A Compass for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: 2022 DEI Annual Report

A COMPASS FOR DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION 2022 (VOL. 2)

DEFINING DEI AT GEORGETOWN

MCDONOUGH

DIVERSITY

The composition of the student body, staff, and faculty in terms of key demographic and identity groups—often in terms of similarities to and differences from the composition of the larger population.

EQUITY

The extent to which treatment of—and allocation of resources for—members of our business school community is fair and transparent.

INCLUSION

The extent to which members of our community feel heard, respected, and engaged regardless of their demographics, identities, or backgrounds.

THE YEAR IN DEI

In the business world, when we try to solve a challenge, we often start with analysis. We seek input from experts and from the people affected by the challenge. We collaborate. We develop a strategy.

But at a certain point, we make a move from strategy to execution. The spotlight shifts to operations and accountability. This is where we, as Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, find ourselves in our work on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).

After years of individual and grassroots efforts in DEI, we launched a strategic effort in 2020 with the Dean’s Office Committee on DEI, and the work has expanded from there. With critical input from that committee, we identified a structural framework for expanding and improving everything from the composition of students, faculty, and staff to the very way we teach (see page 6), and then we set about the work of enacting that framework over the past two academic years.

You are reading the second-ever DEI report from McDonough. It includes data that show both progress and room for further improvement. It also includes stories that illustrate the way central support and distributed responsibility help an effort like this take off. With help from faculty, staff, and students, we’ve tackled everything from increased transparency in communication to pilot programs on issues from student hiring to student club leadership. This report is part of our effort to hold ourselves accountable for improving the culture at Georgetown McDonough. If you want to assist in that effort, you’ll find ways to do so on page 15. We hope you’ll join us on what Professor Ella F. Washington refers to as “the necessary journey”, and we hope you’ll help us take our next steps.

Sincerely,

Patricia Grant, Co-Chair of DEI Committee Senior Associate Dean, Undergraduate Program

Michael O’Leary, Co-Chair of DEI Committee Senior Associate Dean, Graduate and Executive Degree Programs

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 The Year in DEI

2 DEI by the Numbers

6 The 7 Cs of DEI

8 Work in Progress

10 A Place to Thrive

12 A Model for Hiring

13 The Foundation for First-Gen Students

14 Economic Empowerment Meets Mental Health

15 How to Get Involved

16 2021–2022 Committee on DEI

DIVERSITY BY THE NUMBERS

The following provides a snapshot of the past five academic years of data at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business, based on available information.

From 2010–2011 to 2021–2022, the percentage of female full-time faculty increased from 24% to 32%. The percentage of minority (including Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian) full-time faculty increased from 27% to 42%.

STUDENTS BY RACE AND ETHNICITY

Undergraduate (Total, 2021–2022: 1,355)

Specialized Masters Programs (Total, 2021–2022: 564)

MBA (Total, 2021–2022: 895)

Among speakers at the school’s signature events in 2021–2022

Executive

(Total, 2021–2022: 101)

45% were women

45% were minorities or international

STUDENTS BY GENDER

Georgetown McDonough strives to move toward greater gender diversity through increased recruitment and retention efforts. Below is a look at the gender breakdown of students over the past five academic years.

7.9% of Georgetown McDonough first-year or transfer students were first-generation students in Fall 2021

The Master’s in Management program has exceeded gender parity since 2020.

Note: The Master’s in Management program launched in 2019–2020.

Note: The Master of Science in Business Analytics program launched in 2020–2021.

THE 7 C s of DEI

7Cs of DEI

Based on foundational research and work from the DEI Committee, Georgetown McDonough uses the following framework to guide DEI efforts across the school.

COMPOSITION

What it means

We should recruit, admit, retain, and graduate or promote more diverse students, staff, and faculty, especially in terms of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Our goals

> Increase the percentage of BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and people of color) students, staff, and faculty

> Increase the percentage of women students and faculty

> Significantly increase the diversity of faculty

> Increase recruiting capacity related to diversity

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

COMMUNICATION

What it means

We should communicate more often and more transparently about the composition of the school and our DEI initiatives, data, and outcomes.

Our goals

> Communicate transparently about DEI data

> Improve mechanisms for reporting and addressing incidents

> Actively solicit feedback from staff on issues related to DEI

CURRICULUM

What it means

We should increase the number of courses that focus on DEI, the extent to which all courses address it, and the diversity of readings, speakers, resources, and other material used in our classes.

Our goals

> Expand diversity of course content

> Enhance access to DEI resources for faculty, staff, and students

> Support faculty in DEI pedagogy and other initiatives

> Develop a uniquely Georgetown approach to DEI in the curriculum

CO-CURRICULUM

What it means

Our co-curricular activities and organizations should reflect our commitment to DEI because much of the McDonough experience occurs outside the classroom.

Our goals

> Enhance communication and collaboration among student leaders

> Improve the inclusivity of student clubs

> Expand the diversity of alumni and others engaged with clubs

> Increase diversity among invited speakers, panelists, and event participants

> Expand continuing education related to DEI

CAREERS

What it means

We should ensure the firms and organizations where our students work are as committed to DEI as we are, and we should help each other advance our DEI goals.

Our goals

> Partner to create more opportunities and scholarships for women and Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) students

> Expand recruitment by companies with strong DEI commitments

> Ensure career-related events are inclusive

> Increase learning and development resources for staff to enhance their careers

COMMUNITY

What it means

We should be committed to DEI in our community beyond the Hilltop in ways that enhance DEI through our partnerships, purchasing, and participation.

Our goals

> Engage alumni as advisers to increase diversity of speakers, events, and more

> Support vendors who are committed to DEI

CULTURE

What it means

McDonough’s culture should reflect and reinforce our commitment to DEI and our Jesuit values.

Our goal

> Improve culture at the department, school, and university level through all other aspects of DEI

WORK IN PROGRESS

Georgetown McDonough’s systematic DEI efforts are now in year two, on top of years of individual and grassroots group efforts. The school developed special committees to dive deep on four of the categories of focus, while continuing a schoolwide focus on all 7 Cs. Get an update and highlights below.

A deeper focus: McDonough established a committee to make specific recommendations on increasing diversity among students, faculty, and staff. The committee is led by Serafina Smith, director of diversity partnerships, MBA Admissions.

COMPOSITION

Starting at the pipeline: Georgetown Reach is a free five-year program that supports underrepresented minority (URM) students and their parents from eighth grade through the college application process with expertise and resources, with a focus on the Greater Washington area. The program’s first cohort of students is now in the 10th grade.

Data-backed success: The Smart Start program, now in its 12th year, consists of events, workshops, and tools for first- and second-year underrepresented minority students. “If you haven’t been around business or business education, you can be at a disadvantage,” said Patricia Grant, senior associate dean and one of the program’s architects. “This levels the playing field. We’ve seen 100% graduation rates, which is remarkable — and not true for students with the same demographics without this program.” The program is a partnership with PwC, which has become a leader in DEI under the stewardship of Chairman Tim Ryan.

Increasing diversity by program: In the past five academic years, minority undergraduate enrollment has increased by 5%. Minority enrollment in masters programs has increased by 8% during that same time period. Financial Times ranked the Executive MBA program 5th in the country (and 12th in the world) for the percentage of women students enrolled in the program in 2022.

Support for students: Multiple new efforts are supporting DEI in the MBA program, including the Patrick Sheridan Endowed MBA Scholarship Fund and the DEI MBA Scholarship Fund, both established in the 2021–2022 academic year.

Faculty composition: Since 2017–2018, minority representation among full-time faculty has increased from 33% to 42%. Women in the faculty have increased from 28% to 32% during that same timeframe.

TAKING THE INITIATIVE

In 2021, the Steers Center for Global Real Estate formed a committee composed of students, board members, faculty, and staff to assess its current DEI efforts and develop a three-year action plan to increase representation in all of the center’s programs. The committee identified several strategic priorities, including improving the admissions pipeline; identifying new scholarship opportunities for underrepresented minorities and women students; easing financial burdens for pursuing advanced education in real estate; auditing and improving communications and outreach materials; and developing a measurement and reporting plan.

In its baseline DEI reporting year (2022), the Steers Center welcomed an incoming group of MBA students interested in pursuing real estate who are 20% URM and 25% female, on the way to meeting diversity targets set by its DEI action plan (33% URM by 2024; 50% female by 2024; and one female faculty member by 2023).

Committee attention: Like composition, communication received special committee focus, led by Teresa Mannix, associate dean and chief marketing and communications officer. The team has analyzed and increased both print and digital communications around DEI.

COMMUNICATION

Special edition: Georgetown Business magazine dedicated its Spring 2022 cover feature story to DEI, including an interview with Ella F. Washington, professor of the practice at Georgetown McDonough, and profiles of several alumni across industries on their experiences bringing DEI to their organizations.

A framework for research: Ella F. Washington published The Necessary Journey: Making Real Progress on Equity and Inclusion. The book frames DEI with a fivestage maturity model and offers practical guidance for organizations within each phase of that model. “The first question I got was always, ‘Where are we on the journey?,’” Washington said in Georgetown Business magazine. “Then the second question was, ‘How do we compare to other people on the journey?’ Once I continued to get those questions for about four months back to back, I realized that there wasn’t enough information out there helping people understand what the DEI journey is, what it looks like. And having that information is key to helping people understand.”

New look, new focus: A redesigned Georgetown McDonough website features additional prominent information about DEI, paired with ongoing newsletter and social communication.

A PLACE TO THRIVE

When Evan Fossen first applied for a job at Georgetown McDonough as assistant director of events, he felt a little hesitation. He had no experience with the university or school. And because he would be moving from a public university to a private Jesuit institution, he wondered what support would be like for the LGBTQ+ community.

Some online research put his hesitation to rest. He found information about the university’s much-lauded LGBTQ Resource Center. He also found a number of speakers and events both featuring and supporting the community. Now, he’s in a position to bolster that kind of work — particularly for other prospective and current employees. Fossen helped launch and now leads the university’s LGBTQ+ employee resource group (ERG), one of the first such affinity groups on campus.

“The LGBTQ Resource Center has done a lot of great work with students, but they don’t always have capacity to help faculty and staff on campus,” Fossen says. “Plus, faculty and staff have a different set of needs.”

One of those needs is simply a place to network and support each other. So the brand-new ERG began organizing in spring and launched officially in fall 2022. For Fossen and colleagues, shortterm goals include hosting regular meetings for the LGBTQ+ community to connect across campus units, in addition to providing elected leadership and development opportunities. The group also intends to develop a speakers series and events relevant to LGBTQ+ and intersectional issues, something Fossen has expertise in and brings to his new role as McDonough’s director of events and brand experience.

Longer-term, Fossen sees the group as a way to raise the profile and support for the community on

campus — and even allay the kind of fears or hesitation he experienced when applying for a job at McDonough.

“We want to spread the visibility of this community and highlight people within the larger university, to show we can thrive on a Jesuit campus,” Fossen says. “There is space to do well at Georgetown.”

CURRICULUM

Long-term review: Led by Michael O’Leary, teaching professor and senior associate dean for graduate and executive degree programs, a committee on curriculum is reviewing ways to better integrate the mindset of DEI into not only special courses but also coursework more broadly.

DEI across programs: Master’s in Management courses on statistics, machine learning, fintech, and more include discussions about bias. A lecture series on DEI is woven into the EMBA curriculum. Students in our MSBA program take focused coursework on diversity, ethics, and governance mechanisms in data and analytics in relation to DEI, as well as participating in a capstone project focused specifically on addressing bias.

CO-CURRICULUM

Beyond the curriculum: Patricia Grant, senior associate dean for the undergraduate program, led a committee exploring everything from increasing the diversity of speakers on campus to improving the student experience in student organizations.

Democratizing student organizations: Grant and team are piloting a possible new student club structure to ensure access and inclusivity regardless of students identity, background, or school affiliation. The structure is still under development, but it will heavily emphasize student leadership, involvement, and accountability.

Strong speakers: The Stanton Distinguished Leaders Series and other signature events have an increasing focus on diverse representation. Highlights from 2021–2022 include Thasunda Duckett, president and CEO of TIAA; Kevin Warren (B’94), EVP and chief marketing officer at UPS; Stacey Cunningham, former president of the New York Stock Exchange; and many more.

Expanded support: The Business Undergraduates Invested in Leadership Development (BUILD) program continues to support first-year underrepresented minority students with mentoring and early exposure to business concepts and the business community around Georgetown before orientation. Now it’s bolstered by the ongoing Business Scholars program (see page 13).

CAREERS

Conference support: The Career Center provided advance preparation and real-time support for four major diversity career conferences in fall 2021: National Black MBA, Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA), Prospanica, and MBA Veterans.

Follow-through on careers: Student members and fellows of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management participated in enhanced one-on-one coaching and mentoring with staff and second-year MBA students. And 100% of Consortium graduates who were seeking employment obtained jobs.

A NEW MODEL FOR HIRING

For businesses that want to expand their efforts in DEI, hiring practices are often a smart place to start. For instance, they can examine both the implicit biases of hiring managers (we all have them) and the processes by which employees are recruited, onboarded, and promoted. This is what drives Trinity Johnson (B’23) as people operations manager at the MSB Tech Center (MSBTC). Johnson, a management major and sociology minor, is in her fourth year working for MSBTC, one of the largest student employers on campus. Johnson applied for — and did not get — a manager position in 2022. Instead of bemoaning the missed opportunity, she became proactive.

“I noted some concerns and reservations about the process, and historical patterns around the Tech Center,” Johnson says. “Historically, we’ve been the highest-paying job on campus, so it needs to be an equitable opportunity and better aligned with how businesses approach DEI.”

She proposed her new role, and with the support of key leadership, started the job in 2022. Now she’s helping improve the hiring side of the interview process by educating on hiring bias and focusing on core competencies, as well as DEI. On the employee side, she has partnered with affinity groups across campus to help broaden the future talent pool. She also created an interview prep guide for students who have limited interview experience in their past.

“We want to figure out a way to set an example at the Tech Center for what a student organization can look like with inclusive hiring practices,” Johnson says.

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 and advocacy for second-chance hiring. The program celebrated its fourth cohort of graduates in 2022.

Ongoing celebrations: The Office of Marketing and Communications started a series to celebrate heritage months throughout the year through Q&A features on the McDonough website with accompanying content on social media featuring members of the community.

CULTURE

Resources for faculty: Informed by the work of Baker Trust Fellows, McDonough developed DEI Teaching Resources, an internal site with information on key DEI terms and concepts, ideas on incorporating a DEI mindset into coursework, and best practices for everything from building teams in the classroom to fostering inclusive participation.

Sharing best practices: Georgetown McDonough and DEI leaders at other business schools—specifically signatories to the CEO Action pledge, such as University of Virginia Darden School of Business, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, and NYU Stern School of Business—developed a collaborative group for sharing best practices and coordinating with AACSB.

THE FOUNDATION FOR FIRST-GEN STUDENTS

When a first-generation student goes to business school, it’s the start of a potential success story. But it’s only the start. If that student doesn’t have the right support system in place to achieve academically, or doesn’t feel welcome, the ending of the story changes.

First-generation and low-income students often face a different set of challenges than others. “A lot of firstgen students don’t have the same institutional knowledge that others have, especially here at Georgetown, where many students come in with privileged backgrounds,” says Karthikeya Easwar, associate teaching professor in marketing and faculty advisor for Georgetown McDonough’s Business Scholars Program.

“That can be as simple as knowing what resources are available to you. But it can also be basic terminology, including business terminology. With some explanation and the right opportunities, they can benefit from the wonderful tools we have at the school.”

This is the idea behind Business Scholars. The program builds off of the established Community Scholars program, which provides this student population early onboarding and support before school even starts. Business Scholars extends that support and programming throughout a student’s academic career.

For example, Community Scholars who intend to come to McDonough now take a marketing course with Easwar in the summer before their first semester as a way to become familiar with business terminology, case studies, and more. Then, during their first semester as Business Scholars, they take “Mastering the Hidden Curriculum,” a course that covers everything from overcoming imposter syndrome (think “do I belong here?”) to navigating college life.

“The Mastering the Hidden Curriculum course helped me understand the implications that my race and socioeconomic status had on my higher education,” says Business Scholar Senoh Koroma (B’25). “This course gave me the ability to feel comfortable and confident in my identity as a firstgeneration, low-income student and will remain priceless as I navigate life on campus.”

The group meets for workshops and other events throughout each semester, and the program connects them with key existing resources across campus, such as career services. There were 11 Business Scholars in the first cohort, 16 in the second, and currently 18. The goal, ultimately, is to have about 25 scholars per academic year for a total of 100 in the ongoing program.

The program is now piloting “Preview to” workshops designed to offer these students more early exposure to business concepts. First up is “Preview to Accounting,” which introduces them to basic accounting terminology and background so that they are ready for Accounting 101.

“The idea is that we’re building some familiarity with business, and building a foundation,” Easwar says. “The foundation is key. If you build it, then you can build on top of it. But if you miss that chance to build a foundation, nothing can go on top.”

ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT MEETS MENTAL HEALTH

When Kate Spade & Company asked Cathy Tinsley to join its Social Impact Council, the answer was a clear “yes.” For Tinsley, it would be a chance to examine the intersection between women’s economic empowerment and mental health.

In turn, Tinsley, Raffini Family Professor of Management, would add academic rigor and research credibility to a council full of star power (such as actress Taraji P. Henson) and charitable entrepreneurship. The council is Kate Spade’s primary social impact initiative, and it zeroes in on two issues that Tinsley says go hand in hand but are rarely studied jointly.

Below, Tinsley shares her perspective on a hands-on type of DEI work.

How did your work with Kate Spade first come about?

I did a report for Kate Spade when they were first getting into the women’s empowerment space. They looked around, and they said, “We could just contract out with a cooperative of women and buy whatever it is that they’re already making, and try to sell that.” And that was really the dominant model for this sort of work.

But what happens in that model is then the Western appetite for, say, ethnic baskets, evaporates after a year or two. So the contract dries up. What they thought would be more sustainable is to actually stand up a cooperative to be a fully independent supplier as part of their global value chain. They chose a little artisan cooperative in Rwanda. And Kate Spade actually brought in a number of people to train artisans on how to make Kate Spade products.

In 2015, they brought us in (Tinsley and professors Ed Soule and Pietra Rivoli). We studied what they were doing for a couple of years and wrote a report. And one of the things I thought would be interesting was to not just look at the economic empowerment that women would have from having stable employment, but also what the psychological effects were. It’s not that they have more buying power, which is what economists typically study, but actually what stability in employment does for people’s mental health.

We were able to demonstrate that beyond purchasing power, there were effects for stable employment on mental health, on wellbeing because of this stability of employment and also because of the possibility of being able to rise up in the corporation.

In 2017, we gave the final report to Kate Spade & Company, and they really liked it. Then Kate Spade committed suicide and, you know, how does a company deal with that? I think there was just sort of an awareness and a desire to see what they could learn from it. And what they learned, I think, was how important mental health is.

Tell me about your role on the council.

Well, you’ll see that many of the other people on the council are famous, like Taraji P. Henson and Lady Gaga’s mom. They bring this star power. But then there are also women like Jazz Thornton. I mean, she’s just this amazing woman that I met recently from New Zealand. But she was suicidal and has had a really tough story. She brings her own personal journey to this.

I’m on the council to help them evaluate standards of evidence, quality evidence. To ask, “What’s good evidence and what’s bad evidence?” I’m the skeptical academic of the group.

Is helping women navigate practical workplace issues a big focus?

That’s a big part of it. And I really give the Kate Spade team kudos for being on the cutting edge of what I think is going to be more and more discussed in the workplace. You know, we talk about all kinds of diversity, but one type of diversity that we haven’t really spoken about too much is diversity of mental health. And I think there’s a lot of stigma still.

HOW TO GET INVOLVED WITH DEI AT MCDONOUGH 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+ 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

If you break your arm, you obviously go to the doctor. People don’t expect you to heal your arm by yourself, right? But if you have a little bit of a broken psyche, people sort of expect you to heal it yourself. And so there still is a mental stigma, although I think less in my kids’ generation than in mine. They have more comfort in saying, “Hey, I suffer from anxiety.” Whereas few in my generation ever said that. It shows so much vulnerability. And you certainly wouldn’t talk about it in the workplace. But I think now people are expecting to be able to do that. I think in some ways it’s a great advancement. I do think there are going to be some thorny questions related to it since it’s new in that environment.

Since you bring academic rigor to this council, how does it fit with your work? What direction do you see this taking in the future for you?

I am getting more and more interested in the future of work and trying to look for future trends, and I do think addressing mental health in the workplace is going to be a future trend. Discussing it more openly and discussing how to make various accommodations for it is going to be a reality for businesses.

And so I’m curious to have a very hands-on exposure to all of it — not just sitting in my chair and reading about it, but also seeing how a corporation is actually trying to engage in this new space. I like the boots on the ground. I like being able to see what’s going on to then be able to extract what some of the interesting research questions may be. And honestly, it’s fun.

DEI COMMITTEE 2021–2022

Patricia Grant

Co-Chair, Senior Associate Dean, Undergraduate Program

Michael O’Leary

Co-Chair, Senior Associate Dean, Graduate and Executive Degree Programs

Diana Banks

Assistant Dean, Executive Career Development Center

Valeria Bellagamba

Associate Dean, Academic and Global Operations

Ashley Clingman-Jackson (EMBA’22)

Genevieve Enowmbitang (MBA’23)

Daunett Hemings

Associate Director of HR Administration

Victor Jose

Associate Professor, Operations and Information Management

Aabi La’al (MiM’22)

Nick Lovegrove

Professor of the Practice, Management

Teresa Mannix

Associate Dean, Chief Marketing and Communications Officer

Madison Moore (MBA’24)

Christie Nordhielm

Associate Teaching Professor, Marketing

Kerry Pace

Associate Dean, MBA Program Office

Anna Sebastian (MBA’22)

Sandra Sirjue

Director of Strategic Initiatives, Office of the Dean

Serafina Smith

Director of Diversity and Partnerships, MBA Admissions

Jessica Steinberg

Assistant Dean of Strategy and Operations, MBA Program Office

Xiaoli Tian

Associate Professor, Accounting

Catherine Tinsley

Raffini Professor of Management

Gianna Valencia (B’24)

Love Victor (B’22)

Ella Washington

Senior Advisor on DEI Initiatives and Professor of the Practice, Management

Rohan Williamson (ex-officio)

Vice Provost for Education and Professor, Finance

Sarena Young (MBA’22)

Data sources: AACSB reporting data, Georgetown McDonough internal data