Progress in the Plan

When asked about positive progress in DEI at Georgetown McDonough, Kerry Pace, associate dean for MBA programs, points to two recent policy changes. “Number one, all student leaders now do bystander training,” said Pace. “Number two, implicit bias is built into the curriculum.”

It’s no mistake Pace focuses on integrating DEI into both curriculum and co-curriculum. She’s been with Georgetown since 1997 and with McDonough since 2013. At the school, she’s responsible for the entire student experience for MBA students, and she has seen DEI progress. “It’s a blessing and a curse that we’ve had so many people here committed and passionate about working in the DEI realm, but it has been in little pockets,” said Pace. “That’s less effective, and there’s no economy of scale. So I’m really optimistic about what the DEI Committee can do looking across the whole school.” Pace and colleague Lisa Kahn, assistant dean of academic affairs, are both members of that committee. Both had been involved in those “pockets” of effort in the past. They’d helped evolve short orientation presentations about bias into a curriculum-based approach. They reached out to management faculty and helped design the Leading Teams for Performance and Impact course, which covers cross-cultural communication, unconscious bias, equity, inclusion, and more from a scholarly perspective. Both also see the value in a more systematic approach, backed by official resources and support. “That sort of approach gets you closer to moving the needle,” said Khan. “It’s important to not just have the same introductory conversations where you’re getting up to speed, but to cover these issues throughout the student experience. It’s how you make progress with people who have not traditionally been involved, and it helps elevate and amplify new initiatives and projects.”

COMMUNITY

Making a pivot: The Georgetown Pivot Program serves formerly incarcerated individuals with empowerment via education. The certificate program in business and entrepreneurship has a heavy emphasis on practicality. “Pivot graduates confirm the accumulating research that second-chance hires are loyal and committed, resulting in higher productivity and lower turnover. Their successes have positive ripple effects for their families, the local economy, and our entire community,” according to Damian Dwin (B’97), founder and CEO of Lafayette Square and Pivot Program volunteer; Alyssa Lovegrove, teaching professor and academic director for the program; and Pietra Rivoli, professor of finance and international business, writing in the Washington Business Journal.