The Smith MBA from a Woman′s Perspective

The Graduate Women In Business Club (GWIB) and the Master's Programs Office recently invited prospective female MBA students to explore the Smith MBA from a woman's perspective. GWIB's first annual open house showcased the dynamic women of Smith's past, present, and future, by joining alumnae, current students, and incoming students.

"We wanted to offer students the opportunity to see how successful the women in our program have been," said Jen Moughalian, outgoing GWIB president and event co-chair. "When I was making the decision to enter an MBA program, I had a lot of questions about the MBA program and entering a field where women continue to be underrepresented. My experiences at Smith pushed me to do things I didn't know I was capable of doing."

Jodi Sweed, a graduate assistant in the graduate admissions office and GWIB's outgoing vice president of programming, said, "Although the Smith School has always boasted a female enrollment percentage of 35% or more, we noticed there was a slight dip in this percentage in fall 2001. As GWIB members, we wanted to make sure that we were a part of the recruitment process for fall 2002."

The day began with welcoming remarks from Cherie Scricca, assistant dean of master's programs. Scricca encouraged participants to be reflective when considering the pursuit of an MBA. "The MBA degree is a life-changing tool with many tangible and intangible rewards. It introduces you to a new perspective of not only business, but also the world. However, it is a major investment of time, finances, and emotional and mental energy. So before embarking on this journey, you need to decide if this is something you really want, and if you want it for the right reasons. Then, just do it!"

Marlene McNamee, outgoing president of the MBA Association (MBAA), highlighted the female leadership of the Smith School. "At this time, four of the assistant deans are women. We have female faculty in every department. We have female directors. The last three presidents of the MBAA have been women and at least 50% of current student club presidents are women. If you are looking for women who make things happen - look no further than the Smith community," said McNamee.

The open house provided prospective students with numerous opportunities to address their questions to panels of current full-time and part-time students and alumnae from diverse backgrounds. Smith women offered their insights on issues including financing the MBA, balancing workload with family and personal issues, housing, b-school preparation, career opportunities, and strategies. Participants also had the opportunity to explore economics or e-commerce through mock classes taught by Susan Feinberg, assistant professor of logistics, business and public policy, and Ritu Agarwal, associate professor of information systems, two female faculty members at the Smith School. "I was really impressed by the way the Smith School reached out to me," commented one participant. "I am very excited about the MBA program here."

With more than 100 members, the Graduate Women In Business Club at the Smith School builds community and provides networking opportunities for female MBAs. Activities range from mixers with faculty and alumni to golf lessons tailored to female businesswomen. In March, GWIB celebrated Women's History Month by welcoming alumnae and distinguished female executives for a panel discussion on work-life balance.