Diversity of thought, diversity of people should be the fabric of the institution. If we think about what we want in the end, we have to start with the end in mind. If we want to represent ourselves as diverse and inclusive, we need to think about our brand. What does the Olin brand currently say? Despite what we say or believe, does it truly say diversity and inclusion?
Therefore, if we think about the end in mind, we must start today with increasing our number of diverse and underrepresented minority candidates. Simply increasing numbers doesn’t necessarily mean diversity, but when you increase the number of people with diverse talents and backgrounds with the focus on inclusion, that will bring about a change.
I believe we are setting the course for this path by admitting the largest class of Consortium* students in 50 years, pictured above.
A strong applicant pool and Olin’s commitment to diversity and inclusion have paved the way for admitting 18 talented students who bring with them a variety of backgrounds, thoughts, and ideas.
Olin has demonstrated a continued commitment to diversity and inclusion by increasing the number of diverse candidates. While this is a milestone, it is not the end of our journey towards a diverse and inclusive community.
This blog post was contributed by Jacqueline Slack Carter, Graduate Programs Registrar & Student Affairs Advisor.
*The Consortium for Graduate Studies in Management (CGSM) was founded in 1966 by Olin Prof. Sterling. Today, the CGSM is the premier national organization involved in promoting and helping gain access to graduate business education for historically underrepresented minorities. Through business school and corporate partnerships, the Consortium provides scholarships, mentoring, networking, internships, and career placement advice to each class of MBA fellows. 18 world class universities admit nearly 500 CGSM students annually to MBA programs. Since its founding, CGSM schools have graduated more than 8,000 leaders to the benefit of businesses and communities around the world.
