If you’ve listened to The ExecMBA Podcast, you’ve likely heard our students and alumni talk repeatedly about the sense of community that defined much of their time at Darden.
Many prospective students are surprised to hear of this esprit de corps, particularly in a working professionals program, but there are several key reasons for this culture:
- As with most things in life, it starts with the people. Students choose the program because it values and emphasizes the educational experience. Staff and faculty are drawn to working with and supporting students who have embarked on this unifying transformational experience. And all parties enjoy being a part of a tight knit group that functions like one large extended family.
- Because of the case method learning approach, the Darden community actually starts in the classroom. During class discussions, students learn about their classmates, their classmates’ past experiences, how each thinks about the world, how different perspectives and experiences approach difficult problems, what they’re passionate about and so much more.
- These interactions provide a solid foundation that is only reinforced outside the classroom, through program-facilitated activities (for example, Friday Night Live) and student-driven programming (dinners, tacky sweater parties, etc.).
Fun fact: Did you know there are multiple class-wide student leadership positions in our Executive MBA Program? Students can serve as class representatives, community representatives, career representatives, diversity and inclusion representatives and social representatives. They can also hold leadership roles in our Executive MBA student organizations, including the Network of Executive Women, the Black Executive MBA student organization, the Executive MBA Entrepreneurship Club and the Veteran Executive Students at Darden.
As recently noted in our podcast interview with Executive MBA program leaders, Jim Detert and Laura Bordoni, at Darden, students are considered partners in the educational enterprise. Every student has a direct line to program faculty and staff, and program leadership regularly asks students for feedback about their experience. These communication channels have become even more of a priority during this time of social distancing
We invite you to join us for a series of webinars exploring the Executive MBA student experience. These sessions will feature candid conversations with members of our Executive MBA community, including students and program leaders, and we look forward to seeing you online!
Executive MBA Webinar: Darden Women’s Perspectives
Tuesday, 28 April| 6:00 pm ET
Register
In Conversation: Black Executive MBA Student Organization
Wednesday, 6 May | 6:00 pm ET
Register
Executive MBA Webinar: Current Student Q&A
Thursday, 7 May | 6:00 pm ET
Register
Check out faculty thought leadership published on Ideas to Action. And stay connected with us via social media: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, WeChat
