How to Get Involved

Since this is an MBA course, does students’ experience come into play?

It happens all the time, and I welcome it. That’s the beauty of doing this with MBA students. We’re able to discuss and infuse our lived experiences. Some will say they’ve experienced a certain issue but never talked about it before. It’s uncomfortable. People disagree—we are talking about people and human nature. But here, they enjoy the opportunity to participate and ideate in a safe space.

How might your approach differ for undergraduates?

It’s probably less about pushing the boundaries and making sure there’s a foundational understanding for undergraduates. Asking, “What should work feel like?” in a way that benefits from the experiences of the past generation. This next generation, they will never have a time when working from home was not a reality. We’re starting off with them thinking about hybrid teams. How do we prepare them and relearn what it means to be inclusive in a new environment?

Why do you think a systematic approach to DEI so important now?

For any organization, you have to have both a topdown and bottom-up approach for DEI to really work. So we’ve had a lot of bottom-up, organic efforts over the years. But the top-down, central effort has been missing. It’s adding a clear vision. It’s adding resources. It’s adding accountability.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Contact

To learn more about DEI at Georgetown McDonough, or to offer feedback or resources, visit msb.georgetown.edu/dei.

Support

The McDonough Success Fund was established to support students who are experiencing a financial barrier to their personal, academic, or professional success. The fund, which has supported 200-plus students since April 2019, covers the following areas: academics (such as tutoring and school supplies), global opportunities (such as Global Business Experience and summer study abroad), professional development opportunities (such as conferences and interview attire), and emergency funding (including for family or personal health emergencies). Support the McDonough Success Fund and learn more at msb.georgetown.edu/dei.

Learn

Read Georgetown McDonough’s ongoing DEI stories and review additional data at msb.georgetown.edu/dei.

The efforts at the student and faculty levels have to continue, of course. That’s where we see impact. But if we want them to be sustainable—through changes in leadership, changes in the student population, changes in the economy—it has to be systematic. Change at the individual level matters, too. People think, “It’s the DEI person’s job,” and don’t see themselves as critical to contributing to change. “I’m a professor, so this doesn’t apply to me.” But it does. Everyone has a role in this change effort.