History Thunderbird School of Global Management

1 history

1.1 history
1.2 1990s , 2000s
1.3 2010s

history
early history

thunderbird school of global management seal

thunderbird school of global management founded in 1946 american institute foreign trade. school founded lieutenant general barton kyle yount in glendale, arizona on former world war ii military airfield, thunderbird field no. 1, purchased yount war assets administration 1 dollar, subject condition property used educational purposes minimum of 10 years. yount became school s first president when school chartered on april 8, 1946. classes officially began on october 1, 1946 98% of enrolled students attending on g.i. bill. first degrees awarded on june 14, 1947.

the institute focused on international management , first graduate school train students in global business work u.s. government or overseas american businesses. in history, thunderbird implemented language program focused on spanish , portuguese, using same instructional methods army had used during world war ii. school created international studies program on, focused on latin america, later expanding include other parts of world, such asia.

in school s years, thunderbird awarded 2 degrees, bachelor of foreign trade , master of foreign trade, although after 1975 school no longer offered undergraduate degree. american institute foreign trade later changed name thethunderbird graduate school of international management before again changing name american graduate school of international management in 1970s.

1990s , 2000s

beginning in 1990s, school went name thunderbird, american graduate school of international management. after reaching peak enrollment of around 1,600 in 1990s, thunderbird saw declining enrollment numbers in 2000s. school saw decline in number of foreign students enrolled result of stricter visa rules.

in 2001, school began offer master of business administration (mba) in international management, replacing offered master of international management. 3 years later, school changed name thunderbird, garvin school of international management, following $13 million donation (part of pledge planned $60 million) alumnus samuel garvin. same year, school hired Ángel cabrera serve president. cabrera oversaw school s 2006 adoption of professional oath of honor. oath developed input students , faculty , considered school first of kind business schools. students sign pledge upon graduation promising act ethically , in business world (similar hippocratic oath taken doctors).

garvin s name removed school s name in 2007. school began use name thunderbird school of global management, focus on thunderbird brand , highlight school s focus on global business. @ time, garvin s name given newly created position, garvin distinguished professor of global management research, , still used garvin center of cultures , languages of international management , garvin professorship of entrepreneurship. part of transition new name, school adopted current logo of phoenix globe-shaped body.

2010s

in 2011, after efforts thunderbird alumnus, arizona began selling thunderbird license plates. following year, larry penley became president of thunderbird.

in march 2013, school announced planned partnership laureate education, inc. part of planned partnership, thunderbird remain nonprofit organization, exempt income tax 501(c)(3), establish joint educational service company laureate, for-profit company. joint company launch undergraduate program , expand online programs. undergraduate students attend thunderbird final year of undergraduate degree program. planned partnership allow thunderbird host events @ laureate campuses worldwide , establish thunderbird campuses abroad. school announced paris, madrid, brazil , chile potential sites. according school, laureate have no influence on academic decisions school. thunderbird retain degree-awarding powers. however, laureate given 3 seats on school s board.

under agreement, thunderbird sell campus laureate in leaseback agreement. school continue operate glendale campus, use money sale pay off debts. thunderbird alumni have option purchase campus laureate within 2 years or school may repurchase campus @ end of twenty-year lease agreement. well, laureate , thunderbird had planned invest $20 million , $10 million respectively provide campus improvements.

the proposed agreement protested thunderbird alumni , board members have expressed concern impact partnership have on school s reputation. in response, alumni in opposition of proposed agreement signed online petition in protest. additionally, alumni formed thunderbird independent alumni association, expressed concerns on agreement. following announcement of planned agreement, 5 thunderbird board members , 7 members of thunderbird alumni network board resigned. proposed agreement supported alumni , faculty statements have been presented on school s website.

the planned structure change approved school s board in june 2013, although higher learning commission of north central association of colleges , schools, school s regional accreditor, did not approve proposal. thunderbird had stated anticipated agreement approved, other laureate schools accredited through commission.

as of january 2014, school s president larry penley , school employed 48 faculty members.

in 2015, school finalized agreement arizona state university integrated college within university.