The Student International Business Council (SIBC) at the University of Notre Dame is the largest student organization at the University. As the club is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year, its dedication to upholding business ethics and a means of “peace through commerce” is ultimately what drives its projects, according to the club’s mission.
Endowed by Frank Potenziani and endorsed by University President Emeritus Fr. Theodore Hesburgh in 1988, the club aims to offer students leadership positions and experience in business. The club attracts over 1,000 students per semester, typically appealing to undergraduate students in the Mendoza College of Business.
With eight departments, consisting of accounting, marketing, international, finance, consulting, impact consulting, real estate and STEM, the club provides a wide range of opportunities for students to get involved.
SIBC works with companies both domestically and internationally to create and offer solutions to various issues given to the team leads. These solutions, referred to as deliverables, are produced by teams throughout the semester and then presented on-site to the various companies.
Anna Chang, the accounting division manager for the academic year, emphasized the professional experience the club offers students.
“The networking opportunities and the real-life experiences it applies are very valuable,” said Chang.
Chang explained that there can often be a disconnect between course concepts in business classes and their immediate application for students. She believes SIBC is an essential opportunity for students to connect both their classwork with applied real-world training.
Chang noted students in SIBC dedicate much of their time to each project.
“Meetings themselves are half an hour a week. Students take a couple hours a week preparing deliverables, and that ends up being about 20 hours per person,” said Chang.
Looking specifically at the accounting sector of SIBC, Chang offered insight into how the connections between the Big Four and Notre Dame SIBC members are developed. According to Chang, 85% of Notre Dame accounting graduates work for Deloitte, EY, KPMG or PWC after graduation, and because of that, the firms are highly willing to return opportunities back to students at the University.
“We prioritize the Big Four firms because of the Notre Dame connections. Their in-person recruiters are key contacts,” said Chang.
Taking her own experiences into account, Chang stated her ability to connect with others on her own team and in the greater portion of the organization has allowed her to develop professional relationships and collaborative teamwork skills.
When describing her most influential experience, Chang expressed that her own team was an extremely important part of the success of the project.
“My freshman spring working on the Deloitte project we had a close team. We had responsibility shifts that provided each of us with a mode of support,” said Chang.
Students can gain experience in professional preparation through both prompts and teamwork opportunities at SIBC.
“Collaboration is key,” said Chang.
