Diversity Plan
Vision
The Moody College recognizes that diversity in gender, race, ethnicity, religion, age, sexual preference, disability, values and attitudes is essential to functioning in the 21 st century business environment. It is the Moody College vision that by promoting an understanding of and appreciation for diversity, the College more effectively meets its mission of preparing students for the dynamic, competitive, and global business environment.
Mission
The diversity mission of the Moody College is to lead stakeholders (students, faculty, administration, and the community) toward representing differences and opinions among its diverse groups. This occurs through integrating diversity into teaching, hiring and developing a diverse faculty and staff, attracting and developing a diverse student body, and strengthening ties to community organizations that promote diversity.
Goals
Goal 1a
Provide workshops to faculty, staff, and student leaders on teaching and integrating diversity into the business disciplines.
Strategy: Benchmark successful diversity workshops at other universities. Develop a series of workshops on sensitivity to diversity, diversity issues, and diversity problems. Coordinate efforts with the campus Office of Diversity. Focus first efforts on faculty teaching core business areas. Bring experts to campus to maximize exposure to faculty and students.
Goal 1b
Integrate a diversity segment into BADM 100 Business Orientation, BLAW 310 Legal Environment of Business, Mgmt 320 Management of Behavior and Organizations, and MKTG 345 Principles of Marketing, which are required of all students in the College.
Strategy: Benchmark successful diversity academic units at other universities. For at least the Mgmt 320 course, develop a one-week lesson on diversity including diversity issues, problems, attitude and behavior change, and advantages for business. Include active interaction scenarios.
Goal 2
Review hiring and development activities to insure that diverse and highly qualified faculty and staff fill all the positions in the different business disciplines.
Strategy: Target recruiting of underrepresented faculty and staff to certain schools and diversity-related associations (e.g. the PhD Project). Sponsor functions put on by diversity-related associations to enhance awareness of the Moody College.
Goal 3
Increase the number of students from diverse backgrounds matriculating and completing the Moody College undergraduate program.
Strategy: Target recruiting of underrepresented students to diversity-related associations (e.g. parents’ groups, community centers, and churches) and to schools. Partner with diversity-related associations to sponsor diversity events. Survey underrepresented students on their perceptions on problems at UL Lafayette. Include underrepresented students in Preview Day. Partner with high school counselors to increase awareness of Moody College.
Goal 4
Increase the number of students from diverse backgrounds matriculating and completing the Moody College MBA program.
Strategy: Target recruiting of underrepresented MBA students to certain schools and diversity-related associations. Contact faculty at schools with large numbers of underrepresented students for referrals of graduates.
Goal 5
Establish a peer mentoring program where upper level students can mentor lower level students from underrepresented groups.
Strategy: Benchmark peer mentoring programs at other universities. Use upper level students as both interpersonal and academic mentors for students from underrepresented groups.
Goal 6
Encourage the Alumni Association to participate in recruiting students from underrepresented groups and more effectively target their fundraising toward these efforts.
Strategy: Liaison with the Alumni Association in targeted recruiting efforts toward certain schools and diversity-related associations to increase the number of underrepresented applicants. Use alumni in targeted recruiting efforts at events, such as high school fairs. Develop fund raising efforts for scholarships for underrepresented students. Develop fund raising efforts to provide financing for targeting recruiting efforts toward underrepresented students.
Goal 7
Increase the participation of the College in community and regional organizations that promote diversity.
Strategy: Partner with local and regional diversity-related organizations. Sponsor and help with diversity-related events and activities. Develop internships at minority-owned businesses. Develop class projects at minority-owned businesses.