MBA Students on Classroom Diversity

Talk to current MBA students about life in MBA programs (not for app advice/discussion)
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MBA Students on Classroom Diversity

by Stacy Blackman » Sat Apr 19, 2014 3:55 pm
Earlier this week, Bloomberg Businessweek launched a new series called One Question, which will attempt to take the pulse of MBA students here and abroad to suss out what Next Gen business leaders are thinking.

https://www.stacyblackman.com/2014/04/16 ... diversity/

This week's subject was classroom diversity, and students from Duke Fuqua, Cornell's Johnson School, Simon Graduate School of Business, and UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School weighed in on the following question:

Does the curriculum at your business school expose you to a diverse array of leaders and other professionals? (Diversity could mean gender, ethnicity, class, or other characteristics.) What would you like to see more of?

It was interesting to read the comments of current students, many of whom expressed a desire for greater diversity when it comes to issues of gender and sexuality in the workplace, as well as extending the concept of diversity to include a broader socioeconomic range.

All but one of the interviewed students felt their school could improve its efforts in this area. Simon Moore-Crouch, a student at Duke University's Fuqua School of Business, commends his MBA program's strong diversity efforts, which he says are supported by cases, speakers, and projects that typically have an international component.

Check out the original post for a more complete picture of the areas where these students would like to see broader representation. This One Question series sounds like it will be a lot of fun, and we look forward to seeing how Businessweek plans to pick the brains of MBA students on a regular basis!

- See more at: https://www.stacyblackman.com/2014/04/16 ... 1MXUb.dpuf
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by shailluis » Tue Jul 22, 2014 12:26 am
In business schools and the upper ranks of organizations, are underrepresented. And, on average with all else being equal, men still out-earn by a significant amount-a gap that has been documented as soon as a graduates from college and then only grows as she progresses through her career.

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by KaBie » Tue Jul 22, 2014 7:16 am
I was really privileged to have diversity all around me when I studied at UCLA and I want the same from my MBA. Thanks for the article. It was an interesting article that reminded me how important being around people of diverse ethnicity,jobs, interests, etc. is to me.

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by Michael@VeritasPrep » Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:55 pm
Leadership of the business world and business schools came together at the White House in August to address the need for policies and programs that work to create opportunities for women and work better for families. From this meeting an outline of best practices emerged to guide business schools in better meeting current and future needs of students.
Four key areas are addressed by the agreed upon plan:
"¢ To ensure access to business schools and careers for females
"¢ To create an educational experience to prepare female students to enter the modern and future workplaces as leaders and achievers
"¢ To create and maintain career services which go beyond traditional student services and schooling
"¢ To create examples of how organizations should utilize educational opportunities for women
Several schools announced actions they will undertake to further these goals. For example, Columbia Business School announced they will demonstrate their commitment through specific actions such as:
"¢ Faculty Research and Leadership on the State of Diversity in Business - Conducting cutting-edge research on gender equality and its implications on business.
"¢ Community Support from the Ground Up - Support for various student groups focused on diversity
"¢ Being Part of A Culture-Changing Network - Partnering with equality group such as Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Women Initiative
Glenn Hubbard, Dean of Columbia Business School said, "Columbia Business School has long believed that empowering women to reach their full professional potential will create tremendous value for the global economy and society at large. Stemming from this belief, we are excited to work with the White House to expand opportunities for women in the 21st century executive workforce.
This increased focus on women in business school is no surprise as more and more companies are looking to further diversify their workforce and expecting business schools to offer them a more diverse talent pool. What does this mean for applicants? Well, female applicants should definitely consider applying early and often to schools. You should also expect some more scholarship dollars to be available. Don't forget to also search for scholarships from outside the schools. While non-profits typically are the best source, don't be surprised to see more companies trying to fund students' scholarships. Many companies want to get in early on recruiting diverse talent and will provide more than just dollars, but also mentoring, training and early access to interviews.
When you are at business school, expect to see even more demand from recruiters than usual. Companies have typically held special programs targeted to recruiting female candidates. For example, consulting firms often will have special lunches and case prep workshops for women. Imagine getting the chance to learn from the pros all the inside secrets to cracking those really tough case interview. Make sure to take advantage of these! They will definitely give you a leg up in the interview process.
The AACSB International announced the publishing of these best practices on their website. The AACSB is the accrediting body of over 700 institutions and has a membership of over 1,450 business schools worldwide.
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by Michael@VeritasPrep » Sat Mar 19, 2016 1:55 pm
Duplicate post...
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