Students Perspectives

G3 Projects
G3 is designed to prepare students to meet the most pressing issues facing businesses in the 21^st Century. Additionally, our students will be uniquely positioned with expertise in the sustainability-related challenges that must be met by ALL organizations and their managers. Specifically, the learning objectives for G3 focus on integration and globalization:

1. Students must form globally-integrated and cross-functional teams. They must work effectively and professionally in a team-based environment and they must work under the time constraints and pressures that exist in organizations today.
2. Concepts from all course work completed in the first year of the program are integrated into the project. These courses include: Economic Analysis, Applied Statistical Analysis, Executive Presentation Skills, Organization Behavior, Accounting, Information Technology Management, Operations Management, Marketing Management, Human Resources, Financial Management, and Global Strategic Management.
3. Students must prepare professional business deliverables – both formal and short presentations, written papers, and thoughtful and intelligent questioning of speakers and other presenters.
4. Globalization – teams must develop a strategy to expand the organization’s reach in a global business environment. They must look for opportunities, analyze risks, and evaluate business situations in a global context.

5. Global "best practices" – teams will research the best applications of sustainability from around the world and apply them to their clients’ challenges.

G3 is Hands-on and Practical
Throughout the program, we try to provide real-world experiences and challenges for our students. This program requires students to provide multiple deliverables for clients, coaches, and team members by dealing with pressure, deadlines, and ambiguity.

To achieve this, the process involves an incredible amount of work. Students put in more than one-hundred hours in two weeks, spread across activities in class; extensive meetings with team members, their client, and coach; and field trips. We bring experts and guest speakers into class from a variety of industry sectors including energy, resource use and disposal, government policies, LEEDS building certification, and consulting and advisory organizations. In addition, some of our visitors present sustainability case studies of their organizations while others provide guidance in developing business plans.

Outside of class, teams have coaching sessions with their team coach and “executive life lines.” The results of these activities and meetings are presentations and papers, with a final formal presentation made to the client that is multifaceted and integrated covering such business topics as strategy, marketing, finance, human resources, and information technology.

"UAlbany has an MBA with teeth. Through its combination of field projects, real world scenarios and applications as well as the Going Green Globally (G3) consulting project, I have found a new career path which I previously had not even been aware of as an option. In combination with the learning experience, the contacts I made through these various environments allowed me to secure a perfect internship to help me transition from the academic to the professional working world. I couldn't be more satisfied with my choice of academic programs than I am with the choice I made with UAlbany."

Mike Lavilotti
Class of 2012
NYISO Intern

"G3 has equipped me with the skill sets that are essential in the business world where engaging in sustainable practices is crucial to a company's longevity. During my internship this past summer, I looked to what I learned during G3 as I identified areas of opportunities that were crucial to the client in order to fulfill their long-term goals."

Jamiris Ogando
Class of 2011
Ernst & Young

"G3 was a unique experience that challenged me in many different way. On day one we hit the ground running with presentations, tight deadlines, and group and client meetings. It truly replicated the fast pace of today’s business world. I was able to network with professionals across various industries and leveraged one relationship into a great summer internship of National Grid. I am still using many of the skills I refined during G3 in my current position as Marketing Manager for a technology company and am glad I have experience to reflect on."

Greg Weller
Class of 2010
Frontrunner Network Systems

G3 Road Map
At the University at Albany School of Business, our MBA teams will work on comprehensive sustainability strategies for client companies as a way to learn and apply integrated business systems thinking. This ensures our students understand the interconnectedness of all business processes. Review the latest schedule and handbook for detailed information regarding the G3 experience.

2012 G3 Schedule and G3 Handbook

In G3, we tear down functional silos by integrating our curriculum, functional content, students, academics, scientists, and industry experts in a single project: developing a comprehensive sustainability strategy for a client organization.

Throughout G3, you will function as a consulting team working for the senior management of your client company. You will be expected to periodically present your findings to them as well as submit written reports for their review. For all deliverables, please assume you are communicating with your client (although your work will also be evaluated and graded by teams of your professors).

There are some ground rules for successfully completing this portion of your MBA curriculum:

• Always be prepared
• Always be professional
• Always embody professionalism
• Always dress professionally
• Always use support wisely

Expectations:

• Expect the unexpected – Business situations and conditions change rapidly and this will also be true in G3.
• Feedback from various faculty and guests will be based on their knowledge and experience. As our esteemed colleagues, experts, and faculty all have different backgrounds and perspectives, their feedback will often be varied. Different experts view business problems from unique vantage points and will offer advice and criticism as they deem appropriate. Moreover, members of the audience do not meet in advance to form a unified front. Differences of opinion and conflicting views are common in complex business situations; we highly encourage you to accept all feedback in a professional manner.
• The ability to synthesize and incorporate relevant feedback is the hallmark of the successful executive. Successful teams will sift through the feedback offered and use it to improve and develop their G3 projects throughout the entire process.
• Experts from many disciplines and organizations have volunteered tremendous time and energy to make your G3 experience challenging and realistic. This has been created to teach each and every MBA how to succeed in the high stakes, high challenge, and high stress environments of the business world. Thankfully, not every day will be like this – but some will and we want you to be prepared for them. Our shared purpose is to have you leave UAlbany’s MBA program knowing you can succeed!