Smeal’s Corporate Associates Program Featured in US News & World Report
US News & World Report featured Penn State University’s Smeal College of Business’s Corporate Associates Program in an article about partnerships between companies and universities. In “When Colleges and Companies Partner, All Involved Benefit,” author Chris Hassan cites Smeal’s Corporate Associates Program as an example of a mutually beneficial relationship between a college and industry. He observes that the partnership with Smeal gives companies access to accomplished MBA students and student organizations. The MBA students also benefit from the corporate relationship because they have the opportunity to interact with corporate professionals in advisory boards, case studies, and classroom lectures. The partnership also gives MBA students the opportunity to interact with corporate recruiters, and gives corporate recruiters access to talented potential employees.
The benefits Smeal, MBA students, and corporations receive from corporate partnerships extend beyond corporate support for student events. Corporate partners contribute thousands of dollars per year to sponsor services and programs at Smeal. Corporate support funds scholarship assistance, special gifts, general school support, research, and professional development activities. The companies also send Recruiters in Residence to Smeal, who offer mock interviews and resume reviewing services to students. Smeal hosts two Career Fairs every year that are only open to Corporate Associate companies.
At this time, Smeal lists twenty companies as Corporate Associates. These companies include industry powerhouses like Aldi, AT&T, Deloitte, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Heinz, Johnson & Johnson, Macy’s, PNC, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Shell Oil, and others. Smeal also has a corporate partnership with Kohl’s Department Stores.
