Diversity Is School Priority

The nation's labor force is more diverse than at any time in its history and growing more diverse each day. Will the next generation have the management education it needs to succeed?

The School of Business is continually looking for ways to address the question of how best to improve diversity among students, according to Dean Michael Knetter. "There is real value to having a diverse student body," Knetter said. "And by diversity I mean not just ethnic diversity, but socioeconomic and geographic. There are many reasons it's to all our advantage to provide a level playing field for people from all kinds of backgrounds. If we can round out a class to include people from a broad range of backgrounds, we provide a learning environment that enables our graduates to be effective in the kind of world in which they'll be living and working."

To enhance and focus diversity efforts by the School of Business, a new position was created this fall --assistant dean for the learning environment. In that role, Philip J. Miller is responsible for developing initiatives to improve diversity among students, faculty and staff. ( See story.)

In recent months, the importance of achieving diversity on college campuses has been the subject of much debate. The U.S. Supreme Court's rulings on admission practices by the University of Michigan haven't had a large impact on admission practices at the School of Business according to Miller, "The rulings confirmed that universities can continue to make efforts to recruit a broad range of students from differing backgrounds." However, he added, such programs continue to draw close scrutiny.

Wisconsin has long had a leading role in diversity efforts among business schools. In 1966, the School of Business was one of three founders of the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, the country's first equal opportunity graduate fellowship program for minorities. Today, 13 major universities participate in the Consortium. This fall, 30 graduate students are attending the School of Business on Consortium fellowships.

"The Consortium students bring a lot of geographic diversity to our program," said Miller. "Many come from institutions we otherwise might not have applicants from, such as historically black colleges. They come in well-prepared with excellent qualifications and they can bring an extra dimension to our program that's in demand by corporations." The financial support provided through the Consortium is often crucial to minorities being able to pursue higher education. The Consortium is funded by member schools and a wide range of corporations and foundations. Knetter is currently serving a two-year term as chair of the Consortium Board of Directors, with Miller as vice chair.

The School of Business also participates in a program similar to the Consortium that is aimed at doctoral candidates. The Ph.D. Project aims to create more minority business school professors by encouraging African Americans, Hispanic Americans and Native Americans to pursue a Ph.D.

At the undergraduate level, business school diversity is shaped by the university's efforts, as students entering the School of Business as juniors. Recent efforts on the undergraduate level have included revitalizing the Multi-Ethnic Business Student Society and working closely with campus organizations that work with students of color.

According to Knetter, there is increasing recognition that getting more minority students into the higher education pipeline needs to start early. That is why the School of Business welcomed the opportunity to have 11 students from Milwaukee high schools attend a special business school program this past summer as part of UW-Madison's Pre-College Enrichment Opportunity Program for Learning Excellence (PEOPLE). The seven-week program is designed to introduce the students to university life. Students attended morning classes that stressed business and communication skills and worked in internship positions in the afternoons.

At all educational levels, the goal for the School of Business is clear, according to Knetter. "Corporations are looking for leaders of a diverse workforce. That's what we aim to provide."