General Information

The University of Virginia Graduate School of Business Administration owes its existence to the energy and interest of a group of bankers and business people from Virginia and neighboring states, who formed a Sponsoring Committee to assist in the organization of a graduate school of business administration.

By 1954, the Sponsoring Committee had established an endowment, and the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Virginia appropriated additional funds. Meanwhile, a faculty committee of the University recommended that the school be established, and on March 19, 1954, the University Senate voted a like recommendation. On April 9, the Board of Visitors adopted the following resolution:

"Resolved by the Board of Visitors of the Rector and Visitors of the University of Virginia that a graduate School of Business Administration be and it is hereby created as a separate School of the University."

Since 1955, the school has grown in size, in the scope of its curriculum, and in the geographical diversity of its influence. As the reputation of the school continues to broaden, it maintains a balance in its commitment to Virginia and the South, as well as to the national and international business communities.

On July 1, 1974, it became The Colgate Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia. Colgate Whitehead Darden, Jr., preeminent statesperson and educator from the State of Virginia, was Governor of Virginia from 1942 through 1946 and served as President of the University of Virginia from 1947 until 1959.

Mr. Darden was one of the prime forces in the creation of a graduate business school at the University of Virginia and remained an active supporter of the school through its development.

The school is proud to bear the name of this remarkable man.

Address

Darden Graduate School of Business Administration
100 Darden Boulevard
University of Virginia
P.O. Box 6550
Charlottesville, VA 22906-6550
(434) 924-3900
www.darden.virginia.edu

Facilities

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The Darden School The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration is located on the North Grounds, about a mile from the central University Grounds, as part of a graduate-professional complex that also includes the Law School and the Judge Advocate General’s School. The new Darden Grounds - which will be completed in early 2003 -now includes the new Darden Center, Saunders Hall, the Camp Library and student services building, twin office and classroom buildings, an indoor parking garage,, and the newly added Sponsors Executive Residence Center and gatehouse, used extensively for executive education. The Sponsors Executive Resident Center, adjacent to the Darden Grounds and completed in 2002, complements the school’s executive education facilities. With this new addition to the former Sponsors Hall, it now offers 180 private bedrooms, as well as additional classrooms, meeting rooms, improved dining facilities, and a fitness center and recreation rooms.

Computer Facilities The Darden School has a "state-of-the-art" technology infrastructure to support its modern new facility. All classrooms have power and network access for each student seat and are equipped with large screen projection systems. Students are required to purchase a laptop computer when they enter Darden. In fact, there are over 1000 computers in the school. Over 4,500 ports are available throughout the school, allowing easy access to both the school’s network and the Internet from students’ notebook computers. High-end desktop computers are available in the 80 learning team rooms and 20 research stations in the library.

The school provides interactive access to many databases and information services, such as Dow Jones News Retrieval, Bloomberg, DRI, and Compustat. Students can access the school’s e-mail system remotely for electronic mail and course related materials. The school’s recently released portal, my Darden, provides easy access to information systems that support all aspects of student life, including course pre-registration and add-drop, career services, announcements, curriculum resources and a community calendar.

Darden is host to a full-sized, professionally equipped Video Production Studio designed to facilitate pedagogical aims through analog and digital video, both for local classroom instruction and externally marketed case-study Multimedia delivery. Video content is produced and acquired at Darden or "on-the-road" as the case study dictates. Material gathered can then be assigned to Darden’s Editing Facility to be professionally edited on a choice of Avid editing systems and converted to one of many digital formats for further processing and distribution as necessary. The new Darden Center Auditorium is also a video production facility with state-of-the-art broadcast-grade video cameras and audio systems designed to capture large-scale student, faculty, or UVa community educational and social presentations. Professional-quality, high-bandwidth Video and Audio conferencing can be facilitated to and from the Studio, Darden Center Auditorium, or any of 18 Electronically Connected Classrooms. Video conferencing is also available in the learning team rooms to support student projects and video-editing equipment is available to Darden students in the library.

Darden’s Student Information Systems is comprised of Admissions, Career Services, Class Registration, and Alumni Services. These four software modules were developed and written in-house by the administrative staff and the IS technology department. These systems have proven so successful that fourteen of the top twenty business schools in the country have licensed one or more of these systems for their own use.

Information technology is highly integrated into the Darden curriculum. First-year students make heavy use of the spreadsheet, word processing, data analysis, and presentation graphics software installed on their notebook computers. Use of computers in both the first and second years is designed to provide an understanding of the role of information technology in information-gathering and decision-making contexts.

Library The Camp Business Library of the Darden School is a research library that provides vital support to students in their course work, classroom preparation, research projects, and career search. The library has a current collection of materials that are focused on business and the social sciences. This library contains basic reference works, a broad selection of business and public affairs periodicals, selected government documents, statistical resources, as well as access to over 100 electronic databases. The Library staff is headed by a professional librarian and a reference librarian who are both members of the Darden faculty. The librarians and library staff are available to assist students with the development of research strategies and the use of information services that are available at the Darden Library as well as other UVa libraries.

The Darden School Foundation

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The supportive relationship between the school and the Darden School Foundation began with the initiative of those southern business leaders who, under the guidance of former University President Colgate W. Darden, Jr., secured the initial endowment funds necessary to found the school in the early 1950s.

Today, the role of the foundation continues as a nonprofit, tax-exempt corporation that manages current endowment funds for the exclusive benefit of the Darden School, operates the school’s prominent executive education programs, and promotes the support of the school by alumni, friends, and corporations. An elected Board of Trustees, many of them Darden alumni, manage the foundation’s affairs and give freely of their time and advice, providing an important link between the academic and business communities.

Funds provided annually to the school contribute to all phases of life at Darden. In the past several years, these funds covered approximately one-half of the school’s operating budget.

The Darden School moved into new facilities in 1996. These facilities, referred to as Phase I were designed by Robert A. M. Stern, a prominent architect. They include classrooms, offices, common areas, a library, and bedrooms for Executive Education participants. Phase II will be completed in 2002 and includes a 500 car parking garage, the Darden Center housing a 470 person auditorium, a 400 person dining room, student lounge, and offices. Also additions to existing classrooms, offices, and bedroom buildings were added. These facilities, built exclusively with private funds, are a visible tribute to the support and loyalty of the Foundation and alumni.

The Darden School’s rapid rise to prominence on the strength of both its M.B.A. and Executive Education programs is, in large part, due to the initial and continuing generosity of the many alumni, friends, and corporations who comprise the Darden School Foundation membership.

The Darden School Alumni

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The greatest strength of any educational institution is the accomplishment and good will of its alumni. The Darden School more than 7,500 alumni, from the M.B.A. and Executive Programs.

The continuing interests of Darden alumni in the school’s affairs are fostered by the Darden Alumni Association, which is managed by the Alumni Relations office. The leadership of the Darden Alumni Association includes members of the Darden Alumni Board and Alumni Council. The Alumni Council is comprised of all volunteer leaders for the school–chapter leaders, class agents, class secretaries and other alumni who serve on various volunteer committees for student recruitment, career development, corporate relations and fundraising. There are 44 alumni chapters worldwide.

Alumni activities are organized regionally, by alumni chapter volunteers, with the help and guidance of Darden’s Alumni Relations office. Darden faculty frequently travel to alumni chapter events, making presentations on current research and relevant business topics. The Darden School also organizes an annual Alumni Reunion Weekend, held in April of each year. Reunion Weekend is the largest gathering of Darden alumni each year. Darden volunteer leaders gather on grounds each fall for Leadership Training Weekend. Darden’s Alumni Relations office is continually expanding its alumni base worldwide and further developing existing chapters and alumni program offerings. The Darden Alumni Office also works closely and cooperatively with the other University of Virginia graduate school alumni associations and the UVa Alumni Association to sponsor joint events and gatherings throughout the world.

Executive Education

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The Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia educates practicing managers via executive education programs. Darden has offered open-enrollment programs since 1955, and has been developing customized programs for over 45 years. Currently, a combination of over 100 program offerings serves more than 2,500 executives annually.

Darden programs are designed based on current business challenges, and place heavy emphasis on problem-solving and building managerial effectiveness. Approximately 40 percent of the programs are offered on an open- enrollment basis, while 60 percent are custom programs designed to meet specific single organization need. Darden also offers consortium programs that encourage involvement of groups of organizations in the development of objectives and content for customized programs that offer the benefits of multi-company participation.

Three- to ten-day executive programs are held throughout the year in seven different series which include: General Management, Leadership and Change, Marketing and Sales, Financial Excellence, Innovation and Operations Excellence, Capability Development: Individual and Organizational, and Darden Partnerships. Longer programs have been specifically designed for general managers facing the task of integrating several functional areas.

Darden programs attract executives from around the world, and have also been held in international locations. In the past few years, programs have been held in Australia, Bahrain, England, Hong Kong, and Spain. Darden frequently offers online learning opportunities, taking advantage of technology to extend and enhance the classroom learning experience. Darden continues to invest in technology to build stronger partnerships and encourage new relationships.

Each year in June, Darden Executive Education draws senior-level executives from around the world for participation in The Executive Program (TEP), an intensive four-week advanced management program designed for executives ready to make a breakthrough in their professional and personal lives.

Batten Institute

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The Batten Institute, a foundation within the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia, is a nexus of practitioners and scholars interested in fostering new practical knowledge about business innovation and change.

The center was established in 1999 through the generosity of Frank Batten, former chair of Landmark Communications, Inc. of Norfolk. It succeeds the Batten Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership, which was established in 1996 by Batten and his children Frank Batten, Jr., a 1984 Darden graduate, and Dorothy Batten Rolph, who received her Darden M.B.A. in 1990.

The Batten Institute invests in applied research and knowledge transfer programs about the frontiers of change in organizations, markets, and technologies. Projects sponsored by the Batten Institute illuminate the best practices of change agents such as entrepreneurs, transformational leaders, inventors, customers, risk-capital investors, and educators. The Batten Institute implements Darden’s research and programs on major business issues, including the Batten Fellows Program, Friends of the Batten Institute, the Darden Progressive Incubator, conferences and events, and the Darden School’s Northern Virginia Center.

Tayloe Murphy Center

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The Tayloe Murphy Center is an affiliated agency of the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration at the University of Virginia.

Overview The Tayloe Murphy Center develops and promotes relationships with Virginia businesses, fosters international educational and corporate partnerships, and conducts research that benefits the Commonwealth of Virginia. The Center encourages successful growth of Virginia-based businesses within the state and around the world by developing and implementing educational programs and research projects. It also aims to increase the visibility of the Darden School in Virginia and further its role as a supporter of state economic development.

Northern Virginia Center Darden’s Northern Virginia Center focuses on developing research opportunities for Darden faculty and students with Virginia companies. In Northern Virginia, the Tayloe Murphy Center is increasing Darden’s partnership with local Virginia corporations through new case studies, student internships, and business projects for Darden students. These projects are divided among U.S. and international locations, with almost half of them focused on Virginia companies. The Center develops and promotes the Darden Business Insights Series, which features Darden Faculty presentations, as a community services to local business leaders and alumni. The Center is an affiliate member of the Northern Virginia Technology Council, which has membership of more than 1,200 high-technology Virginia companies and a member of the Mid-Atlantic Venture Association. The Northern Virginia office is furthering Tayloe Murphy’s outreach into the community. Activities include the creation of VaRoom, a portal to aid the growth and development of Virginia businesses; involvement with local organizations and the development of educational programs targeting Virginia business.

International For more than a decade, the Tayloe Murphy Center has served as the focal point for international activities at Darden. The Center develops and implements educational programs and research projects that enhance both student and executive understanding of international issues, enabling them in turn to tap international opportunities. Through its educational activities, the Center seeks to improve the Commonwealth’s international trade.

The Center also aims to increase the global awareness of Darden and the University of Virginia by promoting interaction between Darden students and the rest of the world. It achieves this goal by supporting international exchanges with business schools in Australia, Belgium, China, Hong Kong, Japan, and Sweden and student business projects. In addition, the Center brings global academicians and business leaders to the University and the Commonwealth to share their experiences, knowledge, and perspectives.

History The Tayloe Murphy Center was established in 1962 with a $1,000,000 gift from an anonymous donor. The gift honored prominent banker and legislator W. Tayloe Murphy in "recognition and appreciation of his unfaltering support of the Graduate School of Business Administration." Other individuals and organizations contributed to the Center, which began with a mandate of furthering the commercial and economic development of Virginia businesses. Although the Tayloe Murphy Center has evolved over time, it still strives to fulfill that original mandate.

Olsson Center for Applied Ethics

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An international leader in the field of business ethics, the Olsson Center for Applied Ethics serves as a critical resource for executives, scholars, students, and Darden alumni who are faced with the challenges of integrating ethical thinking into business decision-making. It is ranked among the top academic centers for the study of ethics.

Center Activities

Administration The Co-Directors of the Olsson Center are R. Edwards Freeman, Elis and Signe Olsson Professor of Business Administration, and Patrica H. Werhane, Ruffin Professor of Business Ethics. The Center’s programs are conducted by the Directors and Senior Fellows from universities and business corporations. This combination of educators and executives ensures that Center programs and projects remain relevant to scholars, students, alumni, and other executives.

History In 1966 the Elis and Signe Olsson family of West Point, Virginia, founded an agency to focus on "efforts to improve standards of behavior in both public and private business" at the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration. Over the past three decades, the Olsson Center has helped heighten the awareness of ethical and moral issues in business.

Endowed Chairs and Special Gifts

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Endowed Chairs

The Charles C. Abbott Professorship of Business Administration honors Charles C. Abbott, the first Dean of the Graduate School of Business Administration, whose leadership brought the school to a position of national prominence. As the Converse Professor of Banking and Finance at the Harvard Business School, Charles Abbott was first consulted by the University and the Sponsor Trustees regarding the establishment of the Graduate School of Business Administration. His cogent advice in these formative stages convinced the sponsors that he should be the school’s first dean. Established by an anonymous donor, the professorship has been supplemented by the Class of 1959.

The E. Thayer Bigelow Research Professorship in Business Administration is designed to attract and retain eminent scholars in the field of business administration at the Darden School. It was made possible through the generosity of Mr. E. Thayer Bigelow, Jr. and is one of several professorships initiated by the Batten Family Leadership Challenge.

The Almand R. Coleman Professorship of Business Administration honors Almand R. Coleman, a founding faculty member of the school. For 21 years, Mr. Coleman guided the area of management accounting and control with a firm insistence on professional standards of conduct by colleagues and students. This chair reinforces a memory of him that is indelible. The professorship, established by an anonymous donor, has been supplemented by the Class of 1960.

The Alumni Research Professorship in Business Administration was established in 1995 by an anonymous Darden alumnus in honor of faculty member John L. Colley, Jr. Upon Mr. Colley’s retirement, the chair will be renamed for him.

The Dale S. Coenen Professorship in Free Enterprise was made possible by Mr. Harry E. Figgie of Figgie International and The Figgie Foundation to support the area of finance.

The Distinguished Professorship of Business Administration was established by the Board of Visitors to be granted by the University to a distinguished member of the Darden School faculty.

The Ethyl Corporation Professorship of Business Administration, established by the Ethyl Corporation, is to be held by an individual who is teaching a required course in the M.B.A. degree program.

The Leslie E. Grayson Professorship in Business Administration was funded by alumni and friends to recognize the many contributions to the Darden School by Leslie E. Grayson, who served on its faculty since 1971. The objective of this professorship is to attract and retain outstanding scholars in the field of international business at the Darden School.

The Paul M. Hammaker Professorship of Business Administration honors Paul M. Hammaker, who served on the faculty of the School from 1962 to 1973, after achieving national recognition as president of Montgomery Ward. This chair is a lasting expression of the respect and gratitude accorded him by his students.

The Isadore Horween Research Professorship was established by Ralph Horween in honor of his father and in memory of his wife, Genevieve B. Horween, to attract and retain eminent scholars in the field of small manufacturing enterprises.

The Johnson and Higgins Professorship of Business Administration This professorship was established in honor of Henry W. Johnson and A. Foster Higgins of the firm of Johnson and Higgins, founded in 1845.

The Paul Tudor Jones II Research Professorship, established in 1996 in both the McIntire School of Commerce and the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration, was created with a gift from Mr. Jones (College ‘76). The chair supports a professor who specializes in the technical analysis of financial and commodity markets and who exposes undergraduate and graduate business students to the concepts of this field.

The Killgallon Ohio Art Chair Professorship of Business Administration, funded by Martin L. Killgallon (M.B.A. ‘72) and William C. Killgallon (TEP ‘76) , is one of several endowed professorships initiated as a result of the Batten Family Leadership Challenge. Created to honor their late father, W. C. Killgallon, a man described as dedicated to the pursuit of lifelong learning-the objective of this professorship is to attract and retain outstanding scholars in the field of business administration at the Darden School.

The Landmark Communications Professorship of Business Administration was established by Landmark Communications, Inc., a newspaper, radio, and television company based in Norfolk, Va.

The MacAvoy Professorship in Business Administration, established in November 1996, was made possible by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas C. MacAvoy. Named in honor of Mr. MacAvoy’s family, the chair demonstrates a commitment to improving business education for future corporate leaders.

The Henry E. McWane Professorship of Business Administration honors a former president of Lynchburg Foundry Company who served on the Board of Visitors from 1954 to 1962. Mr. McWane was one of the five original incorporators of the Darden School Sponsors and served as president of the Trustees from 1955 to 1958.

The Arthur J. Morris Professorship of Business Administration honors Arthur J. Morris, the banker and financier who created The Morris Plan and who established The Morris Plan Chair of Consumer Credit in the Darden School.

The Tayloe Murphy Professorship in Business Administration was established by an anonymous donor to honor the memory of W. Tayloe Murphy of Warsaw, Virginia, in recognition of his support for the University of Virginia’s Graduate School of Business Administration.

The Elis and Signe Olsson Professorship of Business Administration is dedicated to high concepts of integrity and ethical conduct in public and private life.

John Alden Purinton, Jr., Visiting Professorship in International Management was funded by former faculty member John A. Purinton, Jr., to attract faculty with international business experience.

The Richard S. Reynolds Professorship of Business Administration honors Richard S. Reynolds, former president and chair of the Reynolds Metals Company, an illustrious and respected Virginia businessperson.

The Ruffin Professorship of Business Ethics was funded by the Ruffin Foundation to be given to a distinguished scholar of business ethics.

The Eleanor F. and Phillip G. Rust Professorship of Business Administration enriches instruction in the Graduate School of Business Administration with courses, seminars, or points of view that otherwise might not be available in the School in furthering this purpose, persons from the business world as well as from the academic world shall be eligible for election.

The C. Stewart Sheppard Professorship of Business Administration was established to honor the second dean of the Darden School. Mr. Sheppard served as a member of the faculty from 1961 to 1972 and as dean from 1972 to 1980.

The Samuel L. Slover Research Professorship This professorship was made possible by a Leadership Challenge from the Batten Family. Its purpose is to attract and retain eminent scholars in the field of business leadership.

The Tipton R. Snavely Professorship of Business Administration honors Tipton R. Snavely, who, as chair of the James Wilson School of Economics and the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, made the first suggestions to establish the Graduate School of Business Administration and whose energy and imagination led to the creation of the Sponsors, the school’s founding organization.

The Sponsors Professorship of Business Administration was established by an anonymous donor and the Trustees of the Darden School Foundation.

The Ronald E. Trzcinski Professorship of Business Administration is named for a 1971 Darden alumnus, and was established by the Wuliger Foundation of Cleveland, Ohio, the philanthropic arm of Ohio Mattress Manufacturing Company.

The John Tyler Professorship of Business Administration honors the 10th president of the United States, born in Virginia in 1790. Mr. Tyler served as Virginia’s governor and was a United States Senator, a member of the House of Representatives, a Virginia State Senator, and a member of Virginia’s House of Delegates. The Class of 1971 has supplemented this chair.

Robert F. Vandell Research Professorship was established from the estate of Robert F. Vandell and gifts from faculty, alumni, and friends of Professor Vandell and the Darden School.

The James C. Wheat, Jr., Professorship of Business Administration honors James C. Wheat, Jr., who served as an active Sponsors trustee of the school from 1969 to 1978. Mr. Wheat was founding chairman of Wheat, First Securities, Inc., of Richmond.

The Oliver Wight Professorship of Business Administration was established by the Oliver Wight Continuing Trust for Manufacturing Professionalism with funds given by friends and business associates at the suggestion of Joan W. Wight, widow of Oliver Wight.

The J. Harvie Wilkinson, Jr., Professorship of Business Administration honors a former president of United Virginia Bankshares who served on the Board of Visitors from 1966 to 1970. Mr. Wilkinson was a founding member of the Darden School Sponsors and served as a trustee from 1952 to 1964.

Special Gifts

John S. Alfriend Memorial Fund A matching fund donated by the Sovran Bank and friends of Mr. Alfriend for the development of guest lectureships, case writing, and special research projects.

General Motors Research Scholars Program Established by a grant from the General Motors Foundation to enable the faculty of the Darden School to initiate scholarly activity in an interdisciplinary investigation of issues central to creating and managing sustained high performance in organizations.

Wachovia Award For Excellence The Wachovia Awards for Excellence, established by the Wachovia Corporation, recognizes outstanding research or teaching materials developed by Darden School faculty.

The Everard Meade Fund for Creativity Established by the Class of 1970 in honor of Everard Meade, retired Darden School lecturer and alumni secretary. Income from the fund supports an annual Meade Award for Creative Leadership to a national business figure and the Class of 1970 Scholarship for Creative Management.

Ruffin Lecture Series The series will bring leading scholars to the Darden School to give public lectures on business ethics. The lectures will be published, and manuscripts representing the best thinking in business ethics will be included in the monographs.

Class of 1980 Fund Established to support a symposium of business-government, labor, and academic leaders focusing on issues of national significance to the business community.

Class of 1964 Entrepreneurship Fund Established by David Walentas and his Class of 1964 to fund a series of annual activities to expose Darden students to issues and prominent personalities associated with entrepreneurial business ventures.

Student Awards

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Faculty Awards for Academic Excellence Approved by the faculty in 1980, this award recognizes contributions to the M.B.A. Program of those students who demonstrate outstanding academic performance throughout their entire career at the School. Selection is to be based solely on a student’s cumulative academic performance in the M.B.A. Program. The award is presented to the top 10 percent of the graduating class as determined by their cumulative grade-point average. Recipients of the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence will be formally acknowledged at Darden Final Exercises. Academic performance is determined by the Registrar in consultation with the chair of the Academic Standards Committee.

Samuel Forrest Hyde Memorial Fellowship Each year, the faculty award the Samuel Forrest Hyde Memorial Fellowship to the student who has "successfully completed his or her first year at the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration of the University of Virginia and who has contributed most to the welfare of the school during that year and, by personality and devotion to the objectives of the school, shows the greatest promise of achieving a useful career". The award entitles the recipient to the income of the Hyde fund without regard to financial need. The Hyde Fellowship is announced to the Darden Community as soon as possible after it is voted. The name of the Hyde Fellowship recipient and the award citation is included in the Darden School Final Exercises program.

Frederick S. Morton Leadership Award This award is given to a second-year M.B.A. student in recognition of the student’s exceptional leadership within the Darden community. Leadership may be interpreted to include such academic activities as classroom and group project experiences as well as extracurricular activities involving Darden organizations. The award highlights a student’s leadership, vision, and insight in expanding on or improving the Darden experience. Award recipients must be members of the graduating class. The second element of the award is the recipient’s selection of the teaching-faculty member who best fostered the recipient’s leadership ability while at Darden by stimulating the recipient to act upon ideas for evolution and improvement.

C. Stewart Sheppard Distinguished Service Award An honorary award established by the Darden School Foundation to recognize Darden students for exceptional service to the School or the University of Virginia of a nonacademic nature. Service is interpreted broadly to mean all activities that benefit the School or any of its constituencies, other than those activities that occur in the classroom during regularly scheduled classes. Award recipients are generally members of the graduating class. Recipients of the award are determined by the C. Steward Sheppard Distinguished Service Award Committee, appointed by the Associate Dean for M.B.A. Education.

William Michael Shermet Award Awarded by the faculty to the student or students who have demonstrated academic excellence in the first year program and who, by their determination and constructive attitude and service, have provided an example of responsible competitive spirit for their classmates.