I’m not sure which Jack Welch or which GE you’re talking about. Jack Welch is a living legend, not one who spent his career talking or pontificating about how to succeed and excel, but one who is a master of DOING. That’s one of the components missing in many of the business courses, so it should be a welcome addition to enrollees. And yes, Mr. Welch will be involved in aspects of the classes.

1. Do you want to learn how to run a business from the man that ran GE into the ground? He didn’t step down, in essence he got fired!

2. He’s paying 2 million to get his name on a building for his own sake not yours. Its called getting filthy rich.

3. He isn’t even teaching the classes himself so its not a Jack Welch education.

I found myself in the perfect situation for enrolling in an online MBA program and found the Jack Welch Institute (JMI) program from the initial press coverage of Jack Welch`s newest venture. I needed an online MBA program because my Brazilian fiancee and I need to wait anywhere from 8-12 months for her USA visa paperwork to process. Therefore, an online program gave me the flexibility of not physically being in the USA while still getting an American MBA. However, I withdrew shortly after enrolling because the MBA program at Chancellor University needs to educate itself on proper business practices.

First, I will admit to being skeptical of online education but thought the Jack Welch name would add some credibility to the program. I fought through the ¨likes¨ and ¨you knows¨ of a few bubble-gum chewing college kids on the phone to enroll in classes. After enrolling, I kept receiving emails asking me to enroll. Then, snail mail started coming to my mother (I am traveling still) at the rate of 2 or more letters per week. Also, phone calls started at the rate of 2-3 per week and each from a different person. The confusion on my end grew. Did they enroll me or not? A phone call to yet another agent cleared it up, and so I ordered my books. Upon arrival, I started reading the Communications textbook and found a section on ´noise´. Wow, was I getting a lot of noise from JWI. There was so much communication (most of it pointless) that I quickly became put-off. It was too many emails, letters, and phone calls. Do I want to be part of a university in which the organizers of the school do not follow their own teachings?

Then the torpedo arrived. A letter came to my house stating that based on my resume and transcripts I needed to take two ´bridge´ classes. These were 2 pre-requisites courses. The first was in financial accounting. Okay, I never studied accounting in detail but did have 2 courses in Economics along with a Statistics course as an undergraduate. I could live with having to take this course (and the additional $3000 fee). But the second pre-requisite course was too much. They wanted me to take a Management and Leadership course. I graduated with Dean´s List honors from the United States Military Academy at West Point. I have had quite a few courses in management and leadership including one explicitly stated on my transcripts as Behavior Science and Leadership. Plus, I was an Army Officer for 3 years which included leading soldiers in a combat zone. Now, I was angry. I called the Registrar´s office that sent out the letter. The woman asked me who signed the letter. Wow, I could not tell her the name because there was a signature but no signature block underneath that printed the name and title of the signer. She gave me a few names as I guessed at the signature. This is business communications 101! Finally, I talked with a woman at the Registrar who said she would review my transcripts and work experience and get back to me. The next day she called to say that she could not waive either ´bridge´ course. After some disagreement, she agreed to take it to the Dean. In my 6 years of business experience as a sales representative, she should have taken it to the Dean before calling me back. I later that day called the Admissions people to drop-out. The man said he would email me with a confirmation. He never did. I had to email him to get the confirmation.

How can an MBA program teach me good business practices if it cannot practice good business? Was all the talk of Jack Welch (mentioned repetitedly on every call and coorespondance) just a sales pitch? Would Jack Welch be happen with my experience? Were the 2 ´bridge´ courses (along with a new expansion of the program from 10 to 12 courses ) an attempt at maximizing student revenue? The JWI MBA failed to sell this former salesman.