Feb. 1, 2018

In today’s social and political environment, an emphasis on access, opportunity and community Engagement is arguably more important than it has ever been. At the University of South Carolina’s Darla Moore School of Business, the Student Council on Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement and Associate Dean of Access, Opportunity and Community Engagement Alice Leri are pursuing an ambitious campaign to increase the diversity dialogue through new workshops and programs that will be introduced over the coming year.

In early February, the Moore School will be hosting an expert panel on how to incorporate access, opportunity and community Engagement into a company’s business strategies. Panelists include representatives from Eastman Chemical Company, Geico, and UPS and will be moderated by Moore School management professor Deborah Hazzard.

“What we’re trying to do is promote inclusive leadership among student organizations and the greater student body,” Leri says of the series of access, opportunity and community Engagement events.

More access, opportunity and community Engagement workshops are being set up for Moore School students interested in learning about the importance of access, opportunity and community Engagement in their future careers, and plans are in motion for a class on access, opportunity and community Engagement to be offered in the fall. The class will focus on access, opportunity and community Engagement in management and will be taught by Hazzard.

Also starting in the fall is the Rising Leaders Program, a cohort program designed to connect traditionally underserved students to more professional development opportunities and enable them to build a network that will better help them succeed throughout and after college life.

“The idea is to give these students the tools to help themselves succeed in their future careers,” Leri says.

The program is being offered to incoming freshmen, and Leri expects to have about 19 students from a wide range of backgrounds in this first year. Positions will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. Leri hopes that through this program, students who might be the first in their families to come to college or who come from low income backgrounds will be better able to take full advantage of opportunities available to them through the Moore School and the university as a whole.

As part of this four-year program, the cohort will take specialized UNIV 101 and BADM 301 classes, engage in peer and professional mentoring, and work with faculty and mentors to prepare for the job market and young adult life as a whole. Students will also be encouraged to take part in other opportunities around the Moore School such as research, internships and study abroad.

By Madeleine Vath