In his book Excellence Without a Soul, Harry R. Lewis criticizes universities for not articulating ideals for future leaders. He argues that an excellent school must have a core curriculum, agreement on common values, and an engaged and caring faculty. I believe that Tuck is strong in each of those noble goals.
Our strategy is clearly aimed at having the best leadership development environment with a faculty of thought leaders who are dedicated to student learning. We engineer a course of learning that combines the best in-class experiences with a rich and varied array of experiential learning events, including:
- a rigorous and integrated core
- unprecedented emphasis on teamwork
- a comprehensive leadership program
- an array of cutting-edge electives based on in-depth expertise
- experiential projects on campus and around the world
Because we focus on the experience of each individual, our students leave Tuck with a touchstone for a life of principled leadership. The rigor of our program reminds them to base their assertions on sound reasoning. The closeness of their colleagues at Tuck reminds them that the core of ethical behavior is how you treat your fellow human beings. Our emphasis on individual responsibility reminds them that being smart, well-educated, and well-placed is not enough—a principled leader puts others first and helps them to do great things.
Tuck demonstrates excellence with a soul. At the center of it all is the support and encouragement of our alumni. As evidence of how you feel about your alma mater, this year we not only broke our previous record for annual-giving participation, but once more we have by far the highest giving rates of any business school. I thank you for your crucial help in making Tuck such a soulful place for the leaders of tomorrow.
Paul Danos
