The TeleSuite technology has already caught the attention of other B-schools. Richard L. Schmalensee, dean of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Sloan School of Management, visited Arizona's e-classroom last month. Sloan School is exploring distance-learning options, but it hasn't announced a strategy. Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, a pioneer in learning via the Internet, is working on a project with TeleSuite, too. For example, a conference suite in Durham, N.C., will link the dean of the U.S. campus to the dean of Fuqua Europe in Frankfurt.
Deans can walk into a private environment and talk on a regular basis.
That should help them manage the school's Cross Continent MBA, which will launch in the fall of 2000 in the U.S. and Germany. If Zupan has his druthers, Arizona will soon offer its distance-MBA program in underserved markets such as Houston and San Diego. Students would earn a degree from the school where they complete the most credit hours but get access to the expertise that each school offers. If this allows us to be pioneers, maybe five years from now we're all top-20 players. Arizona is still recruiting distance-learning students but already is assured of breaking even.