Abstract
Community Assistance Teams (CAT) were formed in 2004
under the direction of Mr. Jim Swoopes as a part of the Anna
Tyler Waite Business Leadership Program. During the program's
first year, 13 individuals participated and 4 organizations were
benefited. Since that time, the program has been opened to both
undergraduate and graduate students. During the 2013-2014
school year, we have nearly 50 students working with 8 different
community organizations. In Fall 2007, the CAT program was
opened to students from all colleges of the University, though
the majority of participants still come from the voluntary Anna
Tyler Waite Business Leadership Program.
CAT teams work exclusively with one community organization
as a consulting team tackling a particular challenge or
opportunity facing the organization. The experience provides
students an opportunity to apply the skills they are developing in
the classroom to a real-world organization that can benefit from
the insights provided by various business disciplines.
Additionally, the students have the opportunity to engage with
organizations focused on improving their community and gain
an appreciation for the power of teamwork and management
skills in making the world a better place.