Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) students should look no further than Michael Chan (24B) for next year’s BBA Council president. Inspired by his own difficulties trying to find support at Goizueta Business School as an Oxford continuee, Chan is the advocate BBA students need to thrive.
Chan has demonstrated his commitment to BBA students through his work as a BBA Coach at the Career Management Center, the president of Goizueta Pride and junior representative of the BBA council. In order to continue his work enriching the experiences of all students at Goizueta, it’s clear what his next position should be— BBA Council president.
Chan’s well-organized, detailed and concrete platform highlights some of the most important issues currently facing BBA students — fostering communication, connection and belonging — and displays his keen knowledge of how to make the biggest difference in the lives of BBA students.
His plan to improve communication aims to increase the transparency of the BBA council by regularly posting meeting summaries, introducing a vice president of academics to create recommendations tailored to the new BBA curriculum and beginning pulse checks. Pulse checks would take place at regular BBA events like KEGS where tabling and raffles can be used to routinely gather student feedback about the BBA program. These initiatives would call attention to students’ concerns and establish a dialogue with the BBA council. Chan emphasizes the importance of listening to business school students and sets himself apart as a president that prioritizes his peers.
Chan’s experience as a junior representative and especially as a career coach at the Career Management Center shapes his devotion to building community and connection. In an interview with the Wheel, he regularly cited specific student stories, explaining the obstacles they faced and how they were supported by mentors with similar backgrounds and goals. Moreover, Chan plans to introduce student spotlights on social media and the BBA Blast, the BBA student newsletter, where students and alumni can share their internship and career successes and useful tips that worked for them.
With students able to enter Goizueta at the beginning of their sophomore year for the first time, Chan also plans to create a sophomore representative position in order to address the unique challenges of this new class of students. Lastly, he seeks to augment Costa Coffee Chats — a program where students can interact regularly with faculty and alumni — by increasing funding and offering sign-up vouchers as well as a matching system based on needs and interests.
As an Oxford continuee, Chan understands how daunting the transition into the business school can be and the common feelings of isolation. He has consistently focused on easing the matriculation of international students, Oxford continuees and pre-BBA candidates by doing proactive outreach and providing guidance via orientation programs. He hopes to be in touch and share information with students before they begin their time at Goizueta. Additionally, as president of Goizueta Pride, he has expressed the need for greater inclusivity in the form of club chartering and funding for affinity groups. Chan was also one of the only student government candidates we interviewed who had already prepared a proposal addressing sexual assault on campus, which was particularly important to us given recent discussion around Title IX reform at Emory. He aims to bring Sexual Assault Peer Advocates (SAPA) to Goizueta to hold workshops as well as offer a seminar for course credit to encourage participation.
Chan told the Wheel that he hopes fostering community will be his legacy. This is completely in line with how he came across during his interview — genuine, caring, empathetic and passionate, he embodies traits the business school sorely needs.
Another of Chan’s standout qualities is the realism he brings to the job. During his interview, he noted the limits of the presidency and the impractical expectation of sweeping structural changes to the school. His previous experience on the BBA Council allows him to outline a reasonable vision and realistic proposals. By uplifting student voices and concentrating on specific programming, he would enact tangible but impactful changes.
No one is better fit to serve BBA students as council president in the upcoming year than Chan. His attention to the distinct needs of various student groups as well as his experience on BBA Council make him the perfect advocate for student needs. He is prepared to make concrete changes to Goizueta that prioritize student input, establish community and make Goizueta a place where anyone can succeed. BBA students, when making the choice on how to invest in your future, choose the candidate with proven returns: vote Chan.
Assistant Opinion Editor Ellie Fivas (24Ox) serves as Oxford-Atlanta Liaison for the Oxford and Emory Student Government Associations. She recused herself and was not involved in writing or editing this editorial. Editorial Board members with conflicts of interest with candidates recused themselves from the relevant endorsements.
The above editorial represents the majority opinion of the Wheel’s Editorial Board and Opinion Editor Sophia Peyser. The Editorial Board is composed of Isabelle Bellott-McGrath, Rachel Broun, Evelyn Cho, Ellie Fivas, Marc Goedemans, Aayam Kc, Elyn Lee, Saanvi Nayar, Shruti Nemala, Nushrat Nur and Sara Perez.
