From alumni, parents, and observers alike, IU Kelley has earned an A+ when it comes to student support.
Right off the bat, each student is paired with an advisor who takes the time to understand their goals and interests and will direct them to opportunities accordingly. Kelley students are supported by peer and professional coaches who help them create a path to navigate their time at Kelley before the program even begins.
These coaches really come in handy especially for the Compass 1, 2 and 3 courses – where Kelley students dive into interviews, resume reviews, professional communication discussions, offer negotiation sessions, etc.
INCLUSIVITY AND SUPPORT AT KELLEY
Laurie Colglazier, executive director of the IU Kelley undergraduate program
“At the Kelley School, we know we are educating students and preparing them to be the business leaders of tomorrow. However, we also know that we are working with individuals who all have unique strengths and needs, and we do not take this responsibility lightly,” says Laurie Colglazier, executive director of the IU Kelley undergraduate program.
The B-school is very inclusive – as Colglazier and others will tell you, all are welcome at Kelley. This summer, Kelley introduced its first associate dean of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, Robert Thomas, in its Kelley Office Diversity Initiatives. The central focus of this office is to offer support to underrepresented minority students in their journey through the Kelley School experience.
Kelley wants to ensure their grads connect to employers, so they’ve built in a robust system to make that happen. Throughout the year, the B-school hosts 2 career fairs hosting 100+ employers each, and over six networking sessions with recruiters from an array of companies and industries. To connect on a closer level, students can attend Kelley’s weekly Instagram Live session which hits on points relevant to students at that time in the academic year. The B-school offers yet another avenue of support with their ASK program, which re-launched last year. The program is led by student coaches intentionally selected – Kelley students who were in these new student’s shoes a few semesters before.
Eighty-seven students coach the ASK program, each employed at various levels of leadership. They provide free, one-on-one and group academic coaching for eighteen different first and second year courses in the core Kelley curriculum. After partaking in ASK, students have reported elevated academic performance and confidence, all without having to spend a dime on academic coaching and tutoring.
NEW COURSES AND OPPORTUNITIES ABROAD AT KELLEY
Kelley is bringing something new to the table by way of six new courses in the last three years, including Sustainability Reporting & Analysis, Applied FinTech, Cryptoassets, Climate Change Law & Policy, Digital Solutions with AI, and Social Entrepreneurship.
Students spoke, and Kelley listened. Three more courses were recently developed based on student feedback. The Kelley School saw the desire for a more focused approach to economics in the business curriculum, so through a thoughtful partnership between Kelley and the College of Arts and Sciences, two new courses were developed: Fundamentals of Economics for Business 1 & 2.
Post-graduation, leaving Kelley doesn’t sever the tie – in fact, the bond with alumni remains as strong as ever. The B-school has over 130,000 alumni, many of whom are more than happy to lend a helping hand to current undergrads and share their authentic experiences.
One particular example of this was on a study abroad trip to China.
Colglazier, who attended the trip, says, “The group visited a major multi-national company at the invitation of a Kelley alum who was living and working there at the time. We all shuffled into the conference room, the students expecting a presentation and some Q & A time. Our alumni host, a member of C-suite at the time, came in after us and closed the door behind him. He sat down at the head of the table, pushed his chair back and said ‘I want to tell you about how we (a major multinational) failed miserably when we entered the Asian market. And then I’d like to tell you what we learned and how we turned things around to get to where we are now.’ The students perked up and were captivated by his candor, humility and ultimately his investment in making sure students got the maximum amount of educational value out of their time in China.”
Kelley is all about expanding horizons. The B-school offer a wide array of trips abroad, one being their signature Global Business Immersion program for second year students. They take an eight-week course at Kelley that is counted toward their course load, and then travel with their faculty members and classmates on a 7-10 day study tour to one of 15 different locations.
Camp Kelley participants
HANDS-ON EXPERIENCES CLOSE TO HOME
When it comes to collaborating and connecting with industry experts, there’s no lack of opportunity at Kelley. Over 90% of Kelley undergraduate students participate in internships during their time as an undergrad.
The Kelley School has countless enriching experiences to participate in. Recent highlights include the Partners Picnic with over 15 accounting firms, where students, faculty, staff and company representatives spent several hours bonding, networking, and learning from each other, the Deloitte Case competition, and the Habitat for Humanity project based in neighboring Bloomington.
The B-school recognizes the importance of supporting their undergrad’s mental health. Kelley hosts a full-day annual event called “Failing Successfully Summit” in order to normalize failure and resilience.
“We have pioneered embedding a focus on wellness in the undergraduate business program with our student support team. Our Student Support team consists of three dedicated, full-time professionals who are members of the Kelley School undergraduate program staff. They offer a comprehensive portfolio of support for students: one-on-one mentoring program offered to every incoming business student, regular programming to support wellness, a standing mental health student task force and full day annual event, the ‘Failing Successfully Summit’ to normalize failure and resilience,” says Colglazier.
Kelley undergrads are known for their strong ambition and relentless work ethic. Recognizing the need for relaxation amidst the hustle and bustle, the B-School has thoughtfully carved out a dedicated space just for that.
“We also recognize that space sends a signal about what is important and in early 2020 we opened our Balance Room – a device free space designed for students to reflect and reset during the day,” says Colglazier.
