WOMEN IN BUSINESS

After a year of classes moving online and students moving off-campus, the extracurriculars that once shaped the ‘college experience’ had begun to lose momentum.

An anomaly in light of this trend, one UND student organization was not only founded, but also flourished: The Women in Business club.

Six NCoBPA students and a staff member drew upon their business acumen to identify an unfulfilled desire within the College.

A recent analysis found that a mere 33% of the NCoBPA’s student population consists of female students.

“When you’re in your classes at UND, you do notice the lack of women when looking around the room,” says Cassidy Kuntz, a May 2022 graduate of the Master of Accountancy program at UND.

Over the 2021-2022 academic year, Kuntz worked alongside her peers and club co-founders — Taryn Hoffer, Lauren Cain, Grace Brown, Eliza Schueneman, and Abby Wilfert — to address this issue.

These students were hand-selected by Kathy Lund, Director of the Pancratz Career Development Center and the advisor for Women in Business. Since joining the UND staff 14 years ago, Lund often dreamed about finding a way to connect women at UND with each other, alumni, and other professionals.

Lund says, “Since the beginning, our goal has been to build community and help women navigate the obstacles and opportunities they will encounter throughout college and in the workplace.”

“College can be challenging on several levels,” affirms Grace Brown, who recently graduated with majors in Finance and Management. “For me, getting connected with the University community helped mitigate some of those challenges and was by far the most rewarding aspect of my time at UND. I believe Women in Business has become an organization that facilitates connection and empowerment.”

This mission resonated with NCoBPA students and quickly gained traction, allowing the club to amass nearly 50 members within the first year.

Taryn Hoffer, former President of Women in Business, led the charge for organizing featured speakers, workshops, game nights, study-a-thons, and networking events.

As Hoffer and the other club executives brought attention to the new organization, Women in Business was instantly met with support from faculty and staff.

In the fall, NCoBPA Dean Amy Henley met with the club to share her personal career journey from public accounting into academia, followed by an interactive discussion about women’s roles in the workplace. Later in the year, Management Instructor Kay Powell presented on intergenerational leadership.

Business leaders also volunteered to contribute to Women in Business. Among them were Sarah Newgard, a local entrepreneur, and Kristi Hall-Jiran, Chief Philanthropy and Partnership Officer at Altru Health System, who spoke on confidence, motivation, and relationship-building.

“There is so much to be learned from professionals who have industry experience and stories about situations we could all encounter in our careers,” says Lund. “These events are also incredible ways to build networks and make lasting connections.”

The club is constantly seeking out alumni and friends willing to share their expertise, either in person or virtually.

On a smaller scale, the organization prioritizes peer-to-peer interactions. These are the favorite activities of Eliza Schueneman, incoming President of Women in Business.

“It’s during those member meetings when, in the mix of playing Pictionary, you end up talking about shared classes or give advice about choosing courses in the upcoming semester,” Schueneman explains. “You really do see how much you have in common, and you leave the night with a new friend!”

Such friendships are not limited to business and public administration majors. The Women in Business club welcomes students across campus, such as an Engineering student with an interest in innovation and a Biology Pre-Med student hoping to someday open a private practice.

Schueneman says, “This is a great club for any major to find not only the resources to achieve one’s career goals, but genuine friendship as well.”

The Women in Business student organization emerged in alignment with other initiatives in the UND community, such as the Women for Philanthropy Luncheon and the NCoBPA’s Be Bold Women in Leadership Summit. Not by coincidence, each represents an ever-growing discussion around female leadership.

And the conversation is just beginning, according to Schueneman and Lund, who plan to expand the club’s impact during the next academic year.

“We had an outstanding baseline year where we established the fundamentals of the organization, and now, we’re able to grow and host larger events in conjunction with the NCoBPA,” says

Shueneman. “This club has so much potential with a motivated incoming executive board. I’m excited to see Women in Business continue to benefit students in years to come.”

Lund mirrors a similar vision, saying, “I hope we can continue to foster a collaborative, supportive environment, create opportunities to build our networks and our knowledge, and grow our reach and membership. I hope that as students graduate, they stay connected and share information about what they’ve learned on their professional journeys so we have a continuous cycle of learning and collaboration.”

Indeed, the cycle is already in motion. As Kuntz prepares to take the CPA exam and begin as an Audit Associate for Baker Tilly, she says, “I look forward to coming back to the UND career fair. I imagine standing at my company’s booth when a student gives me their resume and it says, ‘Women in Business.’ There will be an immediate sense of connection.”