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he article by Windsor and Tuggle[1982] in the August issue is an in-

Of the criticisms the authors do cite,

ing only one of these factors cannot effec-tively answer criticisms as broad as thoseaimed at MBA programs. Certainlychanges are necessary and desirable.Criticism is too widespread and arisesfrom too many sources to be discounted.By adopting the assumptions implicit inthe American Assembly of CollegiateSchools of Business (AACSB) model forthe MBA curriculum. Rice has severelylimited its ability to make changes. Themodel assum es the MBA stude nt is a 21-year-old recent graduate of a bac-calaureate program. This student gener-ally lacks maturity and experience and isin particular need of entry level skills. Nocurriculum, however good, can developthe attributes of experience and maturityin such a student. They should be presentprior to their starting an MBA program.This is all simply to say that, by and large,the wrong people are in MBA programsand that the programs are designed toserve the needs of the wrong market.

It is the more mature and experiencedstudent who ought to be in an MBA pro-gram, and not the 21-year-old seekingentry level competence. An examinationof the admissions criteria of the "better"programs will confirm that this is not anew insight. The AACSB model and theprogram standards which devolve from it

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FRANKLINstarted some five years ago is a programwhich responds positively to the criti-cisms noted and is designed for the moremature, experienced student. Our stu-dents are all working full time in respon-sible positions well beyond the entrylevel. Their average age is 31. The Hous-ton Baptist University program is pre-sented as a two-year package and has no"major." All the courses are taught bydoctorally-qualified faculty with industrialexperience in the area in which theyteach. The program has experienced acompound annual growth in excess of30% and enrolls approximately 170 stu-dents. It is known throughout Houstonfor its quality and for its relevance to theneeds of experienced students. We haveno plans to seek AACSB accreditation.

All of us who teach in undergraduateprograms have traditionally suggestedthat students "go on" to graduate schoolimmediately, knowing that if they don't,they may never return for graduate work.Some students take our advice, and man yothers, motivated by defensive considera-tions, also enter MBA programs im-mediately. Anyone who would benefitfrom an MBA program as a 21-year-oldnew graduate would benefit even more asan experienced 31-year-old. I contend thatthe "norm" which populates MBA pro-grams with 21-year-olds is inappropriateand must be modified. Until it is, MBAprograms will never satisfy their critics.

Ed. note: This comment is a condensa-

ReferenceWindsor, Duane and Tuggle, Francis D. 19"Redesigning the MBA curriculum. InterfVol. 12, No. 4 (August 1982), pp. 7277Carter L. Franklin, UHouston Baptist University, 7502 FondRoad, Houston, Texas 77074

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