Two University of Pennsylvania Schools Partner for Innovative Graduate Degree Program for Organizational Learning Leaders

New Program Prepares Learning Leaders to Strategically Influence Results in Their Organizations

Philadelphia, Pa., Aug. 29, 2006 -The University of Pennsylvania announced that it is offering a graduate degree program for learning leaders through a partnership between the Wharton School and the Graduate School of Education. The Executive Program in Work-Based Learning Leadership, the first top-tier university program of its kind, provides a formalized education in business, leadership, technology, and strategy within the context of work-related learning. The goal is to enable the learning leader, often called the chief learning officer (CLO) or head of talent development, to function at the same strategic level as the rest of the senior executives in their organizations. The program welcomes its first class in January, 2007.

Research shows that organizations that encourage and facilitate a culture of learning among employees often outperform those that do not. Designing and maintaining a successful talent development program - the responsibility of the learning leader - is a delicate act that balances the financial implications of providing employee education and the more intangible benefits of investing in the development of the workforce.

Both in the number of students and in the amount of money spent, workplace learning now dwarfs higher education. "Most adults learn on the job rather than in a formal educational setting," said Doug Lynch, vice dean at the Graduate School of Education. "The average Fortune 1000 company spends 2.5 percent of its operating budget on learning. For many of these companies, that amounts to tens of millions of dollars. With this as our call to action, we developed the Executive Program in Work-Based Learning Leadership to help elevate the status and competence of the organizational learning leader."

Because many employees never return to school, workplace education often represents the only opportunity for employees to develop new skills and gain new knowledge that can have an impact on their careers.

"Developing talent is one of the most important initiatives for an organization to undertake," said Jon Spector, Wharton School vice dean of Executive Education. "By joining with Penn's Graduate School of Education, we are able to formalize the educational training of those in, or in line to assume, a learning leader position. The program will help learning officers speak the same language as the rest of the C-suite, allowing them to take a ‘seat at the table' and bring strategic value to their organizations."

Two trends have emerged in recent years that support the establishment of a formalized approach to work-based learning leadership:

• The emergence of corporate universities and the effort to coordinate and leverage learning as a strategic, organizational effort is increasing.
• The idea of a dean of a corporate university or a CLO has resonated within many organizations.

Learning officers are now leaders in organizations, and the need for learning leaders exists across all industries. Penn advocates that learning leaders play a key role in strategy development and implementation, working closely with CEOs and C-level teams to improve individual, team, and organizational effectiveness. Consequently, they need to gain a deeper understanding of strategy, build leadership skills, and better communicate the importance of learning to other leaders.

The University sought the expert opinions and insights of a prestigious group of organizational learning leaders. Serving as advisors to this program are the following individuals:

• Mike Barger, CLO and vice president, JetBlue University
• Ed Betof, vice president, CLO, and talent management, BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)
• Dan Blair, director, Learning Executives Network, ASTD
• Joe Bonito, vice president and CLO, Pfizer
• Skip Brand, senior executive director, business development, Yahoo!
• Maude DiVittis, senior vice president of learning and organizational development, MTV Networks
• Robert P. Gimbl, director, Citigroup Finance Learning & Development
• Victor Herbert, CLO, New York City Fire Department
• Leslie W. Joyce, vice president and CLO, Home Depot
• Steve Kerr, CLO and managing director, Goldman Sachs
• Stephen B. King, CLO, Constellation
• Nancy Lewis, vice president, On-Demand Learning, IBM
• Elliott Masie, founder, The Learning CONSORTIUM
• Donna McNamara, president-global education and training, Colgate-Palmolive Company
• Jeanne Meister, author, speaker, and consultant on corporate universities
• Mark Milliron, vice president of education, SAS
• Alfred Moye, director of university affairs, Hewlett Packard (retired); former deputy assistant for higher and continuing education, U.S. Department of Education
• Nigel Paine, former head of people development, BBC
• Rebecca Ray, senior vice president, global learning & organizational development, MasterCard Worldwide
• Jim Sheehy, senior director, human resources, Freddie Mac
• Luther Tai, senior vice president, Con Edison

The program is executive in nature-the only one of its kind among top-tier universities-allowing students to continue working while they study. Using a blend of on-site classes and distance learning, the University of Pennsylvania Executive Program in Work-Based Learning reflects the realities that individuals face on the job. It will use the students' expertise and experience to inform the curriculum. Doctoral and master's students are expected to ground their research, their master's theses, and their dissertations in the workplace rather than in academia. Individuals not interested in a degree are able to complete individual modules relevant to their needs and will receive a certificate.

The program begins Jan. 28, 2007.

About Wharton Executive Education

Each year, Wharton Executive Education works with more than 8,000 business leaders on its campus in Philadelphia, at Wharton West in San Francisco, and at sites around the world. The Wharton Learning Continuum is Wharton Executive Education's model for delivering Impact Through EducationTM--supporting companies and individuals in a 9- to 12-month learning process that is designed collaboratively with clients, delivered by Wharton faculty, and monitored to produce specific outcomes.

About the Graduate School of Education

The University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education is one of three Ivy League graduate schools of education. Its alumni include path-finding teachers, heads of school boards, leading advocates for public education, scholars, school counselors, CLOs, and heads of government agencies. A pioneer in instructional theory, assessment, psychology of learning, and classroom training, GSE is distinguished by its "inquiry" approach, which motivates and prepares students to think like educators. The Inquiry Stance obliges teachers to continuously re-evaluate their classroom practices and professional perspectives in order to satisfy pupils' needs more thoroughly. Support for students includes access to case histories, classroom oversight, and courses to meet the special needs of new teachers. Among the several research institutes affiliated with GSE are the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, the Literacy Research Center, and the Center for Research and Evaluation in Social Policy. The university's library system contains 5,500 volumes on education, one of the largest such collections.

Media Contact

Michael McTigue
Director, Marketing Communications
Wharton Executive Education
Telephone: +1 215.898.7239
E-mail: mctiguem@wharton.upenn.edu  

Program Contacts

Claudia Lewis
Director
Wharton Executive Education
Telephone: +1.215.573.7168
E-mail: lewisc@wharton.upenn.edu  

Judy McHugh
Senior Director
Wharton Executive Education
Telephone: +1.215.898.1108
E-mail: mchughj@wharton.upenn.edu