School of Business Administration

In January 2021, the School of Business Administration launched the Center for Business Student Engagement (CBSE). Former Dean John Mittelstaedt led the initial drive to dedicate resources to SBA-affiliated clubs and organizations for coordination and sharing of strategies, and to support compliance with university diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. The Center formally opened this term after time spent this past spring and summer identifying its mission and vision.

Janet Leonard is the inaugural Director of the CBSE. Having served as Assistant Dean in the SBA as well as Director of the SBA Undergraduate Advising Center since 2005, Leonard is uniquely positioned to develop the Center from its conception and into the future. In her “spare time” Leonard acts as coordinator for the BIZ courses and teaches some sections.

The Center is already making an impact on students. In August they sponsored the first annual SBA Club Fair, where students learned about extracurricular activities that can enhance and elevate their academic program. Murphy Weiland, a senior majoring in ACC and MKT, appreciates the impact of the SBA Club Fair. Weiland is President of UD’s chapter of Women in Business is also involved with fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi.

According to Weiland, “The SBA Club Fair helped Women in Business reach over 125 interested students, increasing our engagement with the SBA community by over 150% compared to Fall 2020.” She also helped staff a table at the Fair for Alpha Kappa Psi. “This style of engagement facilitated by the Center for Business Student Engagement allowed for potential new members to increase their knowledge about AKPsi prior to the rush process.”

Student orgs can also apply for funding through the CBSE. The newly-formed Dayton’s Investment Banking Club (DIBC) was one of the first recipients, using the Center’s financial support to pay for an Adventis financial modeling course for each of the club's members. The DIBC’s founder and managing director, student Isaac Grude, is grateful for the Center’s outreach. “There was a ton of support for us,” he said, “whether it was helping secure a partnership with regional boutique investment bank Carleton & McKenna, or the generous donation that allowed us to invest in our members.”  

As for future Center endeavors, Leonard looks forward to developing a path for the SBA’s Business Advisory Council to connect with student clubs and organizations. Also in the works is a new web page for the Center and related websites for individual clubs and organizations that will link to the Center's main page. Faculty and staff are invited to share ideas for how the Center can help promote additional outreach initiatives.