The Southern Business Administration Association awarded the Davis College of Business and Technology at Jacksonville University the Societal Impact Award for the college’s Business for Social Good program.
The university said it is the first time the Davis College has been honored with this regional award.
“It’s an honor to be acknowledged by SBAA for this award Our students and faculty positively impact our community in a myriad of ways on a daily basis. It’s their continual efforts we celebrate with this recognition,” Davis College Dean Barbara Ritter said in a Nov. 4 news release.
The SBAA Societal Impact Award recognizes outstanding approaches and achievements in business education and comes with a $1,000 award. The Davis College of Business will receive its award and present the initiative at the 2024 SBAA annual meeting next month.
The Davis College of Business BFSG program is a service-learning initiative that connects students with local nonprofits to address real-world business challenges. The program allows students to apply their classroom knowledge to real-life challenges.
The program, led by Jim Simak, Center for Organizational Research and Executive Education director, focuses on enhancing students’ understanding of organizational design, strategy and change management while creating a positive societal impact.
Graduate and undergraduate student teams work with nonprofit leadership, gaining experience in consulting and applying academic theory to practical situations. Each team delivers formal business recommendations to improve the nonprofit’s operational effectiveness, strategic growth and community outreach.
“Receiving the SBAA Societal Impact Award validates our commitment to socially responsible education. Our Business for Social Good program offers students a unique opportunity to drive change within the community while enhancing their own learning. This is just the beginning of their journey as socially conscious leaders who understand the true impact of business in society,” Simak said in the release.
Since the BFSG’s inception in 2023, there have been eight societal impact projects with local nonprofits including Beaches Habitat for Humanity, Northeast Florida Health Planning Council, UF Health Child Protection Team and Healing Hands Charity and Norman Studios Silent Film Museum.
The SBAA is a regional association of collegiate business programs offered by colleges and universities in the southern U.S. Its mission is to improve management education by providing networking opportunities, showcasing best practices, promoting innovation in teaching and scholarship and encouraging leadership in the management educational programs.