WHARTON DIARY:Two active organisations seek to foster a sense of community among the families of students, writes GARETH KEANE

ONE OF the more unusual things about Wharton is the level of student involvement in the school. This co-production model is part of school policy, and the administration encourages students to get involved in shaping their experience while in the MBA programme.

This manifests itself in many ways, from a strong student government and many student-run organisations to frequent interaction with professors.

The policy of involvement is also evident in the vibrant sense of community within the school. The large student body means you are likely to find someone with similar interests to you. It also makes it easy to develop networks and organisations based on those common threads.

Two active organisations on campus are focused on bringing together the partners and families of students and helping them to become a community of their own.

These clubs had a lot to do with my decision to come to Wharton. When I was trying to decide where to go to do an MBA and my wife and I were visiting various schools that offer the programme, we got a really good impression of Wharton from our interaction with the school’s Kids Club and Partners Club.

We have been active members of these clubs since we moved to Philadelphia, and my wife has really enjoyed having a network of families in the same situation as herself.

Most families do not get to see much of their MBA student at times due to their workload, and having people in the same boat as them makes this a little easier to bear.

The clubs also organise great get-togethers. Last month there was the annual Wharton Kids Club Halloween party, where students with families brought them to school for the afternoon.

The academic departments encouraged the kids to visit them and handed out trick-or-treat delights when they did. It was fun to see lots of kids on sugar highs in elaborate costumes charging around the corridors of Huntsman Hall, which is usually packed with MBA and undergrad students.

Once the chocolate and sweet sources were all visited, there was face-painting and a party in a school building that had been decorated for the occasion. Kids got to run wild, partners got to chat with each other, and MBA students got to compare recruiting and mid-term exam experiences.

An interesting development on the Wharton partners and kids front is that many of the couples we know well are expecting babies.

It seems as though our friends have seen this as the perfect time to start a family: most second-year students can set their own schedule in terms of classes and this gives them flexibility to spend time with a new baby before they have to start back into corporate life once their MBA is over.

Post-MBA careers often require significant commitment, especially in sectors such as investment banking and consulting, so our friends seem to be making the most of this opportunity.

My wife and I have our hands full with our two, so we won’t be joining the baby rush. Our daughter Alison is in first grade and is keeping the academic pressure on her father by bringing home the coveted Student of the Week award. Luckily she hasn’t asked me how I’m doing on that front.

She has told me she doesn’t think she would like to go to Wharton as I always seem to have too much homework. I’m still working on her though, pointing out all the benefits of an Ivy League education, so we’ll see how that goes.

Meanwhile, autumn is a beautiful time of year on the University of Pennsylvania’s campus. There is a chill in the air, and the magnificent autumnal colours of the trees on the university’s grounds stand out against the buildings.

We are in the midst of trying to organise a reunion of our cohorts from last year. It will be a great chance to catch up with everyone. In second year we choose electives, and as a result I no longer get to see on a daily basis many of the people I spent all of last year with. I’m looking forward to hearing everyone’s stories about second year.

Gareth Keane, from Moycullen, Co Galway, is studying for an MBA at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania gkeane@wharton.upenn.edu