Liautaud Student Orgs: Outside the Academics

Graduate students often wonder if they should become involved in a student organization. I would say an emphatic YES! Student organizations are a great place to meet new friends, stay active on campus and learn a little more about your interests. Whether you are considering joining a cultural, professional or even social organization, I would suggest that you do it…and that if you find one that you really like, you get more involved by taking up a leadership position.

The Liautuad Graduate School of Business houses several student organizations focused on various aspects of professional development, networking opportunities, socializing and community service. These organizations aim at augmenting the academic experience at the business school and help add more dimensions to a student’s personality.

This year, I am leading a highly motivated team from the MBA Association who are committed to delivering a holistic MBA experience to our students.  We will be driving three major activities for members which can be broadly described as:

• Enhance student’s ability to network externally
• Socialize with more business school students to enhance interdisciplinary learning
• Community service

We will be dotting the year with workshops to help enhance your soft skills. These workshops will be organized with UIC Liautaud’s Career Services Department and other student organizations. We will be focused on activities such as resume building, interview preps, elevator pitching and presentation skills which help you develop skills beyond your subject matter expertise.

The MBAA will also organize marquee events like socials and fundraisers, where students get the opportunity to interact with colleagues, alumni and professionals. This year we shall also try and engage our students in sporting activities in various intra-mural contests.

As part of our community service program, we will work with the Lincoln Park Shelter and the Night Ministry to help the underserved. We invite volunteers from across all organizations to help us in giving back to the community.

All our student organizations are filled with motivated young people. These people gather together to have some fun and make some friends in the midst of their busy college schedules, and you can often make great connections at the same time. If you are on the fence, why not jump in? Join our organizations! The experiences will be worth the hassle, and you’ll come out with lasting memories and a newly polished skill set.