Interview with Dean Joss
Melish Thompson, MBA1
Issue date: 4/21/03 Section: Features
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I was recently able to ask Dean Joss several questions regarding his day-to-day and his thoughts on the GSB.
[Melish]: Can you describe your day-to-day activities as Dean? What is your split between fund-raising, Stanford University politics, GSB politics, student issues, other?
[Dean Joss]: Fund raising, which includes individual meetings and alumni gatherings, takes about one-third of my time. About 90% of the other two thirds is divided fairly equally between faculty affairs (appointments, promotions, recruiting, curriculum, faculty development, academic issues, communication) student affairs (town halls, lunches/dinners, events, introductions, meetings), and GSB staff and administrative affairs (town halls, staff meetings, budgets, plans, HR issues and reviews, operations reviews, orientations). Stanford University activities and events probably take 5-10% overall, and then I am on three outside corporate boards which takes a fair amount of my outside time.
[Melish]: How has the GSB student body changed since 1) You were a student, 2)You first started as dean?
[Dean Joss]: 1) Compared to the mid 60s, we are much more diverse in terms of women, people of color, and international students; and we are on average about 2 years older with more work experience in many more widespread dimensions. Today we attract the top students (not always so in 1965) and gaining admissions is much more competitive. It is just a more worldly and educated student population today. When I came here, for example, I didn't even have a passport! 2) Compared to when I started in Autumn 1999, we have more women, more humility (about how hard it is to build a business, a career, a balanced and successful life), a greater interest in interpersonal and people issues, and a stronger sense of community and mutual respect among students, faculty, staff, and alumni. An additional comment might be there is somewhat less interest in start-ups and technology, although these are still stronger at GSB than at other schools of business.
[Melish]: Can you describe your day-to-day activities as Dean? What is your split between fund-raising, Stanford University politics, GSB politics, student issues, other?
[Dean Joss]: Fund raising, which includes individual meetings and alumni gatherings, takes about one-third of my time. About 90% of the other two thirds is divided fairly equally between faculty affairs (appointments, promotions, recruiting, curriculum, faculty development, academic issues, communication) student affairs (town halls, lunches/dinners, events, introductions, meetings), and GSB staff and administrative affairs (town halls, staff meetings, budgets, plans, HR issues and reviews, operations reviews, orientations). Stanford University activities and events probably take 5-10% overall, and then I am on three outside corporate boards which takes a fair amount of my outside time.
[Melish]: How has the GSB student body changed since 1) You were a student, 2)You first started as dean?
[Dean Joss]: 1) Compared to the mid 60s, we are much more diverse in terms of women, people of color, and international students; and we are on average about 2 years older with more work experience in many more widespread dimensions. Today we attract the top students (not always so in 1965) and gaining admissions is much more competitive. It is just a more worldly and educated student population today. When I came here, for example, I didn't even have a passport! 2) Compared to when I started in Autumn 1999, we have more women, more humility (about how hard it is to build a business, a career, a balanced and successful life), a greater interest in interpersonal and people issues, and a stronger sense of community and mutual respect among students, faculty, staff, and alumni. An additional comment might be there is somewhat less interest in start-ups and technology, although these are still stronger at GSB than at other schools of business.