Undergraduate Program
Goodman IMPRESS Program
The Goodman IMPRESS Program is designed to provide all Whitman undergraduates with the skills and experiences employers seek, including leadership, communications, certifications, global context and industry exploration. All incoming students are placed in one of four “houses.” Within these houses, they experience healthy competition as they develop their extracurricular skills under the direction of four committed and excellent house masters who teach the introductory business course and serve as their first faculty mentor, along with outstanding sophomore/junior peer facilitators.
Most of us would agree there are more factors that determine the success of a four-year college degree than just a strong GPA. In fact, most employers will interview business school students with a threshold GPA of 3.0 or higher. This level encompasses the vast majority of Whitman students. However, employers are really looking for young people who can handle multiple responsibilities and who exhibit self-awareness, confidence, resilience, strong communication and social skills, as well as the ability to synthesize classroom content into the broader global context.
The Goodman IMPRESS Program ensures our undergraduates leave the Whitman School with a sustainable competitive advantage throughout their lives and careers.
Building Whitman Personally & Professionally
Major and Industry Exploration
The Whitman School offers nine undergraduate business majors. IMPRESS offers opportunities for students to explore what they each have to offer. From the Major Mixer to Major Experiences, students are able to give insight or share their experience on why they chose their major.
The IMPACT Speaker Series was created in order to build bridges between our students and global business leaders. Top executives can easily share their perspectives and journeys which help guide Whitman students in their journeys, enhancing our ability to bridge the classroom experiences with real-world experience.
Business and Mental Health Initiative
The Nass Family Business and Mental Health Initiative aims to support Whitman students. The initiative will encompass more than coursework and include expert guest speakers, symposiums, technology and the introduction of a variety of mental health topics for both graduate and undergraduate students.
Supportive Community
IMPRESS Houses
IMPRESS houses are not physical houses but a cohort of students on the same “team.” Students earn individual IMPRESS points. However, these points also count toward their team or house points. Each IMPRESS house has a faculty house mentor and a career and academic advisor.
Whitman First
The Whitman First Program is an initiative to support first-generation college students by helping them adapt more easily to the many facets of a business school environment. Whitman First members additionally have access to mentors, comprised of volunteers from the Whitman community including upperclassmen, faculty, and staff, providing an additional layer of support during their time at Whitman and Syracuse University.
Community Engagement Opportunities
The IMPRESS Peer Mentorship Program aims to foster a strong and meaningful relationship between mentees and peer mentors that will extend beyond the first year. A peer mentor will be a familiar face and act as a guide, a resource and a friend.
The IMPRESS Community Board assists with program development and provides feedback on upcoming IMPRESS programs. They will have the responsibility of providing assistance in swiping ID cards and set-up at events.
Professional Readiness
Leadership Development
These programs are designed to foster and advance Whitman students’ soft skills, exposing them to the challenges and perspectives of business leaders. Programs include leadership speakers, career preparation workshops, and success programs focusing on expected professional etiquette.
Certification Opportunities
IMPRESS has a goal that every graduating Whitman Student is Excel-certified. The Whitman Industry Readiness and Excellence Initiative (WIRE) is an additional opportunity that encourages students to pursue professional certifications from industry-recognized organizations, including Salesforce, Power BI, and Tableau.
Healthy Competition
Every student receives points for participation and engagement in activities. Every point a student earns counts for a personal point total and the point total of the house to which the student belongs. Each year, the house with the most points is awarded the Goodman Cup at a celebratory event. The top 11 students in each cohort are annually recognized as the Top 44.
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Contact us anytime to learn more about our IMPRESS program.
