Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56535
If there's something students think should be a part of the curricular experience that doesn't exist, they can create it. —Rebecca Solow, MBA student, New York University fashion show, which featured fashion created from recycled, organic, and fair trade sources. The group asked design- ers around the world to lend their clothing creations and recruited business students to act as models. The fashion show was so successful that some students purchased the clothes featured on the runway and have asked that Oïkos Reims make it an annual event. That kind of enthusiasm is what the group needs to attract new mem- bers, says Stoll. Students at France's ESSEC Business School also can be mentation of the Stern Campus Greening Initiative (SCGI), a program that encourages the school community to save resources and reduce its environmental footprint. "One great thing about Stern is that if there's something students think should be a part of the curricular experience that doesn't exist, they can create it," Solow says. "We were able to make the case for why social enterprise is impor- tant, demonstrate growing student interest, and show how Stern could benefit in terms of its competitive position in the market." Changing Perceptions Solow and Chmielewski lead chapters on campuses where social enterprise is a big part of the students' mindsets. But how difficult is it for students to launch socially driven initia- tives at schools with a more traditional bent, whose student body and faculty are less active in social enterprise? At these schools, it can be difficult to attract attention, says Benjamin Stoll, an MBA student at Reims Management School in France. He leads that school's chapter of Oïkos International, an organization that, like Net Impact, was founded by students interested in environmental issues. The organization started at the University of St. Gallen in Swit- zerland in 1987; as of April 2008, the organization had 20 chapters in 15 countries. Reims offers a sustainable development program and sponsors several events and conferences. Even so, some stu- dents at Reims "reject sustainable development as too boring or restrictive," says Stoll. Oïkos Reims' members opted to counter the "boring and restricting" image of sustainability with "fun and glamour," says Stoll. They organized an environmentally conscious a hard sell when it comes to sustainability, says MBA student Irène Stolz, a leader of ESSEC's Net Impact chapter. "We have found it difficult to touch students, because there are so many other events on campus," says Stolz. To stand out from the crowd, ESSEC's chapter is work- ing to implement "Shadow Days," a one-day internship pro- gram in social enterprise. The goal, says Stolz, is to provide students who otherwise would not pursue internships in social enterprise with opportunities to follow a professional working in corporate social responsibility. Students and faculty can be inspired by efforts like these, says Maw of Net Impact. Because it can be a huge challenge to integrate social enterprise into existing curricula and the business school community at large, she adds, students need to be patient and focus on "small wins." "Students are making the case for adding electives, estab- lishing a core course, or hiring faculty who can make this a priority," Maw says. "Or, they can do something as simple as raising their hands to make a point about sustainability in their current classes." Building Momentum A more pressing challenge for students who want to drive change on their campuses is developing continuity in their efforts from one year to the next. Most MBA students are on campus for two years or less, which often is not enough time to ensure the success of a project or long-term goal. Students in the International MBA program at the Univer- sity of South Carolina's Moore School of Business in Colum- bia start their year in July, take classes through December, and then spend eight months abroad. "Our biggest obstacle is ensuring the sustainability of the chapter," says Steven Coffman, president of Moore's Net Impact chapter, which BizEd JULY/AUGUST 2009 41 R. SCHNEIDER/JUPITER IMAGES