Notre Dame MBA, Sprint sponsor virtual case competition

The University of Notre Dame MBA
and Sprint are working together to sponsor
an innovative online case competition centered on corporate responsibility. The
Notre
Dame MBA Mini Deep-Dive Challenge gives members of
the public as well as prospective MBA students the
chance to put their best ideas about an emerging corporate responsibility trend
in front of Sprint executives. Participants will also have a chance of winning
a $25,000 fellowship and hundreds of additional prizes.

“At Sprint, we are always
exploring unique and creative ways to provide the highest-quality service for
all of our customers,” said Bill White, Sprint senior vice president of
corporate communications and corporate responsibility. “In fact, providing all
customers with the tools they need to stay connected is an important part of
our corporate responsibility platform. Working with Notre Dame on the MBA Mini Deep-Dive Challenge is the perfect opportunity for
us to tap into some of the brightest minds across the country as we seek
real-life solutions to a growing issue facing the wireless industry.”

To enter, participants must
register on the Deep-DiveChallenge website and follow the instructions to submit a one-page proposal
for a corporate responsibility plan for Sprint. The challenge’s case brief will
provide additional details, including information on the topic to be addressed;
this case brief will be available on the site Oct. 18 (Thursday). During the
competition, participants also will have the opportunity to chat online with
Sprint executives, as well as to talk strategy with MBA
students in the Deep-Dive’s discussion forum.

“We are excited to work with
Sprint on this challenge, because there is a widespread interest in how the
wireless industry addresses issues important to its customers,” said Mary Goss, senior director of the
Notre Dame MBA. “The Deep-Dive provides a great
opportunity for prospective MBA students to get a
glimpse of the type of case analysis that’s integral to b-school coursework,
but we encourage anyone who has a creative idea to offer to get involved.”

Judging will take place in two
phases: A team comprising three members of the MendozaCollege of Business faculty and staff will review all entries and select 10
to be judged by executives at Sprint. The wireless carrier will select one
grand-prize winner, one second-place winner and one third-place winner.

Entries will be judged on the
following criteria: understanding of the business problem presented,
insightfulness and creativity of solution, and organization and development of
the ideas expressed.

Winners will be announced by
mid-November. Prizes are provided by corporate partners of the Notre Dame MBA program, which include Sprint, Samsung, handset-maker HTC, McDonald’s and adidas.

The grand-prize winner will
receive a $25,000 fellowship to the Notre Dame MBA
program if he or she matriculates into the program in the 2013-2014 academic
year (see eligibility details below and online).
Additional grand prizes include a ZTE Optik Android
tablet with one year of Sprint service, a Samsung Galaxy S III
with one year of Sprint service, a $100 McDonald’s Arch Card and a $100 adidas
gift card.

The first 50 contestants to
register for the challenge and submit an entry will receive a prize package
valued at $50, which includes an OtterBox iPhone 4/4s case, a $5 McDonald’s
Arch Card and an adidas Notre Dame T-shirt.

All contestants who submit an
entry in accordance with the competition guidelines will receive an application
fee waiver for the Notre Dame MBA program application
deadline of Oct. 29 (Monday).

Visit the challenge website for
second- and third-place prizes, as well as additional contest details and
rules.

The Notre Dame MBA
Mini Deep-Dive Challenge was inspired by IntertermIntensives, a signature component of the Notre Dame MBA
curriculum. Each spring and fall, MBA students
participate in intense four-day sessions involving real-world presentations and
case competitions from some of the top Fortune 100 companies, including
Whirlpool, GE, adidas and McDonald’s.

Previous Deep-Dive Challenges
included a sustainability case sponsored by Green Mountain Coffee Roasters,
manufacturer of the Keurig coffee-makers, and a Microsoft case involving
educational initiatives and community relations.

The Notre Dame MBA
at the Mendoza College of Business enrolls
approximately 340 students annually in its one- and two-year programs. The
program is designed to sharpen students’ analytical and problem-solving skills,
enhance their leadership ability and increase emphasis on ethical
decision-making. Students have the opportunity to study the complexities of
global business through international immersions in Asia, Latin America and
other locations.

The Notre Dame MBA
is ranked 24th among U.S. business schools by Bloomberg Businessweek and No. 4
worldwide on the 2010-2011 Aspen Institute’s “Beyond Grey Pinstripes,” an
alternative ranking that measures the school’s integration of sustainability
and social responsibility into curricula and research. The Mendoza College also
is a member of the Forté Foundation, a consortium of major corporations and top
business schools supporting women in business leadership roles.

Sprint has a long-standing
commitment to corporate responsibility and has previously worked with Notre
Dame for other responsibility-focused programs. To learn more about Sprint’s
corporate responsibility initiatives, please visit www.sprint.com/responsibility.

About Sprint Nextel: Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive
range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of
mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel served
more than 56 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2012 and is
widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative
technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier
in the United States; offering industry-leading mobile data services, leading
prepaid brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost
Mobile and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk
capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The American Customer
Satisfaction Index rated Sprint No. 1 among all national carriers in customer
satisfaction and most improved, across all 47 industries, during the last four
years. Newsweek ranked Sprint No. 3 in its 2011 Green Rankings, listing it as
one of the nation’s greenest companies, the highest of any telecommunications
company.

Grand Prize Details: The $25,000 fellowship is valid only if
the grand-prize winner matriculates into the University of Notre Dame Mendoza
College of Business MBA one-year or two-year program
for the 2013-14 academic year. The fellowship must be applied to the cost of
tuition at the University of Notre Dame. The grand-prize winner must complete
the formal application process and be accepted into the MBA
program of the Mendoza College of Business pursuant to the admissions criteria
set forth. Failure to gain admittance into the MBA
program in the University of Notre Dame Mendoza College of Business negates the
$25,000 fellowship offer. Fellowship is nontransferable and may not be redeemed
for monetary value.

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