Diversity Business Summit is Wednesday

Syracuse University Career Services will host the eighth annual Diversity Business Summit on Wednesday, Sept. 23, from 4-9 p.m. at the Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel and Conference Center. The event, celebrating diversity in the workplace, brings together students from underrepresented backgrounds with world-renowned employers in a variety of industries. The Diversity Business Summit is composed of three parts: a case study competition (sponsored by Morgan Stanley), dinner (sponsored by JPMorgan Chase), and reverse career fair (sponsored by Deloitte).

For students, the real benefit of the Diversity Business Summit is the networking opportunity. “In today’s economic climate, having a solid network of contacts is crucial to landing internships and jobs,” says Jennifer Walters, associate director of Career Services. “The Diversity Business Summit provides students a unique opportunity to connect with representatives from a variety of companies and discuss diversity trends and other global issues affecting the workplace.”

In the case study competition, teams of students will develop innovative solutions to a pre-selected workplace issue related to diversity. The students, working in teams of four, will present their solutions to a panel of employer judges. The panel will select a winning team. Each member of the winning team will receive an 8GB iPod Nano.

Diversity at the Dinner Table is the second component of the Diversity Business Summit. This allows students to sit with an employer of their choice and have an extended discussion over dinner about workplace issues, as well as job opportunities and hiring trends at the employer’s organization. Neil Wilcox, general counsel for JPMorgan Chase’s Chief Administrative Office, will provide the keynote address during dinner.

Following dinner, the reverse career fair lets student organizations showcase their activities and membership as employers walk around gathering information about the various groups. “The reverse career fair is a chance for employers to spot opportunities to partner with student organizations. Perhaps they will see an event that they can sponsor or an activity they can become involved in,” says Walters.

“We are excited to be able to offer the Diversity Business Summit for an eighth year,” says Walters. “The event offers students an invaluable opportunity to connect with employers in a relaxed setting and have meaningful conversations about issues that are impacting our global workplace.”

The Diversity Business Summit is part of Syracuse University Career Week 2009, which includes the Career Fair at the Carrier Dome and several other career-related events. For more information about Diversity Business Summit, contact Walters at 443-3616 or jewalt02@syr.edu. Or stop by Career Services, Suite 235 of the Schine Student Center.