Business Council helps its members achieve their goals and build a lifetime network of some of the most accomplished, driven students on the University of Illinois campus. This is accomplished through events planned and executed by our Leadership Team and centered around our three fundamental pillars: Professional, Service, and Social.
Professional
Business Council, at its core, is a professional organization dedicated to providing its members with the opportunity to advance their own and other council members’ professionalism. Members are given a chance to attend over 150 events a semester, dedicated to professional development, skill building and networking.
During the course of the semester, our chairs host events ranging from resume reviews and interview workshops to coding bootcamps and internal case competitions.
Business Council is proud of the relationship we share with our 20+ corporate sponsors and the ample networking opportunities members are provided with. Most events with our corporate partners give us the opportunity to learn about the company, while also building a variety of professional skills. Outside of networking in professional settings, members get to interact with our partners in more casual settings, such as during our annual Golf Outing and Impact Day, our annual day of service.
Business Council was made what it is today by our amazing alumni, who continue to invest in BC by volunteering time to present at events focusing on a variety of topics, a few of which are “Post College Survival Guides”, “Women in Tech Panel” and “Social Justice at the Workplace”. While these are just a few examples, we always look forward to the next new topic we can learn about from our alumni.
BC members also get many opportunities to engage with the Gies College of Business through volunteer opportunities and broaden their knowledge through speaker series with professors from the different University of Illinois colleges.
Service
Business Council proudly serves the Champaign-Urbana Community and beyond through numerous volunteering and awareness events.
Our Philanthropy chairs work hard to organize a variety of events that give members ample opportunities to give back to the world. Some of the organizations our members get to volunteer at are The Urbana Hope Center, Give Back Garden, Salt and Light, and the Don Moyer Boys and Girls Club. Our chairs also organize remote events such as food drives for those in need, book drives for prisoners, card making for senior citizens in assisted living and blanket making for homeless shelters. While we have quite a few staple philanthropy events, our chairs constantly work to come up with creative ways to volunteer.
Apart from volunteer hours, BC members work to make an impact through our Charity Fundraising committee. Each semester, members are given an opportunity to nominate a charity that is close to their heart. The council votes on the charity of the semester, and our chairs plan a semester’s worth of events to raise money for the chosen charity. These events are planned to help members bond, while also making profits that are later donated to charity. Some staple events include the BC Date Auction and Make Your Own Ice Cream Bars. This past semester, Business Council helped raise money for the American Brain Tumor Association, an organization very close to one of our member’s hearts.
Outside of committee events, Business Council also works hard to give back through our day of service, Impact Day. We also plan large charity fundraising events, such as the College of Business Dance Competition and New Member Capstone, where New Members get to raise money for a charity selected by the New Member class.
Social
Joining Business Council means joining one big family. Business Council is a diverse organization where members will develop friendships that will last a lifetime. Our members are truly what make our organization so special and unique.
Our Internal Engagement chairs strive to plan multiple council bonding events weekly, centered around a variety of activities in and around Champaign. These are organized to give council members time to develop deeper friendships, while also participating in creative and fun activities. Some staple bonding events include karaoke nights, trips to the farmers market, corn mazes and IEat series, where members go out and try Champaign-Urbana restaurants together. There is truly something for everyone. Events also often relate to members’ passions, such as baking and learning calligraphy.
Business Council is also striving to further Diversity, Inclusion and Equity initiatives. Our DIW chairs plan events that educate members on ongoing social issues and have frequent training modules that members can participate in. One such training is our Implicit Bias Training, where members are made to actively check their subconscious biases. Other such trainings are “Checking Your Privilege” modules and “How to Stop Stereotyping.” Events are also planned to help promote members’ health, through physical and mental stress busting activities.
BC also loves our staple social events such as our semesterly Semi Formal and annual Barn dance, which always leaves members feeling closer than ever.