Last fall, Dean of the Business School John H. McArthur went to the Yale School of Organization and Management to participate in its study on Harvard's teaching style.

During McArthur's appearance, he released comments from a confidential speech he gave at a retreat with President Neil L. Rudenstine and several Harvard deans in June 1992. They revealed the dean's fear that the Business School could fall behind.

"Only a hair lies between our being successful, self-confident, achieving, upbeat, open to change, able to change, generous [in] spirit, fulfilling for our people...and floundering mediocrity," McArthur said at Yale.

The dean's comments followed criticism by he business community and he national media of the school's case-study method, which some deemed outdated and ineffective.

So in the fall, the Business School began the difficult process of remaking itself, embarking on one of the most comprehensive and radical restructuring plans in its history.

'Losing Ground'

Last July, Business Week featured the Business School on its cover, alleging that the institution was "losing ground." The magazine quoted several Business School alumni and students who said they were unhappy with the way the school was operating.

Four months later, the school released a draft version of a project, dubbed "Leadership and Learning," to restructure its flagship MBA program.

The plan calls for a de-emphasis of traditional case-based classroom discussion and places special focus on teamwork by devoting approximately 25 percent of coursework to group projects.

According to a recent school newsletter, Leadership and Learning is designed to encourage development of business leaders rather than to "train managers."

"It is trying to prepare our graduates for the increasingly changing, uncertain and challenging world and to reflect it in our curriculum," says Arbuckle Professor of Business Administration Carl S. Sloane, who heads the personal improvement and continuous education component of Leadership and Learning.

A Four-Part Plan

According to Professor of Business Administration Leonard A. Schlesinger, head of the Core Design Team in charge of the curriculum, there are four parts to the plan.

It includes a revision of the school's academic calendar from a two-term to a 30-week system with a four to six week orientation session. This early session, called "Foundations," consists of short classes designed to enhance basic skills.

The new calendar also attempts to incorporate career development with personal improvement learning focused on changing behavior. Under the plan, the second-year curriculum will change to concentrate on organizational behavior and field-based learning.