Yale business school dean picked to run Apple University

[AppleInsider]

The dean of Yale University's School of Management has announced that he will be leaving to join Apple as a new Vice President, serving of the dean of a new "Apple University."

Sources at Yale said Joel Podolny's departure as dean was unexpected, and that neither Podolny nor Apple would comment on what "Apple University" would be. The new program is scheduled to get started early in 2009.

Apple has run the iTunes U program since the middle of last year, which helps schools publish audio and video podcasts of lectures along with coursework documents to their student population, and the company encourages schools to share their educational content with the general public as well.

Another program Apple set up earlier this year is iPhone University, which was designed to help schools learn how to develop custom mobile applications and deploy the WiFi infrastructure needed to support wirelessly connected mobile computing on campuses.

The company also manages a series of training and certification programs that range from desktop support, computer repair, and network administration to training programs that cover Final Cut Studio, Logic Pro, and the company's other software titles.

Apple also runs free classes, workshops, and presentations in its retail stores covering Mac basics and the use of software such as iLife, and sells an annual subscription pass for 'One to One' personal training related to computing. The company has also started a summer Apple Camp and fall field trip programs for students within its retail stores.

Five years ago, a journalism student at UC Berkeley profiled a professional-development program at Steve Jobs' other company, called Pixar University, intended to "build morale, spirit and communication among employees."

The purpose of Apple University is yet unknown, but a letter from Yale president Richard Levin discussing Podolny's departure said the dean was leaving to "lead educational initiatives at Apple." Levin also praised the dean's "boundless energy and dogged persistence," and noted that Podolny "took a personal hand in creating new courses and programs."

[CREB]

I would like to see what other tier schools Apple cherry picks from too, but they are off to a good start!

[SpamSandwich]

Wow. This is a serious choice. Perhaps Steve sees online (Apple University being some part of that) as an eventual replacement of institutions of higher learning. Not a bad bet.

[mdriftmeyer]

This is the dumbest move I have seen. Instead of working with US Universities to introduce Cocoa/ObjC programming as advanced programming topics across major universities we're getting a Yale Apple University Business Curriculum?

What a dickish maneuver and one as a Shareholder should have been put up for a proxy vote.

[sflocal]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

This is the dumbest move I have seen. Instead of working with US Universities to introduce Cocoa/ObjC programming as advanced programming topics across major universities we're getting a Yale Apple University Business Curriculum?

What a dickish maneuver and one as a Shareholder should have been put up for a proxy vote.

Instead of making a conclusion based on the very vague descriptions that fill a few paragraphs, perhaps you should consider a wait-and-see approach. We don't know what this means just yet and I for one am curious where this goes. Only when everything is on the table can we decide what goes on.

Or you could just sell your AAPL and walk away. However, I would bet you would never do that since you're as curious as the rest of us what Steve has up his sleeves.

[eAi]

Steve isn't about to start a university...

I imagine this might be about preparing educational information to help universities teach how to use, and make the most of Macs. It might also be the reverse as well, helping apple support universities better (through improving iTunes U for example)...

I don't see online ever replacing face-to-face universities entirely, you just can't learn so well that way. It certainly has potential to do away with some courses - the Open University here in the UK run all their courses remotely, and seems to do fairly well at it. It could be that Apple want to expand iTunes U into proper courses (which you pay for), which could have quite a lot of potential. I'd expect we'll hear something next summer (before the next academic term starts) if this is the case.

[iOrlando]

come on people..
.
just look at what they got at PIXAR..it will be the same thing

its for apple employees (not normal college-like classes...but classes on improving your work ability and to think "better" then all those people at RIMM, Intel, Google..etc..

[macFanDave]

Cool! I'm gonna pledge in AU's first fraternity: Omicron Sigma Chi!

Go Fighting HyperCards!

[HyteProsector]

I called this back in April. Read this and tell me it doesn't spark your interest just a little.

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=86589

[bloggerblog]

I really hope this is for the long haul and not one of Apple's short-lived flings.

mdriftmeyer makes a good point, Apple really needs to get into mainstream educational institutions. They missed out on it back when Apple owned over 80% of the education market, and the opportunity got snatched by no other than MS. I hope this time it's different. As sflocal said, we'll have to wait and see.

macFanDave, can I join?

[teckstud]

Originally Posted by iOrlando

come on people..
.
just look at what they got at PIXAR..it will be the same thing

its for apple employees (not normal college-like classes...but classes on improving your work ability and to think "better" then all those people at RIMM, Intel, Google..etc..

That is soo California- do Apple employees have to post their "mission statement" in their cubicles as well?

[embee]

Originally Posted by macFanDave

Cool! I'm gonna pledge in AU's first fraternity: Omicron Sigma Chi!

Go Fighting HyperCards!

At last, a well reasoned post in this thread. Nice one, MFD!

[Tokolosh]

Originally Posted by eAi

I don't see online ever replacing face-to-face universities entirely, you just can't learn so well that way.

I also don't see it totally replacing the on-campus model entirely, but it is a growing model and will open educational opportunities to people around the world. To your point of its success... many people can learn that way. When done right, and with the right technology (enter Apple) there are many who can benefit from the availability of distance programs. I've seen a few statistics that show at the top Universities the distance students are just as competitive and many times out-perform their on-campus couterparts.

I wanted to earn an MBA from the Thunderbird School of Management, but I have a young family, own a home in Utah, and have a great job that I would hate to walk away from to attend school elsewhere. Luckily for me Thunderbird has developed a great distance curricula that I can work through in Utah or anywhere else I may move in the near future. I occasionally travel to their various compuses around the world for week-long seminars but most of my education is done via conference call, chat sessions, video conferencing and I use my iPhone to view and hear all of the recorded lectures.

I work in a fairly virtual environment anyway (many of us do now) with team members sitting in offices spread across the world. My clients are all long flights away. It is a natural fit to also work through the educational process virtually.

So how do I think this applies to Apple? If this hiring is a way for Apple to establish itself as the technical provider for Universities across the globe then I believe it is a worthy and potentially profitable goal. The iPhone is already making my studies easier and more readily available. Books can be digital as well. I am benefitting from this foray into educational distribution and would love to see Apple develop and enhance the experience.

It won't completely replace the on-campus experience, but it will greatly enhance each University's ability to share their product with more people and in more places.

[avguy]

Originally Posted by embee

At last, a well reasoned post in this thread. Nice one, MFD!

Moof!

[Tokolosh]

Originally Posted by HyteProsector

I called this back in April. Read this and tell me it doesn't spark your interest just a little.

http://forums.appleinsider.com/showthread.php?t=86589

I can see them progressing similar to how you outlined in your prediction. Now can you give me the line on the Chargers game this weekend? Perhaps we can make some cash with your prognosticating.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

I really hope this is for the long haul and not one of Apple's short-lived flings.

mdriftmeyer makes a good point, Apple really needs to get into mainstream educational institutions. They missed out on it back when Apple owned over 80% of the education market, and the opportunity got snatched by no other than MS. I hope this time it's different. As sflocal said, we'll have to wait and see.

macFanDave, can I join?

Having worked at NeXT and Apple I had to deal with the fact the biggest hurdle to OS X adoption is the slow growth of Cocoa/ObjC. You cannot eclipse more than 20% of the market if your tools development aren't commonly being taught in major US Computer Science curriculums. It's that simple.

[mdriftmeyer]

Originally Posted by sflocal

Instead of making a conclusion based on the very vague descriptions that fill a few paragraphs, perhaps you should consider a wait-and-see approach. We don't know what this means just yet and I for one am curious where this goes. Only when everything is on the table can we decide what goes on.

Or you could just sell your AAPL and walk away. However, I would bet you would never do that since you're as curious as the rest of us what Steve has up his sleeves.

Grow up. I've worked at NeXT and Apple. I know the thoughts, debates and cutthroat arguments/debates that go into these designs.

If they don't target the backend to make Cocoa/ObjC and XCode common in curriculums ala Java you will run into a serious problem with market growth--this is where the business side loses it's case when you talk about all that the stuff can do, but there currently aren't technical resources to verify this branding.

[macFanDave]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

macFanDave, can I join?

Sure, but I hear the hazing rituals are gonna be a bitch. One rumor involves saying, "Developers, developers, developers, developers" until you are in a Ballmerian lather! Yuck.

It's going to be humiliating, but you've got to do it if you want to score with the Mu Betas (that's the sorority of girls with MacBooks).

Good luck, brother.

[echosonic]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Grow up. I've worked at NeXT and Apple. I know the thoughts, debates and cutthroat arguments/debates that go into these designs.

If they don't target the backend to make Cocoa/ObjC and XCode common in curriculums ala Java you will run into a serious problem with market growth--this is where the business side loses it's case when you talk about all that the stuff can do, but there currently aren't technical resources to verify this branding.

nobody will give a flippity flying toot where you worked if you come at them with bared teeth like a know-it-all jack--s.

Your point is sound and logical, and you could have made it politely, with class as opposed to stomping into the middle of the room to bellow your opinion like a decree.

Catch more flies with honey?

[vinea]

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Having worked at NeXT and Apple I had to deal with the fact the biggest hurdle to OS X adoption is the slow growth of Cocoa/ObjC. You cannot eclipse more than 20% of the market if your tools development aren't commonly being taught in major US Computer Science curriculums. It's that simple.

Yeah...because a cool new platform and a $100M venture fund for folks coding ObjC generates zero interest among CS students...many of whom own Macbooks...

Originally Posted by mdriftmeyer

Grow up.

Take your own advice.

I've worked at NeXT and Apple. I know the thoughts, debates and cutthroat arguments/debates that go into these designs.

If they don't target the backend to make Cocoa/ObjC and XCode common in curriculums ala Java you will run into a serious problem with market growth--this is where the business side loses it's case when you talk about all that the stuff can do, but there currently aren't technical resources to verify this branding.

Yeah right. There are no coders at all for the iPhone because none of the schools are teaching ObjC, XCode or Cocoa. The iPhone SDK was only downloaded 250,000 times.

Real coders will pick up a new language/platform if the itch is there to make them scratch it.

Java is taught these days because it's a modern language that is easy to teach concepts with and is also cross platform. Unlike Pascal, C, C++, ObjC, VB or C#.

Being taught in schools ultimately didn't help Pascal a whole lot.