A Lifetime of Learning

Those who have spent time at Darden can testify to the spirit of openness that pervades our Grounds. Though we are known for our rigorous use of the case method, we never forget the human empathy and support required for our students to thrive. When they leave Darden, they are prepared to handle whatever comes next — in their careers and lives — knowing that the global Darden community stands behind them. Possibilities abound.

The faculty both test and encourage. No one has mastered these skills more completely than my predecessor as dean, Bob Bruner. During this year’s Darden Reunion, Bob delivered one final case (Page 18) to mark his retirement after 42 years of service to the School (Yes, it involved some cold calls). Countless alumni and colleagues have discovered new possibilities in their lives thanks to Bob. A consummate scholar, Darden’s most prolific case writer, and the ultimate teacher, Bob never forgets the individuals at the heart of our endeavor.

Another great student-centered, case method teacher is Professor Jim Detert, who studies and teaches leadership. Looking more closely at the lives of individual employees, Jim’s insightful questioning of “quiet quitting” unveiled the rational decisions employees sometimes make to disengage at work (Page 33). This “calibrated contributing,” as he calls it, is a decades-old phenomenon, and understanding it opens new opportunities for leaders to reconnect with their people.

This spring’s grand opening of The Forum Hotel unveiled a welcoming facility designed — and named — with human connection at its core. Whether educational, intellectual, social or emotional, each moment shared here can foster growth. You’ll get a good sense of what the hotel looks and feels like from the photo essay inside (Page 22), but there’s no better way to experience its unique energy than to stay there. We hope to see you soon.

Innovation is a constant here at Darden, but our goal is to keep humans at the heart of business. When Darden hosted the New Directions in Leadership Research Conference at UVA Darden DC Metro, business faculty from a wide variety of schools discussed the implications of a quantum leap forward in artificial intelligence. A few weeks later, ChatGTP burst into the public consciousness. Now we must begin a long process of reckoning with how AI could affect all kinds of people in all kinds of ways (Page 12).

In fact, I consider this issue to be of such importance that as you read this, I am in the midst of a six-month sabbatical in England, pursuing graduate research and coursework on AI and other current topics at Oxford University’s Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics and Pembroke College. I’m grateful to Interim Dean Jeanne Liedtka, who will serve as dean until I return on 1 January 2024, and all of my colleagues at Darden. Their support has allowed me to take advantage of this opportunity.

At Darden, we are all students. We are all teachers. We are open to the possibilities that come with a lifetime of learning.

SCOTT C. BEARDSLEY Dean and Charles C. Abbott Professor of Business Administration