To the Editor:

The latest U.S. News & World Report rankings relegate SOM to the second tier status of #13 while other Yale programs such as the Law School draw well-deserved accolades. SOM’s lack of prestige is clearly caused by Yale administration’s lack of an overarching vision for the school. Dean Garten has done wonders for SOM with very limited resources, having convinced the SOM community to change SOM’s degree from the esoteric MPPM to an MBA, and having restored its focus on the traditional business education.

However, Garten needs help. The Yale adminsitration needs to do more to show the business world that it is committed to being the force in business that it is in law and medicine. A new facility would be an excellent starting point.

The current SOM facility is an absolute abomination, and during my time as a potential student I was shocked that Yale University would not provide its business school a better building. I realize that the Yale administration expects its professional schools to stand on their own, but SOM’s youth and small alumni base put it at a disadvantage relative to its more established Yale peers.

Yale University has both the name and resources to be great in anything it wants. Yale needs to help SOM take bold steps, such as building new facilities, to really make an impact.

Mike Grigsby SOM ’01

April 4, 2002