Perhaps my students are particularly materialistic, but there is a  lot of
concern about the economy and the job market. Some big recruiters are not
coming to HBS at all this year to recruit second-year MBAs. Some firms
(including several consulting and investment banking firms) that made
offers previously are proposing very late start dates (eg  March 2003 for
students graduating in June 2002) (an interesting contract question as to
whether that constitutes a revocation if no start date was set previously).
In addition,  even before the realities of the job market hit (eg fewer
signing bonuses, lower starting salaries than last year), my students were
reeling from Sept 11, not surprising given that two of the planes left from
Boston and the number of i-bankers in the towers (Morgan Stanley alone had
more than ten floors).

Connie Bagley






At 12:22 PM 10/25/2001 -0500, you wrote:
>In the past few weeks I've had a number of my colleagues come by to talk
>about the lack of luster in their classes this semester. They are, of
>course, referring to the performance of their students not themselves.
>Indeed, I too have noticed that students in my large law class are present
>physically but seem much less engaged than in past semesters. They did
>poorly on the midterm, don't seem to be studying much and more unwilling
>than usual to seek information on their own (e.g., who actually sits on the
>Supreme Court).
>
>Several of my colleagues has suggested that students may be responding to
>the events of September 11, 2001 and the war movement since then - at least
>by adopting an attitude that says "who cares, it doesn't matter anyway we
>may die." I have asked many students about this and with one exception,
>most of them feel that the events are far away from them. They don't
>contemplate a draft, most did not know people who died in the terrorist
>acts of September 11 -- in sum, they feel distant from what is happening.
>At least that is what they say.
>
>So, I'm wondering if the rest of you are seeing a difference in your
>classes this semester. It could, of course, just be that we have a group of
>less than thrilled students in our midst but I'm not sure.
>
>If you are seeing a difference, what are you doing about it?
>
>Thanks for your thoughts from cold and blustery Iowa --where not all of us
>feel disconnected hard as we try.
>Nancy



Constance E. Bagley
Associate Professor of Business Administration
Harvard Business School
South Hall 116
Soldiers Field Road
Boston  MA 02163
voice 617.495.6963
fax.   617.496-4877