{"id":613,"date":"2019-11-13T16:46:02","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T16:46:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/?p=613"},"modified":"2021-03-05T15:03:40","modified_gmt":"2021-03-05T15:03:40","slug":"mba-student-creates-new-social-network-geared-towards-graduate-business-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/2019\/11\/13\/mba-student-creates-new-social-network-geared-towards-graduate-business-students\/","title":{"rendered":"MBA Student Creates New Social Network Geared towards Graduate Business Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By<\/em><\/strong> <\/strong>Alexis Menard<\/strong><\/a> On November 13, 2019 11:45 am<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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If you are a current SOM graduate student or a SOM alumni interested in joining the network, visit www.umf-som.net<\/strong><\/a> and click the \u201cRequest to Join\u201d button to get started! <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

With many of UM-Flint\u2019s graduate students only appearing on campus twice a semester for the Net+ program, one student sought out a way to encourage more connectivity amongst his graduate peers and alumni. The idea for the social network was created by a University of Michigan-Flint graduate student, Raymond Pirouz, in the Masters of Business Administration program.\u00a0 He devised a social network called UMF-SOM Graduate Student Network<\/a>, that is hosted on the Mighty Network, to seamlessly connect with his classmates. It is a student facilitated network for current School of Management graduate students or graduate alumni. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Raymond Pirouz <\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Pirouz is a first-year MBA Net+ student with a concentration in Marketing & Innovation Management and expects to graduate in the summer of 2021. The Net+ program is a mixed-mode format with the majority of work being completed online along with two on-site residencies that are held each semester. Pirouz said, \u201cThe program is perfect for working adults, however, the flexibility also presents the challenge of keeping in touch with peers who may not follow one another on the same path throughout their experience with the program.\u201d Pirouz has been the first to come up with an interactive platform for UM-Flint graduate students to connect outside of the classroom.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This idea to start a\nsocial network came to Pirouz when he attended orientation. He asked faculty\nand administration how the cohort functioned given that many of the students\nwere not on campus due to the flexibility of the program. UM-Flint lacks a\ngraduate business cohort and \u201cit signaled an opportunity to develop a means by\nwhich a cohort – even if a virtual one – could be established through a shared\nenvironment like a private social network\u201d said Pirouz.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pirouz states that the UMF-SOM\ngraduate student social network can help students in three ways: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Provide graduate students with\na persistent space containing peers with whom they can connect and remain in\ncontact with throughout their time at UM-Flint SOM, thereby creating an\nexperience otherwise unavailable. <\/li>
  2. Give graduate students the\nability to network and share tips, strategies for success at UM-Flint SOM and\nkeep them abreast of get-togethers and networking opportunities and\nevents. <\/li>
  3. Serve as both an in-school\nsocial network as well as a professional alumni network beyond graduation.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Pirouz explains \u201cMy core motivation for launching the UMF-SOM graduate student social network was to create a persistent space for graduate students of all backgrounds and area concentrations to connect and remain connected no matter where their educational and future professional journey might take them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

    Pirouz also aims to make UM-Flint\nstudents and alumni more UM-Flint proud. He is hoping that clothing will soon\nbe available on campus highlighting different departments so that students can\nshowcase their academic unit. Pirouz believes this will strengthen the \u2018brand\u2019\nat UM-Flint and spark new discussions on how many experiences can be\nimproved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Overall, Pirouz would\nlike the UMF-SOM graduate student network to act as a persistent space for\nstudents to be able to check into for connecting with peers, keeping in touch,\nsharing tips and techniques for success at UM-Flint SOM, coordinating\nget-togethers and continuing to stay in touch beyond graduation, and finally serving\nas an educational as well as professional network. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Pirouz resides in\nFort Gratiot, Michigan but grew up in Southern California and earned a BFA at\nthe Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. He hasn\u2019t been a\nstudent since 1996 and chose UM-Flint because of the flexibility of program\noffering, and knowing he would have access to world-class University of\nMichigan faculty in a format that best fits his busy life. \u201cOne of the benefits\nof being a graduate student at UM-Flint SOM is the flexibility of the program\nin that one can mix and match course modalities to fit a busy schedule.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    If you are a current SOM graduate student or a SOM alumni interested in joining the network, visit www.umf-som.net<\/strong><\/a> and click the \u201cRequest to Join\u201d button to get started!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    By Alexis Menard On November 13, 2019 11:45 am With many of UM-Flint\u2019s graduate students only appearing on campus twice a semester for the Net+ program, one student sought out a way to encourage more connectivity amongst his graduate peers and alumni. The idea for the social network was created by a University of Michigan-Flint graduate student, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":409,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[149],"class_list":["post-613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-school-of-management"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/409"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=613"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":618,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions\/618"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.umflint.edu\/som\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}