Mission Values and Strategy

MISSION We provide world-­‐class business education on a personal scale. We pursue this mission • Through a portfolio of programs in a diverse, close-­‐knit and collaborative community of inquiry and discovery.

• By providing a transformative experience for individuals seeking leadership roles in organizations of all kinds.

VALUES The Owen School is built upon the strength of Vanderbilt University, one of the world’s leading academic institutions. Our mission, vision, values and strategy reflect those of the broader university.

We seek to build ethical, compassionate, intellectually agile leaders who value diversity, freedom of thought and relationships.

GOALS We measure our success against three strategic goals: • Career success and impact of our graduates.

• Recognition of our faculty for thought leadership.

• Programs that are highly regarded by our peers, the business community and members of the Vanderbilt and Owen communities.

STRATEGIC DRIVERS Our strategy is defined through the operationalization of our mission. By focusing its seven elements, we create and sustain strategic initiatives that best support the mission.

World-­‐Class In everything we do, we pursue a level of excellence worthy of global recognition.

We believe that the best learning environment is supported by renowned faculty whose teaching is informed by their research-­‐based expertise. Similarly, the student experience and Owen community are made stronger by the quality and talents of the individuals who administer our programs. We recruit the best students from across the globe and provide them the best possible learning experience, while striving to ensure that the cost of attendance is not a deterrent to joining our community. Finally, we partner with leading firms who recruit our students to ensure we are developing the talent they need for their organizations.

Personal Scale We cultivate a distinct competitive advantage by focusing on individual needs.

Our size and focus give us the ability to interact with students, alumni and recruiters on a personal level. Recognizing that students come to Owen with many different backgrounds, we seek to provide the highest-­‐quality learning experience by tailoring the academic experience to

Revised 5-­‐11-­‐2015

Page 1

individual student development. Our favorable faculty-­‐to-­‐student ratio promotes a close-­‐knit community with exceptional access to faculty and staff. We couple our high levels of access with a modular curriculum, point-­‐of-­‐need learning and immersive experiences that deliver broad coverage of the most important business subjects, while providing the opportunity for students to explore areas of interest in-­‐depth. Our personal-­‐scale advantage extends beyond graduation, as we support our alumni throughout their careers. Likewise, we invest in partnerships with hiring organizations to better meet their unique needs.

Portfolio of Programs Our strategic array of programs strengthens the breadth, depth, reach and responsiveness of our school.

Our portfolio of programs serves a broad audience by addressing management education needs at various stages of the career. Further, through our portfolio, we offer deeper expertise across our programs than any one program alone could support. The variety of programs also makes it possible for Owen to impact more industries and corporate partners. We believe that our ability to develop and implement new programs provides us opportunities to capitalize on changing market needs. Finally, our portfolio supports our personal-­‐scale strategy by allowing us to limit the size of any one program.

Diverse Community A diverse and inclusive community is an essential element of the Owen experience.

Learning to capitalize on diversity and understand different cultures and experiences is critical for today’s global companies. We actively recruit students and faculty from across the globe and from different backgrounds. Owen’s diverse community facilitates the development of a global mindset and enables our students to master the challenges of managing diverse teams. Peer learning is a significant part of the Owen experience. We recognize that students are motivated by their colleagues, faculty and staff through a shared goal of becoming strong leaders. Thus, we encourage students to bring their diverse perspectives both to the classroom and to extracurricular learning experiences.

Close-­‐knit, Collaborative Community In today’s connected economy, specialization and collaboration are ever more important.

Business today is extremely competitive. We are as competitive as any business school, but also seek to develop leaders who understand the value of relationships and collaboration. Through team-­‐based assignments, small class sizes and community initiatives, we develop collaborative leaders and team players that are greatly valued by the organizations they join. Our close-­‐knit community lives on within our alumni, who actively support the school and one another. Faculty and staff strive to make Owen’s working environment equally collaborative, where everyone’s views are heard and valued. Thus, the benefits of our close-­‐knit community are reflected in faculty and staff satisfaction.

Inquiry and Discovery We believe that research-­‐based faculty members are ultimately the best teachers.

Owen’s faculty are engaged in inquiry and discovery. It is the thirst for new insights that produces high-­‐impact research and creates an environment where faculty inspire students to

Revised 5-­‐11-­‐2015

Page 2

look beyond simple answers, instilling the wonder and excitement of discovery. Accordingly, we attract and develop faculty with dual excellence in research and teaching. We encourage our faculty to push the frontiers of their fields, impacting both the theory and practice of management.

Transformational Leadership Organizations of all sizes and sectors seek individuals who can lead and manage change.

We believe that leadership capabilities are enhanced through learning experiences that cultivate self-­‐awareness. Our personal-­‐scale approach allows us to refine each student’s leadership skills through individual assessments, personal reflection, informed feedback, coaching and leadership experiences. Our scale also offers many more leadership roles per student than larger competitors, providing students the opportunity to practice and receive guidance on effective leadership. We believe our approach transforms students, making them better leaders of teams, organizations and industries.

Revised 5-­‐11-­‐2015

Page 3