Opportunities for Student-Alumni Engagement
As a Columbia Business School student, you are already a member of the School’s global alumni network. With more than 41,000 alumni in this worldwide community, interaction between students and alumni can be a dynamic part of your experience during business school and beyond.
Alumni Search
Columbia Career Network
In the Classroom
SocNet
Career Management Center
Student and Alumni Clubs
On the Road
Through the Centers
Uris Unplugged
Student Conferences
Student Clubs
Alumni Search
The Alumni Search is a great way for students to connect with Columbia Career Network (CCN) mentors and other Columbia Business School alumni.
As members of the Columbia Business School network, students can use the Alumni Search to connect with alumni, identify CCN mentors, search for alumni by industry affiliation, or locate alumni in a specific geographic region. This tool can be extremely effective in identifying potential event speakers, mentors, and alumni contacts within your chosen field.
If you encounter a problem acquiring contact information for any graduate, please contact Marisa Totino at mat2193@columbia.edu. If you cannot locate alumni contact information through the Alumni Search but have found it online through other sources (LinkedIn, Facebook, etc.), please e-mail alumni@gsb.columbia.edu so that the School can update its records and provide students with the most accurate and up-to-date information.
Columbia Career Network Program
The Columbia Career Network (CCN) is a program that strengthens the School’s 41,000-strong global community. It serves as the umbrella identifier for every instance where students have the opportunity to engage with the Columbia Business School network, which encompasses alumni, faculty members, staff, executives in residence, and others who are dedicated to career education of Columbia Business School students.
The CCN connects students with alumni who have identified themselves as mentors. To locate a CCN mentor, use the Alumni Search tool; CCN mentors are identified by the CCN-mentor designation on their entries and will appear at the top of your search results. Industry-based mentoring can help you attain a better understanding of your industry and can lead to a long-term relationship resulting in mutual benefit.
In the Classroom
The School’s own accomplished alumni frequently serve as classroom guest speakers. Faculty members maintain relationships with many former students as part of their commitment to bridging theory and practice in the classroom.
SocNet
SocNet is the School’s internal social networking platform. Use this online resource to stay connected with your classmates and other members of the School community. You can also use SocNet to connect with alumni.
Career Management Center
The Career Management Center (CMC) offers myriad opportunities to engage with Columbia Business School alumni. Through the CMC, experienced alumni career coaches offer one-on-one industry focused advising sessions as well as coaching tips. Alumni regularly attend company recruiting presentations and other CMC events. Additionally, each of the School’s centers host a variety of student and alumni programs, including mentoring breakfasts, lunch lecture series, networking receptions, and business-plan competitions.
Student and Alumni Clubs
Students have the opportunity to engage with alumni through events organized by student and alumni clubs; these events occur throughout the year and are held around the world.
Student clubs organize a multitude of events throughout the year that often feature alumni. Lectures, conferences, happy hours, meetings, and brown-bag lunches are some of the ways student clubs engage with alumni. The David and Lyn Silfen Leadership Speaker Series is a collaboration among students, faculty members, and alumni to attract top-level executives (who are often Columbia Business School alumni) to speak to students.
Columbia Business School has more than 65 alumni clubs located around the world; these organizations help to maintain close ties between alumni and the School. Many clubs participate in the annual Worldwide Alumni Club Event, which is open to current students, alumni, and incoming students; the 2012 Worldwide Alumni Club Event saw record numbers of participation. Mark your calendars for the 2013 Worldwide Alumni Club Event, which will take place in June 2013.
The Columbia Business School Alumni Club of New York hosts more than 60 events each year for the 20,000 alumni residing in the tri-state area. The CBSAC/NY offers a discounted student membership rate and offers exciting opportunities for alumni engagement.
On the Road
There are many opportunities to travel and meet alumni around the world that are coordinated through the Chazen Institute’s Global Immersion Program or international study tours. Other centers at the School and the Career Management Center also offer travel opportunities. Finally, alumni clubs often host receptions in conjunction with student trips, offering additional opportunities to engage with the alumni network.
Through the Centers
Each of Columbia Business School’s centers, programs, and institutes offers unique opportunities to engage with alumni. These programs span a range of topics, interests, and functions; they promote original research, partner with companies and institutions, design coursework, and promote public discourse on a variety of issues. For more information about these programs and opportunities for engagement, please contact the centers directly.
Uris Unplugged
Uris Unplugged is a semi-annual opportunity for current students to engage with alumni in an informal context. The Graduate Business Association’s Alumni Committee organizes this informal lunch for students and alumni based on industry interest and affiliation. For more information, contact Shardee Caesar’13, vice president of alumni for the Graduate Business Association; or Marisa Totino, associate director of young alumni and student relations, at 212-851-4305.