Is ILR Right for Me?

[class0f2017]

I am interested in business/finance so it seems like AEM would be what I’m looking for. ILR seems to be more for those interested in law school. However, I’ve always thought of law school and if I got into Cornell, I would get really good FA so going into law school would be a little less of a financial burden. However, it’s not really 50/50 it’s more like 75% business/finance, 25% I would continue in law. Even if I don’t go into law, I feel like I would enjoy studying ILR rather than straight business. Many of my other school choices I would choose a business major and try to get a political science minor just because it is an interest of mine. So with my interests and career goals in mind, would ILR be a better fit? If I continue with finance, would ILR be at a disadvantage for finance jobs compared to AEM students? That is my biggest concern.

[brantly]

You should study what you are interested in studying. Look at the exact sequence of courses you would have to take at ILR and AEM. Which do you like better?

Look at the career section of the ILR website to find what kinds of jobs graduates have been getting recently. Here’s a link: https://www.ilr.cornell.edu/sites/ilr.cornell.edu/files/FINAL%20BS%20ILR%20Postgrad%20Report%202015_0.pdf

[class0f2017]

@brantly That is my dilemma though. I think a combination of both business and law would be what I’m most interested in studying. I looked at the ILR curriculum. It definitely seems more law oriented the first two years, but there is a lot of flexibility for junior/senior year. Would ILR with a business minor be a good combination? Or maybe reverse that if possible. Is this common? From an outside view it might seem like someone trying to backdoor into business which I want to avoid.

[brantly]

There’s no such thing as backdoor into business. You can major in history and go into business. Also, there’s no ILR minor. Not sure about AEM. I do know that plenty of people go into business as ILR grads. But the curriculum is more about the social science side of business, not heavy finance and analytics. So it depends on what you mean by “business.”

Also, have you looked into the new Cornell College of Business?

[CT1417]

I was in ILR many moons ago and created my own business minor, but without anyone actually calling it a minor. I took classes in Ag Ec (Accounting, Marketing, Public Speaking), Hotel (more Accounting, Real Estate, Computer software applications), ORIE within Engineering, and finally one class at JGSM that was open to undergrads.

ILR appears to have fewer true labor course requirements these days, so I think you could make it your own business-like degree.

Unless the university has changed the rules with the creation of the Business College, all students except Hotel students are allowed to pursue a business minor.

https://dyson.cornell.edu/undergraduate/minors/university-wide-business

There were not a lot of non-ILR students enrolling in those entry level ILR courses (back in the day…), but many non-Ag students enrolled in the Ag courses. A current student can probably help you much more.

[class0f2017]

@brantly The College of Business has been confusing me. I thought everything would remain the same, they were just trying to separate AEM from CALS. However, there is a thread here that says the AEM question still talks about CALS so I’m not sure what really changed.

@CT1417 Did you go into HR type work or business/finance? Is the path I’m trying to take normal for ILR majors? It’s not a huge percentage, but decent amount of ILR grads seem to go into financial services/consulting.

[brantly]

College of Businesses is separate from AEM.

Why does it matter If your path is “normal”? I know someone who graduated from ILR and is now getting a PhD in clinical psychology.

[class0f2017]

@brantly Not sure if this is the right link, but it says that Cornell business is made up of AEM, and Hotel Administration.

https://business.cornell.edu/undergraduate/

My understanding is that the College of Business isn’t anything new, it just moves the different types of business majors all into one school rather than having hotel administration and AEM separate.

[brantly]

No. Hotel and AEM will still exist separately.

[CT1417]

@brantly – I am not sure we can say for certain that SHA & AEM will continue to exist separately, but for now they do appear to be running as they had. Many Hotelie alums up in arms about the merger.

[class0f2017]

@brantly @CT1417 But SHA and AEM will both be in the College of Business right? There aren’t any new business majors in the College of Business, I thought it was just SHA and AEM.

[brantly]

Here’s the full text of the letter to alumni. FAQ to follow in next post.

Dear Cornell Alumni Community:

Yesterday, the Cornell Board of Trustees authorized the design and implementation of a plan for a Cornell College of Business, comprising the University’s three exceptional accredited business schools: the School of Hotel Administration (SHA), the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management (Dyson), and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (Johnson). The plan for the new college will be developed with broad input from faculty, students, staff, and alumni.

Yesterday’s action by the Board of Trustees marks the beginning of an inclusive and crucial process that will more fully define the details of how the College of Business will be structured. Faculty and leadership of the three schools will work to determine the academic processes, governance, and other necessary elements of the new College with input from alumni, student, and staff advisory committees (see membership lists, below) that will ensure that decisions are as broadly informed as possible. We wish to underscore our commitment to making this process inclusive and open for all, and encourage all of you to engage committee members representing your respective constituencies to share your thoughts and aspirations for the new College, as your input will be critical to its success.

The Cornell College of Business will be one of the most comprehensive business schools in the nation when it is launched, anticipated during the 2016-17 academic year, with 145 research faculty and nearly 2,900 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students. It represents a significant new commitment to the excellence of business education at Cornell and will further two primary objectives.

First, and consistent with Cornell’s founding mission, it will enable Cornell faculty and students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels to better collaborate to address many of the world’s major challenges, from sustainability to shared prosperity and wealth imbalance. The comprehensive College of Business will attract the strongest faculty and students, catalyze their interactions, and educate students around the world in management, entrepreneurship, hospitality, agribusiness, and sustainable business development. For a top-tier university like Cornell, an outstanding and integrated business program with the scope and scale to collaborate across all our campuses and with our global partners is necessary for success. Ours is an exciting but challenging world, where students and faculty need to engage with the economy and business, as well as collaborate with other disciplines, in academically rigorous ways that enrich our educational programs.

Second, the College will preserve and enhance the distinct, long-standing and extraordinary focus and brands of our three existing business schools. Each school will maintain its own identity and mission, while their collective capabilities will be strengthened by bringing together faculty, curricular offerings, and programs within a cohesive College. Indeed, the unique nature of our accredited business schools is among the primary factors that will distinguish the Cornell College of Business from its peers. Each school within the College will continue to be presided over by a Dean of the School who will have responsibility for that school’s admissions and academic program and participate in the College Dean’s leadership team. Searches for new deans of the three schools will involve faculty and alumni from the individual schools, and will focus on advancing each school’s mission and enhancing its reputation.

Many alumni, faculty, and students are understandably upset that this initiative was announced without a comprehensive discussion with all Cornell stakeholders and faculty. We have heard from many passionate alumni of our three outstanding schools, for whom this announcement came as a surprise, and we understand and regret that this proposal has elicited so much concern and unhappiness from so many. Cornell’s leadership is committed to ensuring that such questions and concerns are addressed going forward, as we work to preserve the unique strengths of each of our three schools. Moreover, throughout the coming months, the leaders of the University and each of the schools and colleges will consult extensively with our valued and committed alumni.

Next Tuesday, February 2 (5-6pm, Memorial Room, Willard Straight Hall), we will hold an informational session for students to ask questions and learn how their current school will be integrated into the College of Business and how this will further their educational opportunities and those of future students. A town hall forum for faculty and staff will take place on Wednesday, February 17 (4:30-6pm, Lewis Auditorium, Goldwin Smith Hall), and information about alumni forums will be announced over the coming days. We will provide regular updates to the community on our progress toward our shared goals for the College.

The benefits of the new College are many, as our Trustees recognized during a lengthy and thoughtful discussion. Through the College of Business, we will be able to achieve the full potential of our business programs by fostering diverse learning opportunities and collaboration among students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels, with a greater focus on areas such as globalization, technology, entrepreneurship, and finance. Faculty will be able to engage more easily and effectively in cross-disciplinary research and broad dissemination of ideas to increase the national and international influence of faculty scholarship and achievements. The new College also will enable us to expand Cornell’s domestic and global initiatives, including further development and diversification of programs that span Cornell’s campuses, including Cornell Tech and partner institutions across the globe; support our recruiting and corporate relationships; and build out our executive education and continuing education programs.

The College of Business will be led by Soumitra Dutta, the current Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean of Johnson, who will become Dean of the College of Business. Chris Barrett, the current David J. Nolan Director of the Dyson School and Stephen B. & Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management, will assume the role of Deputy Dean and Dean of Academic Affairs, and Rohit Verma, executive director of the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures and the Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor in Asian Hospitality Management, will assume the role of Dean of External Relations of the College of Business. The Dyson School will remain within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and also join the new College of Business. Dyson students who are New York State residents will continue to enroll at the New York State contract college tuition rate. Dyson faculty will continue to be involved with the mission of CALS and play an influential role in the success of New York State.

The Deans of CALS, the School of Hotel Administration, and the Johnson Graduate School of Management, as well as the current Director of the Dyson School, will be fully engaged in the formation of the Cornell College of Business.

For more information about the College of Business, please see the FAQ below or visit business.cornell.edu.

We look forward to working with all of you, as a community, on this exciting initiative to advance the academic excellence of our great university, create new opportunities to educate the next generation of leaders and creators, and cement Cornell’s position as a world-class center of teaching and research for business management and entrepreneurship.

Elizabeth Garrett
President

Michael Kotlikoff
Provost

[brantly]

FAQ sent to alumni (deleted some of the questions that would not be relevant to applicants):

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Cornell establishing a College of Business?

Cornell is establishing a unified College of Business to cement the University’s position as a world-class center of teaching and research for business management and entrepreneurship. The College of Business will be one of the most comprehensive business schools in the country with 145 research faculty and nearly 2,900 undergraduate, professional, and graduate students, enhancing the stature and recognition of business studies at Cornell in an increasingly competitive global landscape and allowing it to engage in even more ambitious educational and research initiatives.

This step will allow Cornell to achieve the full potential of its business programs by integrating Cornell business faculty and students at all levels and coordinating programmatic collaborations that span Cornell’s campuses. It will help advance Cornell’s deeply rooted mission to apply knowledge for public purpose and to educate the next generation of leaders and creators to benefit society, solve some of the world’s major challenges, and better serve the needs of New York State.

Which schools will become part of the College of Business?

The College of Business will comprise Cornell’s three accredited business programs: the School of Hotel Administration (SHA), the Charles H. Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management (Dyson), and the Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management (Johnson). Each school will maintain its unique identity and mission, while the new structure will enhance their collective capabilities by bringing together their faculty, curricular offerings, and programs under a unified College of Business.

• SHA is the top-ranked hospitality program globally and leads the world in fostering a deep business-focused understanding of the service and hospitality industries, real estate, and entrepreneurial training for its students and future industry leaders;
• The Dyson School is internationally recognized as a leader in agricultural, developmental, international, and environmental and resource economics and management as well as sustainability;
• Johnson is a globally recognized leader in graduate management with a portfolio of innovative programs in Ithaca, New York City, across North and South America, and in China. Johnson has pioneered performance learning and integrated leadership approaches in business education.

The Dyson School will remain within the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) and also join the new College of Business. Dyson students who are New York State residents will continue to enroll at the New York State contract college tuition rate. Its faculty are integral not only to the Dyson School, but to other programs in CALS, a connection unaffected by this organizational change.

Greater integration among programs across the three business schools will create more diverse and rigorous learning and research opportunities for both students and faculty to strengthen entrepreneurship, business, real estate, and management education at Cornell.

How will the College of Business be structured?

Soumitra Dutta, the current Anne and Elmer Lindseth Dean of Johnson, will become Dean of the College of Business when it is launched. Chris Barrett, the current David J. Nolan Director of the Dyson School and Stephen B. & Janice G. Ashley Professor of Applied Economics and Management, will assume the role of Deputy Dean and Dean of Academic Affairs, and Rohit Verma, executive director of the Cornell Institute for Healthy Futures and the Singapore Tourism Board Distinguished Professor in Asian Hospitality Management, will assume the role of Dean of External Relations. Each school within the College will continue to be presided over by a Dean of the School who will have responsibility for that school’s admissions and academic program. Because of its shared nature, the Dean of CALS will continue to have a relationship with the Dyson School.

Our goal is to link faculty of equivalent disciplines in departments that span the individual schools in order to enhance collaborations in teaching and research and coordinate faculty recruitment.

Who will be the deans of SHA, Dyson and Johnson?

We will commence searches for deans of the three schools within the College of Business. The searches will involve faculty and alumni from the individual schools, and will focus on advancing each school’s mission and enhancing its reputation.

How will the College of Business enhance the student experience at Cornell?

The College of Business will bring together the excellence and breadth of Cornell’s leading undergraduate, graduate, and specialized professional programs to create a more collaborative and comprehensive business management program for students. Students will gain exposure to a wider array of faculty and learning opportunities across disciplines, including at Cornell Tech and through our partnerships with institutions around the world, and be able to collaborate with a broader assembly of students at the undergraduate, graduate, and professional levels.

How will the new College of Business benefit the University?

By bringing Cornell’s three business schools together, we will nurture the pursuit of new learning opportunities that have yielded popular, progressive programs such as Entrepreneurship@Cornell, the Baker Program in Real Estate, and the new Johnson Cornell Tech MBA. The new structure will enable the expansion of domestic and global programmatic initiatives, which include further development and diversification of programs at Cornell Tech and educational partnerships with institutions across the globe.

The related nature of the disciplines across each of Cornell’s three accredited business schools also provides an opportunity to establish an effective administrative structure that will be immensely beneficial to our ability to attract the best and brightest faculty and students.

Will students still be able to apply for admission directly to the three schools?

Yes, students will apply to the schools and specific graduate programs. We anticipate that each of the three schools and CALS will continue to use its own unique approaches to admissions and work to find the right students to fit its individual programs.

Will SHA, Dyson and Johnson’s relationships with recruiters change and how will career services be handled for students?

Each school will maintain its relationships with recruiters, providing students with assistance securing positions after graduation. Expanding and deepening those connections remains a priority.

What new courses will be available for students in the new College of Business?

Curriculum decisions will be made by the faculty of each of the three schools starting the first half of 2016.

Will all three schools in the College of Business offer graduate degree programs?

While Johnson MBA and EMBA programs will remain solely within the Johnson School, all three schools will continue to offer graduate programs in a variety of subjects. Moreover, executive education programs will be expanded, and all three schools will have greater access to Johnson School facilities in Collegetown and to Cornell Tech, with the possibility of new, joint graduate and executive education programs.

[brantly]

So, AEM and SHA still exist separately. AEM will be both in the College of Business and CALS (Ag school to us oldies). But they will also be part of the College of Business. Sounds like an administrative nightmare.

[class0f2017]

@brantly So applying and admissions pretty much remain the same? Is AEM still going to be only 100 spots for incoming freshman?

[brantly]

Looks like admissions is the same. I have no idea how many are admitted. I’m not an insider. Just an alumna.