Peter Aranda Featured on Poets and Quants

Poets and Quants recently featured The Consortium CEO and Executive Director Peter Aranda in an article discussing minority enrollment in MBA programs. Read the article here.

The Consortium to Receive NBMBAA’s Outstanding Educational Institution Award

The Consortium will receive The National Black MBA Association's (NBMBAA) Outstanding Educational Institution signature award. The award will be presented at an awards ceremony during NBMBAA's 32nd Annual Conference & Exposition on Friday, September 24 in Los Angeles, California. The Consortium's Executive Director & CEO Peter J. Aranda, III will accept the award on behalf of The Consortium at NBMBAA's award ceremony at noon at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

According to NBMBAA's Interim President and CEO Stephen C. Lewis, the Outstanding Educational Institution award is bestowed upon the college, university or organization that has made the greatest contribution toward encouraging African Americans to enter the field of business.

Aranda is pleased that NBMBAA has chosen to recognize The Consortium with this prestigious award. "In 1966 Professor Sterling Schoen founded The Consortium to develop African American MBAs to join management positions in business." The original Consortium class consisted of 21 African American males attending three member schools. Expanding its original mission in an effort to promote inclusion, prospective MBA students of any ethnic background may now apply to The Consortium. This year, 325 Consortium students dedicated to diversity will attend 15 member schools. "Forty-four years later, the organization remains dedicated to Professor Schoen's vision," says Aranda. "We are grateful to NBMBAA for honoring our accomplishments in bringing qualified, diverse candidates to corporate America." 

The Consortium Announces Addition of Corporate Partner

The Consortium is pleased to include Starbucks Coffee Company among its corporate partners.

Joining The Consortium, the company marks the seventy-fifth corporate partner for the organization. Inclusive of this partnership, the international retail corporation will gain early access to incoming MBA students attending one of The Consortium's 17 top-tier member schools. Starbucks will have the opportunity to recruit talented, diverse candidates at The Consortium's Annual Orientation Program & Career forum held in early summer.

Starbucks, which scored 100 percent on the Human Rights Campaign Foundation's Corporate Equality Index for the past three years, will recruit Consortium students for several functions within the organization.

Consortium alumnus Louis G. Jordan (Indiana University - Bloomington, 1980), Starbucks senior vice president, Global Finance, played an influential role in developing this relationship. He will represent Starbucks on The Consortium's Corporate Advisory Board.

Peter J. Aranda, III, The Consortium's CEO and Executive Director, believes this partnership will yield favorable results for Starbucks. "Although Starbucks recently joined The Consortium, they are already creating relationships with incoming and current students, as well as alumni who could join their team. We look forward to a successful relationship."

"I am pleased and excited that Starbucks has become a Consortium for Graduate Study in Management partner," Jordan said.  "We are looking forward to effectively leveraging the Consortium and member MBA programs to augment continuing efforts to retain and attract a management talent pool both deep and diverse as we look toward future opportunities."

Target Corporation to Host 2011 OP

Target Corporation will serve as the Lead Sponsor for the 45^th Annual Orientation Program & Career Forum (OP). The 45^th OP will be held June 26 through 29, 2011 in Minneapolis, Minn.  

"Target has been an outstanding partner to The Consortium for the past 14 years and we are delighted that they will serve as the Lead Sponsor for the 2011 OP," said Peter J. Aranda, III, executive director and CEO of The Consortium. "Target's leadership role in this annual event clearly demonstrates their long-standing commitment to The Consortium and to diversity in American business."

"At the heart of our company are the diverse perspectives and backgrounds of our more than 350,000 Target team members," said Tim Curoe, vice president, talent acquisition, Target. "The Consortium's focus on promoting diversity in American business complements our commitment to fostering an inclusive culture at Target. We have had a great relationship with The Consortium  and are excited to be the OP lead sponsor in 2011."

UC, Berkeley and UCLA Join The Consortium

The Consortium adds two University of California system schools to its network of prestigious business schools.

University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management (UCLA) is the newest Consortium member school. Working to maintain a broad representation of the greater community among their students, UCLA recognizes the value of partnering with The Consortium. Joining The Consortium provides additional support for business schools committed to full representation, which ultimately enriches the learning experiences of all students and prepares them for global leadership roles. While 10,000 students enter a top 50 business school program each year, only six percent are people of color. Half of this group, 300 students, are Consortium members.

University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business (UC Berkeley) originally joined The Consortium in 1993, but withdrew in 2003 as a consequence of Proposition 209, which prohibits state-funded programs from giving preferential treatment on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. At the time, The Consortium awarded fellowships only to African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans, but expanded its mission in 2005 to include all U.S. citizens and permanent residents. This evolution of The Consortium's mission allows UC Berkeley to once again participate with the organization.

UC Provost Lawrence Pitts understands the positive impact The Consortium can make on the UC Berkeley and UCLA campuses. "Participating in The Consortium will help the University reach a broader group of prospective students," he said. "It also represents a significant step forward in UC's ongoing efforts to enhance access to a more diverse group of students and to promote excellence at our professional schools."

Beginning fall of 2010, prospective MBA candidates building a career in the "Golden State" may apply to three top-tier West Coast MBA schools through The Consortium. University of Southern California joined The Consortium two years after its founding in 1968.

The Consortium's CEO and Executive Director Peter J. Aranda, III said, "increasing our presence in California offers MBA candidates more opportunities to attend a quality school by applying through The Consortium. Growing our list of member schools increases the number of Consortium students and alumni, strengthening our vast and influential network."

The addition of UC Berkeley and UCLA brings the total of Consortium member schools to 17.