University of Minnesota Nonprofit Management
http://www.carlsonschool.umn.edu/cms/page7848.aspx
The Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota announces the addition of an undergraduate public/nonprofit management major beginning this fall. The University of Minnesota Board of Regents approved the major at its July meeting. The introduction of the major reflects the work of three undergraduate students and collaboration with the Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs at the University of Minnesota.
The addition of the Carlson School's 13th major dovetails with the opening of Herbert M. Hanson Jr. Hall, a building for undergraduate education and services. By offering the public/nonprofit management major, the Carlson School will meet growing student demand and set itself apart from other leading business schools that offer an undergraduate business school curriculum. The Carlson School is the only U.S. News World Report top 20-ranked business school to have an undergraduate major in public/nonprofit management.
"Our Undergraduate program is undergoing a great renovation on the inside and out," said Alison Davis-Blake, dean of the Carlson School. "With the addition of the nonprofit major, we are one step closer to building the premier undergraduate experience. This will be a great opportunity for Carlson School students to understand more about nonprofit organizations and cross-sector leadership."
Students drive curricular change
The major's origins are unique compared with the Carlson School's other majors. Two years ago, self-designed nonprofit majors Eric Larsen, a senior, Diana Schleisman, ’07 BSB, and Brian Peterson, '07 BSB, wished there were an easier way for more Carlson School students to major in nonprofit management. At the time, the Carlson School offered 12 majors in a variety of business management disciplines, and the University offered a nonprofit minor for all University students.
Through a grassroots-like campaign, including an article in the Minnesota Daily, the students built a network of support for a nonprofit major among students, faculty, nonprofit leaders and even local politicians. The three worked with Bob Ruekert, associate dean of Undergraduate programs and marketing professor, and Mary Maus-Kosir, assistant dean of Undergraduate programs, both from the Carlson School, and Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs lecturer Jay Kiedrowski and Associate Professor Melissa Stone to create a proposal for an accessible nonprofit major built entirely on existing resources and in partnership with the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs. Upon submission of the proposal, the faculty at the Carlson School reviewed it and voted in the spring to approve the new major.
Faculty and staff estimate that the new nonprofit major will gain popularity next year when Hanson Hall opens. Major course requirements include: nonprofit public budgeting and finance; leadership; nonprofit management and governance; a capstone course at the Humphrey Institute; and three Carlson school entrepreneurship courses.
Ruekert said the service-learning class he teaches to University Honors students is very popular. A similar cross-sector capstone project will be part of the curriculum for all nonprofit majors.
Carlson undergraduates give back to the community in this capstone Honors class, where students use their business skills to problem-solve for service organizations large and small, new and established, well-funded and struggling. In this instance, doing good is a byproduct of learning, says Ruekert. It's also a very important component of their education, as more companies are becoming socially responsible and encouraging their leaders to get involved in their communities.
Showing our true colors
Kiedrowski says it makes sense for the Carlson School and the Humphrey Institute to partner in providing curriculum for the major. "Minnesota is one of the strongest philanthropic states in the country," Kiedrowski says. "To have a premier business school partnering with a leading school of public affairs is a strong sign of the role that business and nonprofits play in our community. Students will be well-prepared to lead our nonprofit institutions and find ways to continue to make a difference in the private sector."
In a recent job survey conducted by the Carlson School's Business Career Center, 27 percent of undergraduates expressed interest in future nonprofit sector work. For freshman Tommy DeMarco, the major is one reason he chose to attend the Carlson School this fall. "When I started to think about business as a career choice, I knew I wanted to use my business education to help society," says DeMarco. "Knowing that the Carlson School offers a nonprofit major made this school the clear choice for me."
The students who pioneered the work for the new major couldn't be more satisfied. "Through educating business-minded nonprofit leaders, the major promotes leadership and cooperation across boundaries and sectors," said Peterson. "The alliance between the two schools is a perfect example of integrative leadership."