MBA Students Plan Yearlong Series of Volunteer Activities

BUFFALO, N.Y. - MBA students typically are more interested in acts of commerce than acts of charity. But this weekend, about 50 full-time MBA students from the University at Buffalo School of Management will begin a yearlong series of volunteer activities that they believe should be an important part of any business-school curriculum.

"It's very important for business students to develop a sense of the role they can play in improving their community, from both a business and a personal standpoint," says Quentin Lilley, a second-year MBA student and an organizer of the activities.

The volunteering kicks-off on Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., with "MBAs Make a Difference Day." One group of MBAs will begin rehabilitation of a house at 31 Hoffman St. in North Buffalo, in cooperation with Habitat for Humanity, while another group will perform general maintenance and landscaping at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center at 3242 Main St.

According to Lilley, the students' volunteer work will continue each month with new activities -- such as a Halloween party for kids, food and clothing drives for Thanksgiving and Christmas, a spaghetti dinner and a community health fair - at the Gloria J. Parks Community Center.

Sponsored by M&T Bank and organized by UB's Graduate Management Association, the UB MBA volunteer program is in its second year. More than 30 students participated in last year's activities.

UB's full-time MBA program is a two-year graduate business program, offering a choice of 10 business concentrations. Business Week magazine has ranked the program as one of the best in the country.