Ashoka Teams with University of Maryland as "Changemaker Campus" Smith School Leads Social Change Initiative

Ashoka, the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs, is launching a pilot program called "Changemaker Campuses" in which Ashoka applies its considerable talents and resources as a catalyst for positive social change to America's university campuses. Ashoka selected the University of Maryland as one of only four campuses across the United States to serve as the pilot program for its campus initiative. The University of Maryland is represented in this initiative by a team of students from across the entire university campus. The team is spearheaded by Melissa Carrier, director of venture investments and social entrepreneurship at the Smith School's Dingman Center for Entrepreneurship, with Brian L. Nelson, a Tyser Teaching Fellow in the logistics, business and public policy department at the Robert H. Smith School of Business, as the faculty representative. Nelson is also the course coordinator for "Social Responsibility in Business," a newly required course for both Smith's part-time and full-time MBA programs.

Over the weekend of Oct. 31, 2008, the UM team attended a weekend retreat sponsored by Ashoka and the Dingman Center. Since its creation in 1981, Ashoka has selected over 2,000 leading social entrepreneurs from around the world as Ashoka Fellows, providing them with living stipends, professional support, and access to a global network of peers in more than 60 countries.

The purpose of the weekend was to take the first steps informing a "change maker" campaign at UMCP and the other colleges involved in this pilot program: Cornell, Johns Hopkins and George Mason. To this end, Ashoka met with a team of students and staff and faculty representatives to formulate an overall strategy for facilitating positive social change through curriculum, extracurricular activities, internships, and career placement.

The "Change Maker" campus, facilitated by Ashoka, is part of Smith School Dean Anand Anandalingam's campaign to increase the offerings and initiatives at the Smith School in respect of social entrepreneurship, corporate social responsibility, business ethics, and not-for-profit organizations.