Dear Sir / Madam,

This is the second year in a row that Groupe ESC Pau has decided not to appear in the classification of business schools published by Etudiant magazine.  This is our own, uninfluenced decision, and here we explain why.

The classifications aim to provide accurate information for families when researching business schools, but we ask: do they really manage to do this?

1. No, because the methods are often prone to caution.  While the classifications are often contested by the schools themselves, journalists still see them as necessary, even though important features of the schools are sometimes difficult to quantify in a classification.
2. No, because the classifications aren’t transparent.  In 2006 we asked Etudiant to provide us with the criteria it uses to classify the schools, and it never replied to us.  Would you submit yourself to a classification without knowing the criteria by which you’re being judged, your score, or the ratings applied?
3. No, because the criteria don’t take into account the individual features of each school.  The nature of the classifications means that every business school is judged on the same features, and so any school using different methods has little chance of obtaining a good position.  Here at Groupe ESC Pau, we choose to use innovative methods to improve the development of our staff and students, and paradoxically, we are penalized in the classifications.

We do not wish to judge the methods used for the classifications; this is down to the journalists.  However, we do want to be sure that the methods are totally transparent and verifiable to avoid confusion over the schools involved.

If, as the editor of Etudiant confirmed in the December 2005 issue, “the list of schools also helps us to sell copies”, this means the reputations of business schools are caught up in these games.

When these conditions are met, we will be happy to appear in the classification.  That is why this year you will be able to find us in the list provided by Challenges magazine.

If you wish to discuss this subject with us, you can write to us at philippe.lafontaine@esc-pau.fr  / jean-pierre.lahille@esc-pau.fr or you can telephone us on 06 73 70 67 71.  We will be happy to answer any questions or comments about this letter.

We wish you the best of luck with your studies – they’re worth the effort!

Yours sincerely,
Philippe Lafontaine, Jean-Pierre Lahille