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26 Jul 2018, 15:29
Kudos
Bookmarks
What do you think? Is it right to have these rite of passage rituals? How does it make you feel about the program?
https://www.ft.com/content/f8c508a8-90a ... 80cedcc421
French business school Insead has suspended its MBA welcome week for the first time in the event’s 35-year history after two students complained to authorities about being tricked into taking part in humiliating initiation ceremonies.
An investigation has been launched by the Comité National Contre le Bizutage (the French National Committee Against Hazing), after alerting the ministry of education, although the details of the complaints have not been made public.
The probe has raised concerns at Insead that the school’s academic accreditation, which is up for renewal, could be jeopardised.
So-called hazing is a long-standing a tradition on US campuses, where it increasingly involves dangerous or anti-social behaviour and has raised concerns over bullying and harassment.
The humiliation of new students arriving on the Fontainebleau campus near Paris has long been a feature of welcome week, introduced as a part of student induction with the first dual intake of MBA classes in 1983. The original idea was to puncture the inflated egos of new arrivals who were joining one of the most elite postgraduate business schools in the world.
A common ruse is tricking new students to join a fake sports club, from which they are threatened with expulsion if they do not participate in extreme challenges.
Reshma Sohoni, who graduated in 2003 before going on to co-found early stage start-up fund Seedcamp, recalls students being put through a 24-hour exercise session to join an adventure club that turned out not to exist.
“There are always one or two people who get upset about being humiliated but I think it builds character.” she said. “It is about not taking yourself too seriously.”
Another student, who declined to be named, recalled a timed trial in which participants were told to run “until you puke your guts up” by the club captain.
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/f8c508a8-90a ... 80cedcc421
But he added that he was so convinced of the value of the welcome week that he signed a petition last year raised by alumni concerned that Insead might be planning to cancel the event. “Sometimes there is too much political correctness,” he said.
Ilian Mihov, Insead’s dean, has written a letter to alumni saying the suspension of welcome week was necessary to co-operate with the official inquiry and the school was “in active dialogue” with the French authorities.
“We understand that there is strong support for the welcome week tradition in the alumni community,” he said. “However, student health and wellbeing are our top priority and welcome week cannot continue if it moves students to file a formal complaint.”
https://www.ft.com/content/f8c508a8-90a ... 80cedcc421
French business school Insead has suspended its MBA welcome week for the first time in the event’s 35-year history after two students complained to authorities about being tricked into taking part in humiliating initiation ceremonies.
An investigation has been launched by the Comité National Contre le Bizutage (the French National Committee Against Hazing), after alerting the ministry of education, although the details of the complaints have not been made public.
The probe has raised concerns at Insead that the school’s academic accreditation, which is up for renewal, could be jeopardised.
So-called hazing is a long-standing a tradition on US campuses, where it increasingly involves dangerous or anti-social behaviour and has raised concerns over bullying and harassment.
The humiliation of new students arriving on the Fontainebleau campus near Paris has long been a feature of welcome week, introduced as a part of student induction with the first dual intake of MBA classes in 1983. The original idea was to puncture the inflated egos of new arrivals who were joining one of the most elite postgraduate business schools in the world.
A common ruse is tricking new students to join a fake sports club, from which they are threatened with expulsion if they do not participate in extreme challenges.
Reshma Sohoni, who graduated in 2003 before going on to co-found early stage start-up fund Seedcamp, recalls students being put through a 24-hour exercise session to join an adventure club that turned out not to exist.
“There are always one or two people who get upset about being humiliated but I think it builds character.” she said. “It is about not taking yourself too seriously.”
Another student, who declined to be named, recalled a timed trial in which participants were told to run “until you puke your guts up” by the club captain.
Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email [email protected] to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/f8c508a8-90a ... 80cedcc421
But he added that he was so convinced of the value of the welcome week that he signed a petition last year raised by alumni concerned that Insead might be planning to cancel the event. “Sometimes there is too much political correctness,” he said.
Ilian Mihov, Insead’s dean, has written a letter to alumni saying the suspension of welcome week was necessary to co-operate with the official inquiry and the school was “in active dialogue” with the French authorities.
“We understand that there is strong support for the welcome week tradition in the alumni community,” he said. “However, student health and wellbeing are our top priority and welcome week cannot continue if it moves students to file a formal complaint.”
Archived INSEAD Discussion
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28 Jul 2018, 07:18
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bb
Shocked and appalled....you would think students in this age range would abstain from such bullying!
Astonished.
29 Jul 2018, 11:35
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Bookmarks
It's unclear from reports how aggressive the hazing was or how many other incidences have occurred but merely gone unreported, handled in-house. In this mixing pot that INSEAD creates, it's possible to inadvertently cross a boundary relative to another person's tolerances. I perceive part of INSEAD's strength learning to navigate the need to have sensitivity and resiliency in the face of cultural/value differences. On the other hand, there are a lot of people split across campuses. Perhaps the administration doesn't have the safeguards in place to ensure safety and mental wellness for all 900+ students. This is a good learning moment.
However, what will be telling is how the school and its students move forward. Will the persons who reported the hazing be ostracized or will their complaints receive fair hearing and response by the administration and from their peers? Is the INSEAD community willing to listen and adapt or will they show themselves to be rigid and unable to empathize, placing traditions above individual well-being?
I hope the former, and that INSEAD shows that it produces conscientious leaders. I will be sorely disappointed if the students and alumni choose to minimize or denigrate those who dared to stand up for themselves. I have high hopes for the school and can't fathom a giant like INSEAD losing their accreditation.
However, what will be telling is how the school and its students move forward. Will the persons who reported the hazing be ostracized or will their complaints receive fair hearing and response by the administration and from their peers? Is the INSEAD community willing to listen and adapt or will they show themselves to be rigid and unable to empathize, placing traditions above individual well-being?
I hope the former, and that INSEAD shows that it produces conscientious leaders. I will be sorely disappointed if the students and alumni choose to minimize or denigrate those who dared to stand up for themselves. I have high hopes for the school and can't fathom a giant like INSEAD losing their accreditation.
