The new Co-op Program will launch fall 2025 to further expand the many learning opportunities already available to undergraduate students at UVM’s Grossman School of Business, including the Accounting Club’s annual networking trip to Boston (pictured here) to meet with alumni and professionals in the field. Photo courtesy of UVM’s Grossman School.
Vermont Business Magazine Grossman School of Business to launch new business Co-op program, thanks to the Grossman Family Foundation, which has contributed or inspired nearly $90 million to the University of Vermont.
A $15 million gift to the University of Vermont’s (UVM) Grossman School of Business will create the university’s largest experiential Co-op program, providing students with real-world experiences working in leading companies to better prepare UVM Catamounts for impactful careers and leadership in business and entrepreneurship.
Thanks to this gift from the Grossman Family Foundation—led by Steven Grossman ’61, HON’22—UVM’s Grossman School of Business will become one of a few U.S. business schools with a major undergraduate business Co-op program. The new Co-op program will set a new standard of excellence for business education at UVM and continues a legacy of support that has propelled UVM’s business school to national prominence.
“The Grossman Family Foundation has had a profound impact on the University of Vermont, and today marks another significant milestone in their visionary leadership and generosity,” said UVM President Suresh Garimella. “The new undergraduate business Co-op program reflects our deep commitment to student success and will strengthen and enhance the standing of the Grossman School of Business among the best programs in the country.”
The Grossman School of Business is distinguished from other business programs by its emphasis on experiential learning, providing real-world education through internships, case and pitch competitions, career panels, company projects, class speakers, student trips, and opportunities such as UVM’s Schlesinger-Global Family Enterprise Case Competition that attracts the world’s top business schools. Over 200 Grossman School alumni return to campus each year as speakers, panelists, competition judges, and to network with students. Grossman School students lead the university in work experience outside the classroom, with more than 90 percent of business undergraduates participating in at least one internship before graduation.
The new undergraduate Co-op program will enhance experiential opportunities for students in the school’s four concentrations (accounting, finance, marketing, business analytics) and themes (entrepreneurship, sustainable business, and global business). More immersive than a typical internship, a Co-op is a rigorous academic experience through which students alternate between classroom education and full-time employment, gaining practical, hands-on experience in their field of study as part of their undergraduate degree. Working in a partner company for a full semester, students apply their classroom knowledge to meaningful, real-world business situations.
“Our best students frequently request high-impact, real-world educational experiences, while employers have told us repeatedly, they prefer hosting students during the fall and spring semesters, when there are more meaningful work and learning opportunities,” said Grossman School Dean Sanjay Sharma. “The Co-op solves both of these objectives and moves the Grossman School onto a short list of business schools that offer the full breadth of learning opportunities available to undergraduate students.”
The Grossman School will hire three full-time staff members to support the Co-op program, beginning with an experienced director who will work with faculty to develop a detailed operational design, curriculum integration, and a rigorous assessment process to ensure that students have high quality academic experiences. This fall, staff will work to forge partnerships with a long list of leading companies in Vermont, the U.S. and beyond.
Launching in fall 2025, the experience will allow students to hone their critical thinking and problem-solving skills, and the high-quality employment experience they gain will provide a competitive advantage in launching students into successful careers.
Beyond enriching the educational offerings at UVM, Sharma says that the advent of the Co-op in the Grossman School will increase the number of undergraduate applicants who choose UVM. Sharma believes the offering will expand the business school’s recruitment area and successfully attract more students outside of the Northeast.
“The ability to make these transformational changes is only possible with a donor who has a vision for something better for our students, and ultimately the future business leaders of our state, region, nation, and beyond,” said UVM Provost Patricia Prelock. “The Grossman Family Foundation’s continued generosity shows the strength of our alumni, their success, and their interest in leaving a legacy that will benefit people and planet.”
Steven Grossman and the Grossman Family Foundation have now made several major gifts to the university, including matching funds for philanthropic efforts that motivated hundreds of donors to give. In total, the Grossman Family Foundation has contributed or incentivized nearly $90M in gifts to the Grossman School, leading to the school’s substantial, sustained climb to national and international distinction. As a result of their generous support, the Grossman School is now ranked among the top nine business schools internationally—and one of the top three in the U.S. for social impact. The school’s Sustainable Innovation MBA consistently ranks among the world’s best.
“The Co-op program will be an important asset in helping the business school set students up for success and satisfaction in their careers,” said Steven Grossman. “The business community will provide our students with meaningful experience, and sponsors will be the beneficiaries of valuable input from the immensely capable and creative undergraduates who study at UVM.”
Steven Grossman graduated from the UVM School of Business in 1961 and was the CEO of Southern Container Corporation until its sale in 2008. He has served the university as a member of the Foundation’s Board of Directors and Leadership Council, and the Business School’s Board of Advisors. In 2015, UVM’s School of Business Administration was renamed in recognition of Steven Grossman and the Grossman Family Foundation’s philanthropy. In 2022, UVM awarded Grossman an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in recognition of his philanthropic leadership and wise programmatic counsel that has helped the Grossman School become a leader in business education.
Learn more about the Grossman Co-op program at https://www.uvm.edu/business/co-op and the impact of the Grossman Family Foundation and other UVM donors at www.uvmfoundation.org.
About UVM: For People and Planet
Founded in 1791, UVM is the leading public research university where discovery, creativity, community, and action coalesce to secure a thriving future for people and planet. Vermont’s state flagship and land-grant university attracts $260 million annually in groundbreaking research and enrolls approximately 14,000 students from 50 states and 75 countries. At UVM, students, faculty, and staff work together in pursuit of a healthier, greener future. Learn more at uvm.edu.
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