"As a prospective MBA student, I was looking for a program founded in ethical and social responsibility and was impressed by Notre Dame's ranking in Aspen Institute's 'Beyond Gray Pinstripes' (Notre Dame ranked 5th worldwide in social and environmental stewardship)," says current MBA student Chrissy Vaughn. "Within a couple of weeks of arriving on campus, I could see that Net Impact would provide an outlet for social responsibility and an immediate way to have an impact."
That, of course, is by design. The Notre Dame chapter of Net Impact acclimates current MBA students with social business opportunities on campus and in the local community. This includes everything from corporate responsibility roundtables to consulting projects in the community, from on-campus greening initiatives to social entrepreneurship programs. The goal is to give MBA students the tools that will allow them to make a positive difference in society while gaining experience that will impact their future careers.
"It's not just about a company or its employees giving money, but about donating skills, imparting knowledge, and providing resources to improve the local community through business," says Eric Litton, chapter president. In one recent project, a bilingual day care company in the Hispanic community needed better business skills and English communication skills. One of the Notre Dame MBA candidates had a solid understanding of finance and had lived for a time in Mexico. He turned out to be a valuable resource for the company. In another case, three group members developed a comprehensive marketing plan for a non-profit fair trade organization.
This fall, Net Impact released their 2008 edition of Business as UNusual: The Net Impact Student Guide to Graduate Business Programs. The guide ranked Notre Dame in the top five in a number of areas out of 64 programs reviewed. The guide identified the Notre Dame MBA as 5th for preparing all students for ethical and socially responsible leadership, 5th for administrative support of Net Impact themes in the curriculum, 3rd for administrative support of Net Impact themes in extracurricular events and activities and 2nd for helpfulness of alumni in finding jobs and internships.
