Alumni Council Forms Underrepresented Minority Alumni Engagement Committee

The number of underrepresented minorities (African-American, Hispanic-American and Native American) enrolled at NYU Stern has been steadily increasing in recent years. These graduates represent an ever-widening network of Stern alumni holding important positions in a variety of industries. Previously, no specific alumni group existed to build and strengthen this network. Recently, the NYU Stern Alumni Council designated engaging the underrepresented minority alumni community as a Networking / Community Building Concentration Area. A Committee was formed, chaired by David Hernandez, MBA ’99, to work closely with Alumni Affairs and MBA Admissions to serve as a point of contact for members of this special affinity group and to create a forum for continued networking and relationship building.

Committee Goals
The Committee will work closely with Alumni Affairs to identify members of the underrepresented minority community so that they may be correctly coded in the database and thereby be engaged in activities to build and strengthen this network.

Secondly, the Committee will support MBA Admissions in the recruitment of the best and the brightest minority applicants to NYU Stern, both in New York City and regionally. This includes participating in two annual, major recruitment events each year, and actively encouraging the participation of fellow alumni:

• Discover Stern: A Diversity Weekend for Prospective Students
• Stern Perspectives: An Interview Weekend (click here to read more about this recent event)

In addition, the Committee will work closely with the Association of Hispanic and Black Business Students (AHBBS), an MBA student organization, in support of club initiatives and activities and to engage members of the student community. The Committee aims to provide support for current students in their life at Stern and their ongoing professional development as they build their personal networks and in their development of programmatic initiatives. This could include participating in AHBBS activities, such as the Annual Conference, Holiday Party, Alumni BBQ, Happy Hours and more.

Building the Committee
Alumni representing a range of class years have been invited to participate in the Committee and to support the development of this network. The leadership of AHBBS is also serving on the Committee. Committee members are asked to attend quarterly meetings, reach out to fellow alumni to spread the word about committee initiatives / events, and assist with outreach to alumni in key positions and industries to secure panelists and / or speakers for programs.

Get Involved in the Underrepresented Minority Committee
If you are interested in learning more about the Underrepresented Minority Alumni Engagment Committee, please contact Jeanne Marano, Executive Director of Alumni Affairs, at alumni@stern.nyu.edu or (212) 998-4040.

Stern Perspectives: A Weekend for Minority MBA Applicants
MBA Admissions recently held its Weekend for Minority MBA Applicants, on February 25 - 26, 2005. The event, held on campus at Stern, is a two day special event that provides Stern’s top minority applicants the opportunity to experience the Stern community firsthand and gain direct insight into the advantages of the Stern MBA. Prospective students have the opportunity to complete their admissions interview with a Stern alumnus/a, experience the dynamic Stern classroom, and mingle with current students and alumni throughout the two days. This year, MBA Admissions welcomed approximately 75 applicants and 25 alumni who returned to campus for the event, including several members of the Underrepresented Minority Alumni Committee.

"Stern takes diversity recruiting very seriously because our intent is to help build the pipeline of future minority business leaders," remarked Anika Davis Pratt, Director of Admissions. "We strive to diversify every incoming class, and are looking to attract the best and brightest students, including underrepresented groups. Stern Perspectives is critical to this effort because the MBA marketplace is competitive, and all top schools are competing for the best talent. Stern works hard to go above and beyond to give these prospective students the most insight into our culture through our students, faculty and alumni."

AHBBS hosted the applicants on Friday evening, offering a student panel that discussed their Stern experience as well as a welcome dinner for the applicants with students and alumni. On Saturday, attendees heard from Dean Thomas F. Cooley, went to a corporate/alumni panel on "The Value of a Stern MBA," took a tour of the Stern facilities and enjoyed a luncheon with keynote speakers Gary Fraser, MBA ’92 and Dean of Students, and Associate Dean of Student Affairs at NYU Stern, and Ivy Grant, MBA2 and President of AHBBS. Saturday afternoon, the applicants attended a session entitled “Inside the Stern Classroom,” and had the opportunity to network and mingle with current students and alumni at a closing cocktail reception, including several members of the Underrepresented Minority Alumni Committee.

"I was delighted to see that my fellow alumni were so willing to volunteer their time in supporting the School through the Underrepresented Minority Alumni Committee," said Allan Boomer, MBA '04. "When I was applying to Stern, the Minority Applicant Weekend was the event that solidified my decision to enroll. It was my first glimpse into the personality of the School and the texture of its diversity."

"Stern Perspectives serves to showcase our community and the collaborative spirit that abounds at Stern," said Ms. Pratt. "Many prospective students have the preconception that New York City-based schools are not community-oriented. It is important for us to get these prospective students on campus, interacting with students and alumni so they can see it firsthand. Alumni in particular play a key role in this effort, as they are able to provide continuity and represent the value of a Stern MBA over the course of a career."

Get Involved in MBA Admissions Events
MBA Admissions invites all alumni to help with their recruiting events both here on campus and on to road around the world. For more information on ways you can get involved, contact Alison Goggin, Associate Director of MBA Admissions, at agoggin@stern.nyu.edu or (212) 998-4025.