New Service Requirement Prepares UT Dallas Management Students to Be Well-Rounded Citizens
RICHARDSON, Texas, Aug. 8, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- To amp up students' sense of belonging in the world beyond campus, the Naveen Jindal School of Management at UT Dallas is initiating a program that requires all undergraduates to dive deep into community service.
Beginning this fall, incoming freshmen and transfer students need to fulfill 100 hours of community service or work on business-related projects for nonprofits in order to graduate.
Dr. Marilyn Kaplan, associate dean of undergraduate programs, said the Jindal School launched this initiative because one of its primary goals is to produce well-rounded citizens who engage with and become part of their communities.
"We want somebody who knows how to give back and who understands all parts of society — not just somebody who is good at crunching numbers," she said.
In collaboration with United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the UT Dallas Office of Student Volunteerism, the Jindal School connects students to service opportunities. These include UT Dallas programs, homeless and animal shelters, food pantries, community gardens and organizations such as Habitat for Humanity.
Students can volunteer for work that suits their interests and skills and log their hours in new project management software.
JSOM students who already perform community service through student organizations, fraternities and sororities can count hours with approved organizations toward the requirement.
"Many students were already doing the entire 100 hours or more," Kaplan said. "We were just never able to collect the data or know the impact of what our student body was doing until now."
Social Sector Engagement and Community Outreach (ENTP 4340), a course in which students work on business-related projects for nonprofits, fulfills all 100 hours in one semester. Robert Wright, a senior lecturer in innovation and entrepreneurship and member of the UWMD's board of directors, teaches the course.
Course projects might involve creating a marketing plan for a nonprofit or helping an organization with financial statements. Other courses for fall 2018, including business basics, product and brand management, digital and internet marketing, and market research, allow students to fulfill five to 20 hours of the requirement.
"This requirement has the potential to either enrich the lives of Jindal School students by giving them a community expression, or it changes the course of their lives by sending them down a path of working in community service," Wright said.
About the UT Dallas Naveen Jindal School of Management
The Naveen Jindal School of Management is the largest of UT Dallas' eight schools, with a fall 2017 enrollment of nearly 9,000. The school provides outstanding tuition value, a wide variety of classes on campus and online, flexible scheduling and a convenient location. The Jindal School keeps abreast of business needs to provide students with rigorous training and relevant skills for professional success. Programs are offered at the bachelor's, master's, PhD and Executive levels.
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SOURCE Naveen Jindal School of Management
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