The business schools are the new age melting pot where a lot of bright minds from all walks of life gather around and try to build their career in the field of management. For thousands of students in India who make part of the batches running across various top business schools in India, a lot depends on the learning experience. The b schools that continually produce great results and are ranked among the very top; a lot of emphasis is placed upon every aspect of the student experience. Two vital elements of the leading business schools in India are the Faculty profiles and Infrastructure. A robust faculty profile creates the confidence in the students that they will be well taken care of and guided by experts with many years of experience. On the other hand, the infrastructure plays an important part in the modern business school experience by enabling the students to operate to their full potential and explore their interests.

Deciding upon the most important factor among faculty profile or infrastructure might be a herculean task, since both plays an important role in the enablement of the students. In this article we will explore what might be a few points to consider about the impact that these factors individually have on the life of a business school student. We would also try to understand how do the top business schools in India such as ICFAI Business School place a lot of emphasis and care in maintaining these factors.

Faculty profiles

A very important part of the learning experience, the faculties of a business school can make or break the overall experience of the students and arguably the most important part of the business school. A great faculty can generate interest in the dullest of the subjects and a mediocre faculty can drain away the interest a student has for a subject. Here is why the faculty profile matters a lot:

• Reputation of a business school depends upon the success of the alumni and the quality of the development brought forth in the students and the quality of faculty directly impacts this.
• Faculties who are seasoned and have been part of the corporate world develop real world relevance of the instruction and can share practical examples of applying the learning.
• The business experience also comes in handy when the faculties use interactive and discussion based learning methods such as case studies to illustrate the lessons learnt in the classroom.
• The reputation of the faculty helps propagate the reputation of the B-school that they are associated with and well-known faculties can be a big reason in students joining the business school.
• Faculties are the custodian of the culture of learning in the campus and they help create a healthy enthusiasm towards not only their subject but also studies in general.
• Faculties are responsible for identifying the talents and development areas of the students and coach them adequately to realize their full potential.
• Faculties bring in a sense of discipline, curiosity, focus, and perseverance in the students and serve as a positive influence in the student’s life, sometimes even years after the student has left the campus.
• Faculties have powerful relations with the corporate world at large through a continuous stream of ex-students, ex-colleagues from previous stints at work and contact with other academicians. This helps in fostering strong links with the corporate world and helps in internship and final placements of the students.
• Faculties can provide relevant and effective insights regarding the curriculum and their feedback can help shape the curriculum in a way that is both industry ready and intellectually challenging to students.
• Faculties, through active participation in research in their respective field and publishing of their research papers and articles, can contribute greatly to showcase the intellectual quality of education carried out in the business school.

Infrastructure

Just as a faculty adds up to the intellectual environment of the campus, the infrastructure affects the physical aspect of the campus by creating a conducive environment for the students and staff alike. The infrastructure has several parts that come together to create a positive environment for the academics to take place. These parts include:

• The strategic location of the campus enables easy integration with the corporate world. Many of the business schools are situated near the big financial centers of the country such as ICFAI Business School has campuses in Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Gurgaon, Pune, Dehradun and Jaipur.
• Many campus infrastructures support outdoor activities such as swimming pools, gym, football or cricket grounds, and indoor court for games such as Badminton, Basketball, Squash and Volleyball to promote a healthy lifestyle.
• The IT infrastructure through Wi-Fi and well-equipped computer labs provide for students to research their field of study while some such as ICFAI Business School are also equipped with simulation software to enable real-time business driven decision-making simulations.
• The IT infrastructure also allows for specialized teaching software to run seamlessly such as ICFAI Business School runs SAP, SPSS, SAS, iThink, Rational Rose, Eviews, Microsoft CRM, AutoCAD, Cadian Advanced CAD etc.
• The libraries equipped with not only the latest installation of the software, but also volumes of physical books, including latest editions enable students to study and research while working on various business cases and take references.
• Many libraries also have computerized catalog systems for easier and efficient administration as well as access to various databases to grant easy access to countless pieces of information to support the students.

Comparing the faculties with facilities could be a futile discussion trying to prove one being more important than the other but individually these both are integral part of the business school. As students write their own stories and prepare themselves for the prospects, they need support of both to reach their full potential and a bright future.