I hope your fall semester is off to an excellent start and you are enjoying the traditions of Notre Dame football weekends and long-awaited fall weather! On July 1, I began my term as the inaugural associate dean for innovation and inclusion here in Mendoza. This new role is part of the leadership changes organized around areas at the core of our Mendoza mission, which are faculty and research, academic programs, and innovation and inclusion.
Since I officially began this role, I’ve had many conversations with colleagues and students about it. Questions revolve around what is meant by “innovation,” how I will be able to influence inclusion, and most importantly, how innovation and inclusion are connected. All of these questions are excellent. Let me start with “innovation,” which is critical for the success of business school programs and their graduates. A survey of the current landscape would suggest that some of the best business schools have been willing to adapt, change, and re-envision their mission around such topics as experiential learning, corporate social responsibility and sustainability, the global mindset, flexible curriculum and alternative credentials, and lifelong learning. Additionally, it’s clear that the best business schools are also innovating with respect to diversity and belonging efforts, which is where I believe the two areas I oversee intersect.
The good news is that Mendoza is very active in most of these areas already, notably in areas like experiential learning where we offer such transformational experiences like Business on the Frontlines. However, Mendoza has an opportunity for greater alignment with the Notre Dame Board of Trustees’ Task Force Report on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategic framework. This framework focuses on increasing representation, strengthening our culture of inclusion and belonging, holding ourselves accountable, being a force for good in the world, and committing adequate resources. In that spirit, please let me share with you a few of my goals and related initiatives for the academic year 2022-2023 that reflect Mendoza’s commitment to innovation and inclusion.
In the space of innovation, my top priority is special curricular projects within our undergraduate and graduate programs. I have also been tasked with reimagining our non-degree offerings, narrowly considering programs that reflect the College’s academic strengths and talent and lead to opportunities for our degree programs. The Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (UFV-Madrid) Capstone Integral Leadership Program, championed this past summer by Sam Miller, is an example of non-degree programs we are open to pursuing in the future.
With respect to inclusive excellence, it was a joy to learn in my new role how much our faculty and staff are already supporting students through individual action, whether it be advising or intentional efforts in and out of the classroom. The following is a brief accounting of my DE&I goals that will help further the work that is already underway and expand impact:
- Launch a series of educational workshops on inclusive excellence, lectures on DE&I, and social events highlighting diverse experiences for faculty, staff, and students. This connects to the College’s goals of both fostering a culture of encounter and offering formative educational experiences. Our first offering in this series is a reading group for the book, “Relationship-Rich Education” by Peter Felten and Leo Lambert.
- Provide strategic oversight to new DE&I webpages for the College and academic programs, starting with the MBA program. This contributes to the College’s goal of enhancing our accountability.
- Strengthen College support of undergraduate and graduate student Affinity Groups, which allows us to create a welcoming environment for students of all backgrounds.
- Coordinate and co-sponsor DE&I-related events that connect faculty, staff, and students, both internally and with other Colleges on campus. Our first event took place last week and was a panel of black alumni working in the sports and entertainment industries, co-sponsored with the Law School, Athletics, and the MBA Black Graduates in Management club. Additionally, I am working closely with our staff DE&I Council on overlapping initiatives.
- Increase student representation in our undergraduate and graduate programs, through expanded recruiting initiatives, like Diversity in Leadership and our Alpha Phi Alpha partnership.
- Run the 2023 DE&I Grow the Good in Business Case Competition for all undergraduate and graduate students in Mendoza in Spring 2023, which increases opportunities for more formative student experiences related to DE&I
Thank you in advance for your support as I transition into this new role. Please consider this an open invitation to reach out to me if you would like to discuss anything related to my role or innovation and inclusion in general.
In Notre Dame,
Kristen