Valuing Diversity
The School of Business continually looks for ways to address ethnic, socioeconomic and geographic diversity among our students.
In fall 2005, the School of Business, in conjunction with Associated Students of Madison, hosted an interactive forum for all business students, faculty and staff. Held in Grainger Hall, the forum focused on diversity, inclusiveness and the atmosphere both inside and outside our classrooms. Follow-up events during the spring 2006 semester included a classified and academic staff in-service event that used interactive theater by the university’s own Theatre for Cultural and Social Awareness and an interactive evening discussion for undergraduate business students.
Throughout the year, the Office of the Learning Environment within the School of Business and the business school’s Equity and Diversity Committee explored topics relating to diversity, climate and culture, inclusiveness and fairness and strived to learn from “best practices” in other departments on campus.
Total Enrollment |
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| Undergraduate | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Women | 46% | 41% | 38.8% | 38.8% |
| Minority | 3.5% | 3% | 2.6% | 3.7% |
| International | 6.9% | 7% | 6.6% | 6.5% |
| Full-time MBA | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 |
| Women | 33% | 30% | 35% | 32% |
| Minority | 11% | 11% | 10% | 12% |
| International | 30% | 22% | 22% | 26% |
Other diversity initiatives included:
Consortium for Graduate Study in Management
We partner with 12 other prestigious schools and more than 100 of America’s foremost corporations, to increase racial and ethnic diversity in corporate America through MBA fellowships. Over the past academic year, 11 Wisconsin MBA students received Consortium-related fellowships and awards.
Consortium “Boot Camp”
The first-ever “boot camp” was held May 2006 to prepare six Consortium students for the annual Consortium Orientation Program in St. Louis. All six were entering the Center for Brand and Product Management’s MBA career specialization. The program was so successful, a program to benefit all entering Consortium students is being developed in partnership with all the MBA career specializations.
Diversity Weekend
The MBA Program Office brought prospective students from across the country to campus in fall 2005 for a better understanding of the Wisconsin MBA and the school’s commitment to creating a diverse class of MBAs.
PhD Project Conference
Wisconsin, with its large and highly regarded doctoral program, continues to be a key player in this national program designed to increase the number of minority scholars in PhD programs.
Undergraduate Initiatives
Students from Milwaukee, Waukesha, and Madison-area high schools participated in a special business school program in summer 2005 as part of the UW-Madison PEOPLE program (Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence). The six-week program offered minority students a broad overview of various business disciplines along with classes to enhance their presentation, communication, writing and math skills.
Looking Ahead
The School of Business will continue to proactively explore topics of diversity and inclusiveness and develop efforts to further diversify our students, faculty and staff populations.