October 23rd, 2008
Get matriculated at Apple University (updated)
Apple has hired Joel Podolny, Yale’s business school dean, to start “Apple University,” according to the WSJ.
The company declined to provide details about the university or the position.
Mr. Podolny will be stepping down as dean on Nov. 1, but will stay at Yale until year end, a spokeswoman for Yale said. She said Mr. Podolny will take up his new position in early 2009.
Corporate universities, which typically offer classes to employees, have been introduced elsewhere. One of the earliest and best known is McDonald’s Corp.’s Hamburger University, where thousands of employees attend classes each year.
Pixar Animation Studios — whose largest shareholder was Apple Chief Executive Steve Jobs before the studio was sold to Walt Disney Co. in 2006 — has a program that it calls Pixar University, where it conducts three-month-long classes for new and existing animators.
So what is it?
Some speculate that it’s a training program for people selling Apple products, like retail store employees or Best Buy staffers. Or it could be an extension of iTunes U for Apple employees.
McDonald’s has their own higher education institution – Hamburger University – so why wouldn’t the retailer with the highest annual sales per square foot in the United States?
Update: John Gruber links to a 2003 San Francisco Examiner profile of “Pixar University” which may have been the impetus for Apple University.
(Tip: Silicon Valley Insider)
Jason D. O'Grady is the editor of PowerPage.org, which has been publishing daily mobile technology news since December 1995. For disclosures on Jason's industry affiliations, click here or to view Jason's full profile click here.
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