Ross School of Business facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Stephen M. Ross
School of Business at the
University of Michigan

Former name	University of Michigan School of Business Administration (1924–2004)
Motto	Developing leaders who make a positive difference in the world
Type	Public
Established	1924
Parent institution	University of Michigan
Endowment	$435 million
Dean	Sharon Matusik
Academic staff	210
Undergraduates	1,422
Postgraduates	1,873
Location	Ann Arbor , Michigan , U.S.
Alumni	46,000

The Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, often called Michigan Ross, is a special school at the University of Michigan. It teaches students all about business. The school is part of a big public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It first opened its doors in 1924.

This school, once known as the School of Business Administration, offers many different degrees. You can earn a bachelor's degree, a master's degree, or even a doctoral degree here. They also have programs for people who are already working and want to learn more, called executive education. Michigan Ross also lets students combine their business studies with other subjects by offering dual degrees with other schools at the University of Michigan.

Discovering Michigan Ross: A Journey Through Time

How Michigan Ross Began: Early Years (1900–1925)

Edmund Ezra Day was the school's first leader.

The very first business classes at the University of Michigan started in 1900. A professor named Henry Carter Adams helped create these courses. They were designed to help students get ready for jobs in business.

In 1918, the university's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts began giving out a special Certificate of Business Administration. Then, in 1923, the university president, Marion LeRoy Burton, hired Edmund Ezra Day. His job was to be the first leader, or dean, of a brand new business school.

The University of Michigan School of Business Administration officially opened in 1924. It offered a two-year Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree. Students could get this degree after studying other subjects for three years. The school started with 14 teachers, and one of them was even a woman, which was quite special back then! In 1925, they created the Bureau of Business Research. This group helped teachers with their research and shared new ideas.

Growing Stronger: The Middle Years (1926–1978)

In 1926, Clare Griffin became the new dean. He had first come to the university to teach marketing. That same year, a teacher named William Andrew Paton started a magazine called The Accounting Review.

The school kept adding new programs. In 1935, students could start working towards a PhD in Business Administration. This is the highest degree you can get. In 1938, they began offering evening MBA classes for people who worked during the day. By 1940, about 200 students were enrolled. Between 1942 and 1943, they introduced the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree. This was for undergraduate students.

In 1943, Russell Stevenson became the third dean. The school grew very quickly after World War II. By 1947, over 1,000 students were attending. In 1948, a new building opened. It cost $2.5 million and had a tall, nine-story tower. A famous economist, Paul McCracken, joined the teaching staff that year. The school also started its first program for business leaders who wanted to keep learning.

Floyd Bond became the fourth dean in 1960. He helped the school start its first international project in Taiwan. He also wanted to include more global business topics in what students learned. In 1966, Dean Bond created a committee to help attract more African-American students. This was part of a bigger effort to increase diversity at the school. By 1971, more than 1,300 students were enrolled. The school also started expanding its buildings. In 1972, the first two groups of former students, called alumni clubs, started meeting in New York and California. In 1974, Alfred Edwards joined the faculty. He became known for his work in promoting diversity at the school.

Modernizing and Expanding: Recent History (1979–Present)

In 1979, Gilbert Whitaker became the fifth dean. He helped create a bigger office to connect with former students and raise money. By 1980, about 2,000 students were enrolled, and there were over 100 teachers. Dean Whitaker also started 17 programs that combined business with other subjects at the university. In 1982, he announced a big plan to raise $15 million for three new buildings, including a library. They actually raised $17 million, and the buildings opened by 1984. The school also joined a group called the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. In 1990, they received money to create a Center for International Business Education.

B. Joseph White was the school's sixth leader.

B. Joseph White became the sixth dean in 1990. In 1991, he and another dean, Paul Danos, started a new project for MBA students called the Multidisciplinary Action Project (MAP). In this project, teams of students work on real business problems for companies. It became a required part of the MBA program in 1993. Later, in 2015, MAP also became an option for undergraduate students.

During this time, new institutes were created. The William Davidson Institute started in 1992. The Tauber Institute began in 1995, working with the College of Engineering. In 1996, the Global MBA Program was introduced, letting students study abroad. The Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Environmental Management Institute also started that year. In 1999, the Samuel Zell and Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies was founded. In 2000, a new building called Sam Wyly Hall opened. It housed programs for business leaders. By 2000, there were almost 200 teachers. In 2001, the school started an Executive MBA Program for business leaders.

Exterior of the Stephen M. Ross building

In 2001, Robert J. Dolan became the seventh dean. In 2004, a very important event happened. An alumnus, Stephen M. Ross, gave the school an amazing US$100 million! This was the largest gift ever given to a U.S. business school and to the University of Michigan. Because of this generous gift, the school was renamed the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. This money helped completely change the campus. Old buildings were taken down, and new ones were built or updated.

In 2006, the Ross Leadership Initiative started. It was later renamed the Sanger Leadership Center. Its goal is to help MBA students become better leaders. In 2009, a new Master of Supply Chain Management degree program began. The same year, the new $145 million Stephen M. Ross building opened. In 2010, a Weekend MBA Program was introduced. This allowed students to earn an MBA in two years while still working full-time.

Alison Davis-Blake was the school's eighth dean and the first woman to hold the position.

In 2011, Alison Davis-Blake became the school's eighth dean. She was also the first woman to lead the school! In 2012, the Executive MBA Program expanded to a second campus in Los Angeles.

In 2013, Stephen M. Ross gave another $100 million gift. This money helped finish the vision for a modern business school campus. It included a new building, a fully renovated building, and other improvements. The same year, a Minor in Business was offered for undergraduate students who were not studying business.

In 2014, a new 10-month Master of Management degree was introduced. The school also started hosting the annual Positive Business Conference. During Dean Davis-Blake's time, the school became more global. More students had chances to study overseas. The Desai Accelerator, which helps startup businesses, opened in Ann Arbor in 2014. In 2015, Michigan Ross started the Alumni Advantage program. This program offers free classes for life to all its degree alumni.

In 2016, Scott DeRue became the ninth dean. He had been a teacher at Michigan Ross since 2007. By 2017, over 3,000 students were enrolled. Almost 40% of new undergraduate students were women.

From 2021 to 2022, Francine Lafontaine served as the interim dean. She had been a professor at Michigan Ross since 1991. Her research focuses on how businesses are organized and how they work. In 2022, Sharon F. Matusik was chosen as the new dean. Her term began on August 1, 2022.

Amazing Buildings and Special Centers

The Ross School of Business buildings on the university's central campus.

When the business school first started in 1924, it was in Tappan Hall. This is the oldest classroom building on campus. In 1948, the school moved to its current location. Ten houses were taken down to make space for the new buildings. The business school building was the first "skyscraper" on campus.

Stephen M. Ross, a real estate developer and former student, gave a huge gift of $100 million to the school in 2004. This was the largest gift ever to the University of Michigan! Because of his generosity, the school was renamed the Stephen M. Ross School of Business. A famous architecture firm, Kohn Pedersen Fox (KPF), designed the large 270,000-square-foot building. In 2013, Ross gave another $100 million. This second gift helped upgrade the facilities even more. It added high-tech classrooms, a new career services area, and more spaces for research. KPF also designed these new parts, including the new Blau Hall and renovated Kresge Hall. In 2017, Ross donated an additional $50 million.

The William Davidson Institute

The William Davidson Institute (WDI) is a special group that helps with international business. It was created in 1992 when a company called Guardian Industries made a big financial promise to the school. The institute is named after William Davidson, who was the chairman of Guardian Industries. WDI helps with research, hosts visiting experts, organizes talks, and helps students get summer jobs abroad. Since 2006, over 1,800 MBA students have worked on more than 450 international projects! WDI also publishes materials to help teach about international business.

The Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise

The Erb Institute was created in 1996 with a gift from Frederick A. Erb and his wife Barbara. It's a partnership between the Ross School of Business and the School for Environment and Sustainability. Its goal is to teach and research how businesses can be more sustainable. This means running businesses in a way that protects the environment and helps society. The Erb Institute has a special program where students can earn two master's degrees. One is in business and the other is in environmental studies. This program has received many awards.

The Joel D. Tauber Institute for Global Operations

In 1995, Joel D. Tauber gave $5 million to create the Joel D. Tauber Manufacturing Institute. This institute trains students in how to manage operations, which means how things are made and delivered. It works with the university's College of Engineering. In 2007, it was renamed the Tauber Institute for Global Operations. This was to show that it also helps with services, healthcare, and technology.

The Zell–Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies

The Samuel Zell & Robert H. Lurie Institute for Entrepreneurial Studies helps students who want to start their own businesses. It provides classes, programs, and connections to the business community. It was created in 1999 with a $10 million donation from Samuel Zell and Ann Lurie.

The Wolverine Venture Fund

The Wolverine Venture Fund (WVF) is a unique fund run by the Ross School of Business. It's worth millions of dollars! The fund started in 1997. MBA students are actively involved in deciding where to invest money. They invest in new, growing companies. The fund usually provides $50,000 to $200,000 to help these companies get started. The Wolverine Venture Fund is the oldest student-run venture fund in the U.S.

The Center For Positive Organizations

This center started in 2002. Its goal is to help leaders build successful organizations that bring out the best in people. It studies things like positive leadership, finding meaning in work, and good relationships at work. Since 2014, it has hosted an annual Positive Business Conference.

The Sanger Leadership Center

The Sanger Leadership Center helps all University of Michigan students develop their leadership skills. It was named after a gift from Steve and Karen Sanger in 2015. The center offers programs like the Leadership Crisis Challenge and the Impact Challenge. These programs use special leadership ideas developed at Michigan Ross.

Student Life at Michigan Ross

U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow meeting with students from the business school in 2016

Students at the Ross School of Business publish their own newspaper called the Monroe Street Journal. They also have the Michigan Journal of Business. This is the first academic journal in business written by undergraduate students.

A fun tradition for MBA students at Ross is the college football tailgate party. It happens before and after every home game at "The Bus." This is a 1985 Ford school bus painted in Michigan's colors, maize and blue. It has a dance floor, a DJ on the roof, and couches inside! On game days, The Bus is parked nearby for the Ross MBA tailgate. Over 500 students, alumni, and friends often come to this event. This tradition has been going on for over ten years. When the original bus stopped working in 2013, students raised money to buy a new one!

Michigan Journal of Business

The Michigan Journal of Business is a special academic magazine. It comes out twice a year and is reviewed by experts. It's also open access, which means anyone can read it for free online. Undergraduate students at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business publish it. It started in 2007. The journal publishes research papers, case studies, and new ideas about many business topics. These include accounting, economics, marketing, and management. The students at the University of Michigan make up the editorial team. You can find old issues of the journal on its website.

How Michigan Ross Ranks Among Business Schools

Michigan Ross is known as one of the top business schools in the United States. In 2019, U.S. News & World Report ranked its MBA program seventh in the country. It was tied with the Haas School of Business at the University of California at Berkeley. For its undergraduate business program (BBA), Michigan Ross was ranked fourth in the same year. In 2023, the school ranked 10th overall.

For specific subjects, Michigan Ross's full-time MBA program also ranks very high. In 2019, it was third in Management and Production/Operations. It was fourth in Marketing and Accounting. In 2023, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked the MBA program 9th overall.

In 2015, U.S. News & World Report ranked Ross first in the management category for undergraduate business programs. The BBA program also ranked high in other areas like marketing, finance, and international business. In 2015, the QS Global 200 Business Schools Report placed Ross as the eighth-best business school in North America. In 2016, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked Ross eighth among undergraduate business schools.

The Ross School of Business was also ranked third worldwide in 2011 for its research. In 2013, Bloomberg Businessweek ranked it first for sustainability.

Famous People Who Went to Michigan Ross

Many successful people have studied at Michigan Ross. Here are some of them:

• Shereef Akeel (BBA): A lawyer who works on human rights cases.
• William Davidson (BBA 1947): The founder of the William Davidson Institute and former owner of the Detroit Pistons basketball team.
• DJ Graffiti (BBA): A Michigan-based DJ and music producer.
• Tusshar Kapoor (BBA): A famous actor from Bollywood.
• Red Berenson (BBA 1962, MBA 1966): A former head coach for the Michigan Wolverines men's ice hockey team.
• Jason Botterill (MBA 2007): The General Manager of the Buffalo Sabres ice hockey team.
• Ron Johnson (BBA 1969): A former NFL football player.
• Robert Pelinka (BBA 1993, JD 1996): A lawyer and sports agent.
• William S. Demchak (MBA): The President and CEO of PNC Financial Services Group.
• Gary Hamel (MBA PhD 1990): A well-known business expert and author.
• James Danko (MBA): The current president of Butler University.
• B. Joseph White (PhD 1975): A former president of the University of Illinois and a former dean of the Ross School of Business.
• Sam Wyly (MBA 1957): A successful entrepreneur who started many companies.
• L. William Seidman (MBA 1949): A former chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).
• Pete Hoekstra (MBA 1977): A former U.S. Congressman from Michigan.
• John DeLorean (MBA 1957): A General Motors executive and designer of the DeLorean car.
• Roger B. Smith (1947, MBA 1953): A former Chairman and CEO of General Motors.
• David Bohnett (MBA 1980): The founder and CEO of GeoCities, an early internet company.
• Bharat Desai (MBA 1981): The co-founder and CEO of Syntel Inc.
• Richard Snyder (MBA 1979, JD 1982): A venture capitalist and former Governor of Michigan.
• Richard Lui (MBA): A news anchor for MSNBC and CNN.
• Stephen M. Ross (BBA 1962): A very successful real estate developer and the person the school is named after.
• Christopher Ilitch (BBA 1987): The president and CEO of Ilitch Holdings, Inc., which owns the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Red Wings.

Teachers at Michigan Ross

Here are some notable teachers who have taught at Michigan Ross:

• Madeleine Albright: A former United States Secretary of State.
• Gary Hamel: A well-known business expert and author.
• Paul McCracken: An advisor to U.S. presidents.
• C.K. Prahalad: A distinguished professor of corporate strategy.
• Noel Tichy: A director of global development at GE.
• Marina von Neumann Whitman: An economist who advised President Nixon.
• W. Chan Kim: The co-author of Blue Ocean Strategy, a famous business book.

See Also

In Spanish: Escuela de negocios Ross para niños

• Economics
• Glossary of economics
• List of United States business school rankings
• List of business schools in the United States
• List of University of Michigan people (people associated with the school are marked with BUS)