SIBC reopens membership to all majors

After beginning the year under the purview of the Mendoza College of Business, and therefore being open only to Mendoza students, the Student International Business Council (SIBC) recently moved under the advisorship of the Career Center and will reopen its membership to students of all majors, senior and SIBC co-president Alisha Anderson said.

“The most immediate change is, once again, we will be open to students from all majors and all college affiliations, which we saw as the most important change so far,” Anderson said. “Beyond that, we’re still working through some of the other structural changes in terms of bylaws and organizational aspects.”

Career Center director Hilary Flanagan said the new partnership with SIBC, the largest student organization on campus, came about after discussions between student members of SIBC and University administrators. Student organizations exist under the direction of a department or division of the University rather than the Club Coordination Council.

“After considering some recent feedback from and discussion between students involved in SIBC, deans, and the Division of Student Affairs, the decision was made to transition SIBC from a student club to a student organization,” Flanagan said in an email. “Like other student organizations on campus, SIBC already functioned with a University employee appointed to advise the group.

“Being recognized as a student organization and moving forward with that recognition seems like a very positive outcome that will address important student feedback and benefit all who participate in the organization.”

Senior Alessandro DiSanto, also an SIBC co-president, said the move stemmed from a mutual desire from Mendoza and SIBC to find the best home for the council.

“I think because of the immediacy of the decision that was made over the summer by the College of Business [to have control over SIBC], we were not able to fully discuss how the transition would work with Mendoza,” he said. “And once those discussions started taking place, there was a feeling of maybe this should go in a different direction.

"Just given the circumstances that both [Mendoza and SIBC] are in, perhaps both organizations could meet their missions better if the SIBC was located in a different home that allowed for a more expansive impact on campus.”

DiSanto said he was pleased to see the University respond to the council’s needs in an effective and productive way.

“It was very heartening to see the Office of Student Affairs realize the level of independence the SIBC is capable of in order to function at a healthy state,” he said. “And we’re very excited to work with the Career Center, whose mission very much aligns with ours — providing a diverse set of educational experience while maintaining an impact in both the local and global communities.”

Anderson said the administration listened to student concerns regarding SIBC membership and prioritized the best interest for the council in its response.

“Everyone was very impassioned about, ‘How can we best find a home for the SIBC?’” she said. “I think everyone was trying to find the best interest for us, including Mendoza and Student Affairs.”

Though SIBC has essentially completed its projects for the fall semester, DiSanto said the council looks forward to reopening its membership to all students in the spring semester.

“Our projects are coming to the end for this semester, so it’s kind of the end of our cycle, but starting immediately, we are open to everyone from all educational backgrounds and are excited to welcome all of our new members and old members back at the start of this coming semester,” DiSanto said.

He also said the move to the Career Center will provide new and exciting opportunities for SIBC and its members, though the details of these opportunities are still in the early stages.

“We’re still in preliminary discussions with the Career Center, but you can certainly see how there may potentially be some synergies on some of our international internship programs, whether that be through parallel funding sources or amplified relationships with companies,” he said.

Flanagan said she and her staff at the Career Center are likewise excited about the possibilities for the new relationship with SIBC.

“Time will certainly tell, but I think there are some great opportunities for our staff to provide some coaching to students within SIBC to further their aim to promote peace through commerce,” she said. “We look forward to coaching the student leadership of SIBC, as well as the general membership as they strive to gain experience in various career fields through interaction with employers.

“This is a brand new transition for all of us, and I think this new collaboration will be great for student members of SIBC. Being recognized as a student organization and moving forward with that recognition seems like a very positive outcome that will address important student feedback and benefit all who participate in the organization.”