needs to be on top. The winning team is the one that has the tallest structure measured from the table top surface to the top of the marshmallow.

"This is a really fun teambuilding activity that shows attendees what the EMBA team approach really means," says Ms Tenn. "It gives them a better understanding of the camaraderie that builds between EMBA classmates."

The goal of the Appreciation Event is to give the people who support the EMBA students throughout their studies a chance to feel like they are a part of the program.

"It gives them an opportunity not only to meet the classmates who their family member/friend/co-worker is spending so much time with, but also to meet each other," says Ms Tenn. "In fact, I've actually heard of groups of EMBA 'supporters' who have remained friends for years!"