Webster University

Date: Dec 31 1969
Major: Business - Management and Administration (This Major's Salary over time)
The intellectual and learning experience as a graduate student was very stimulating. I received an in depth understanding of management theory and real business world practices. I'm a product of post World War II and the economic birth that America experienced from that time period to the present is replete with an abundance of information and technological advances. In many cases technological advances within the U.S. surpassed the educational material provided by American high schools and universities. In other words, as technology and information exponentially expanded - higher education lagged behind. It was apparent that the scientific management theories of Frederick W. Taylor would not address the rapid shifts in the global economy. We

needed more than specialization and division of labor. Business leaders and university administrators jointly decided that IT, financial, and people skills were needed to manage a plethora of scarce resources. Competition was no longer the sole element used in strategic planning conferences in U.S. offices and board rooms. Neoplasm was not merely a term that applied to the life sciences - it became embedded in the global business practices of offices and factories in China and India. Webster University decided to fill the gap by offering courses that energize workers and managers. Webster University is an American success story that developed course work for traditional students and demonstrated an intense passion for educating its citizenry. We are reminded that education and skill building is an on-going process that starts when we are born until our senior years.

Ironically, profit was no longer King and customer loyalty became the Kings cohort. IT, accounting, banking, employee training, quality goods & services, and work teams became some of the subunits of the Kings court. The King was no longer King in global arena. Even Adam Smith recognized that profit was not always King.

So why attend an institution like Webster University? Is it needed? Im a 65 year old optimist who lives on the edge of the forest of confusion. I must not blame my neighbor; I must not complain or expect something from anyone. I must do something. Education launches me into the 21st century as long as it increases the qualitative value of my life, and in many respects the lives of others. The adding machine was replaced by the computer mouse. The Boeing 747 replaced the train as a mode of travel for the citizen. McDonalds now has franchises in Japan. F-15 fighter jets are sold to Israel. Biotech companies sell genetically modified seeds to African nations. We are a nation of Germans, Africans, Irish, Scotts, Greeks, Sudanese, Brazilians, French, Israelites, and Indians. Can higher education solve all of our problems? Of course not, but more Americans want to understand why and institutions like Webster University provide an opportunity to learn and grow.