Annual Advisory Council Day Unites Industry Experts

Students were front and center during the annual Smith Advisory Council Day, on Friday, Oct. 18 at the University of Maryland’s Robert H. Smith School of Business. They engaged with council members to discuss programs and presented a showcase of experiential learning projects. Each year, alumni, employers and industry leaders who sit on 10 program-specific councils gather in Van Munching Hall to evaluate the Smith School’s programs and curriculum, hear from current students and network.

Nicole Coomber, assistant dean of experiential learning, welcomed participants and said that over the last three years, experiential learning in the classroom has seen an increase from 9% to 27.5%.

“Each one of you has been part of this success by being here,” Coomber said to participants. She asked the group to continue bringing new experiential learning opportunities to students through their companies and networks. “You are vital to creating great experiences for students.”

Jasmine Crooks ’16, an F35 proposal manager with Lockheed Martin has been on the MiM council for two years and called this year’s event “amazing.” Crooks said hearing from students about what they value in Smith’s programs and understanding how alumni can “bridge the gaps” is something she enjoyed. “Also hearing from other great distinguished alumni like the Gap CEO, I found that conversation really astounding,” Crooks said, referencing the day’s closing session featuring a conversation led by Dean Prabhudev Konana with alumnus Richard Dickson ’90, CEO of Gap, Inc.

Alumna and council member Chantl Martin, MSMA ’16, director of marketing effectiveness and intelligence at VML, enjoys being able to give back to Smith, which she said was helpful in her own journey. Jen Braud ’04, MBA ’09 said the event is one of the “top three things” she looks forward to each year and that she leaves the event feeling “so fulfilled and energized.”

New advisory council member John Farrell, a managing director at HSBC Global Bank and a Smith Terp Parent, said hearing from students about their experiences and the engagement from Smith faculty and staff is something he enjoyed, along with “networking and meeting with people I never would have met.”

There are over 375 advisory council members across 10 councils. Council members serve for two years, and the terms can be renewed. The Advisory Council initiative is part of the Office of Experiential Learning, supporting the mission to create integrated, interdisciplinary opportunities for students to solve real-world problems for real-world companies.

Learn more about partnering with the Office of Experiential Learning by providing classroom projects, student coaching, or joining an advisory council today.