State of the School Strong as Darden Passes Historic Fundraising Milestone

Dean Scott Beardsley said Darden had emerged stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic at his State of the School address, held 29 April during reunion weekend.

“We said that if we stayed the course and invested in our strategic priorities, with the support of our community, we could emerge stronger on the other side. And we have,” Beardsley said, “but there is still important work left to do to achieve the mission and full potential of Darden.”

The dean spoke of the need to continue to invest in faculty, particularly as the School undergoes a generational shift and expands to meet growing needs. On a day when the School honored retiring Dean Emeritus Bob Bruner for his 42 years of service, Beardsley emphasized the importance and impact of each of Darden’s worldclass faculty members, and asked the audience to consider what it might take to recruit and retain the next Bob Bruner at the Darden School.

"We said that if we stayed the course and invested in our strategic priorities, with the support of our community, we could emerge stronger" from the pandemic.

Darden continues to attract incredible students, Beardsley said, noting that more than 1,200 degreeseeking learners are now enrolled in Charlottesville and Rosslyn, Virginia, between the Full-Time, Part-Time and Executive MBA programs and Master of Science in business analytics program. While the Darden student body has set records for excellence in recent years,

Beardsley said the uncertain economy and the total cost of attendance for an MBA makes the decision to pursue a degree difficult for many students.

“We face challenging headwinds to recruit the best and brightest students and to have them leave without the heavy burden of debt,” Beardsley said.

While the ROI of a Darden education remains excellent, scholarships and need-based aid are critical to attract the best students from around the world.

Thanking the alumni for their support, Beardsley noted that even with the initial $400 million fundraising milestone achieved — and $500 million overall for endowments to support Darden, the School has “more to do” before the Powered by Purpose campaign concludes in 2025.

“Darden’s focus continues to be on raising funding to support excellence and position the school for decades of success,” Beardsley said.

FULL-TIME MBA GRADUATES

135 25

Awards

18 STUDENTS RECEIVED THE

EXECUTIVE MBA GRADUATES

FACULTY MARSHALS

PETER BELMI, Full-Time MBA

KINDA HACHEM, Full-Time MBA

LUCA CIAN, Executive MBA

DUAL-DEGREE GRADUATES

RECOGNIZING EXCEPTIONAL SERVICE TO THE SCHOOL OF A NONACADEMIC NATURE

Taiwo

Abiodun

Sarah Morris Boschung

Sukari Ayanna Brown

Emily Ann Corelli

LaShondra Jones Ervin

Daniela

Megan

Peter

Nirali Kansara

Tyler Kelley

Logan Kendall McDivitt

Fanny Mei

Katelyn

Annette

Leah

Martin

Full-Time MBA Initial Career Outcomes

91.3% RECEIVED A JOB OFFER BY GRADUATION

88.9% ACCEPTED A JOB OFFER BY GRADUATION $175,000 MEDIAN BASE SALARY

Elected

STUDENT GRADUATION SPEAKERS

“We are transformed as much by the doing of difficult things, as by the people we do them with."

“Progress is greater than perfection. Seek progress above all else."

Darden hosted a COVID-19-delayed retirement roast of several longtime Darden professors on 18 May, including Sam Bodily, Bob Conroy, Ed Hess and Elliott Weiss.