Saunders College offers to help local businesses

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A. Sue Weisler

Local companies will again have access to knowledgeable and ambitious teams of consultants from Saunders College of Business’ Executive MBA students—at no charge.

Got a business problem? Local companies will again have access to knowledgeable and ambitious teams of consultants from Rochester Institute of Technology—at no charge.

For the past 20 years, RIT has invited area businesses to take part in the annual Capstone Project, sponsored by the Executive MBA program at Saunders College of Business. All applications for the Capstone Project are due by April 18.

Experienced managers and executives from RIT’s EMBA program have helped strengthen more than 60 local and diverse businesses—including GE, JML Optical Industries Inc., Monroe Tractor, DeCarolis Truck Rental, Excellus and United Way of Greater Rochester Inc.

The EMBA project teams will spend a 20-week period defining and analyzing a client’s problems in areas such as manufacturing, finance, business strategy, marketing, human resource management and information systems. Host company executives with RIT faculty review each team’s analysis and final presentations.

“We see the ‘Capstone Projects’ as both a service to Rochester’s business community and an opportunity for our Executive MBA students to demonstrate their expertise,” said Donald Wilson, director of the Executive MBA Program at RIT’s Saunders College. “We are always interested in receiving capstone applications from organizations identifying problems that will challenge our EMBA students while tackling real issues at local companies.”

Firms must be willing to provide a project sponsor and to share relevant information and data with student teams. The confidential studies are available only to company officers and faculty who review team deliverables. RIT does not charge a fee, although a number of companies have made contributions to the Saunders College EMBA scholarship fund.

Companies that wish to participate can go to the RIT Saunders College of Business Faculty and Research website and click on Capstone Projects, or contact RIT’s Executive MBA office at 585-475-7435 or embamail@rit.edu.

Rochester Institute of Technology’s executive MBA program, offered by Saunders College of Business, is a 15-month degree program and is designed for experienced mid-level professionals who are seeking to advance their careers. For information, go to RIT Saunders College of Business Faculty and Research website.

One of nine colleges at RIT, Saunders College of Business is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB International) and enrolls more than 1,200 undergraduate and graduate students. Saunders College and its entrepreneurial Venture Creations Incubator work in partnership with RIT’s Albert J. Simone Center for Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship to integrate business education with RIT’s world leading technical and creative programs. Graduate programs include Master of Business Administration, MBA-Accounting, Executive MBA and master’s degrees in finance and administration.