THE GEORGETOWN MCDONOUGH
APPROACH TO DEI Longtime McDonough community members Patricia Grant and Michael O’Leary have participated in efforts to improve DEI at the school since before DEI became a widespread movement.
Grant, senior associate dean for the Undergraduate Program, has witnessed the data-backed success of programs such as Smart Start, a McDonough initiative designed to help underrepresented first- and second-year students find success (see page 12 for more on Smart Start’s success). O’Leary, teaching professor and senior associate dean for Custom Executive Education, has helped design programs that draw business leaders from around the world who want to make their workplaces more equitable, and edited the book 60 Years of Alumnae: Memories, Milestones, and Momentum. Now, Grant and O’Leary are helping to develop a systematic approach to DEI at Georgetown McDonough as co-chairs of the school’s Standing Committee on DEI. Below, the two offer perspective about those efforts.
Why is establishing a systematic DEI effort important?
Grant: At the root of it, we’re trying to create an environment where all members of our McDonough
community feel like they have not only a stake, but a place and a sense of belonging that allows them to have a voice that’s recognized and valued. That’s not to say that it doesn’t exist currently, but there are times when different members of our community feel like they are outsiders looking in. That’s true for every organization, but for us, we decided that’s not okay. This is an opportunity for us to address any gaps in our organization.
What framework are you using?
Grant: We’re using a “7 Cs” framing that allows us to have a compass for the work that lies ahead.
It’s an opportunity to recognize that curriculum and co-curriculum have a role to play in addition to our student, faculty, and staff composition. We’re looking at how we approach careers and how we communicate our values and our vision. We’re thinking about how all of those elements create community and culture.
O’Leary: There are aspects of diversity that have to do with people’s identities that are not always
visible. We also have objective measures and legal standards, like those of the AACSB (McDonough’s accrediting organization). We’re working on an approach that takes everything into account.
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GEORGETOWN MCDONOUGH SCHOOL OF BUSINESS I DEI Report 2021
