UC Davis Graduate School of Management Pursues Diversity
The UC Davis Graduate School of Management (UC Davis GSM) has taken great strides in its efforts to increase diversity in the student population.
The statistics are striking, as reported in a recent article by Kathleen Gleed, the Senior Director of Admissions and Chief Diversity Officer at UC Davis GSM: In 2015, 56,078 Caucasians took the GMAT exam, while 7,019 African-Americans and 6,159 Hispanic/Latino Americans took the test.
These numbers beg the question of what can be done to increase the number of underrepresented minority MBA candidates. A new center opened at UC Davis last fall which aims to cultivate diversity in the student population. The Center for African Diaspora Student Success is headed by Kayton Carter, Director of Strategic African American Retention Initiatives. The Center’s major focus has been on the undergraduate population, but Carter and Associate Director Kawami Evans have addressed the need to partner with the MBA and all other graduate level programs.
In a recent talk with Gleed, Director Evans described recent efforts to widen the spectrum in the school’s MBA program.
“…We have [forged a relationship] … with the Graduate Student Association. Recently we hosted a panel with 5-7 graduate students – from all different disciplines – and had a conversation with them on what does it take to get to the graduate level and to really demystify it from a student perspective on what does it take for an undergraduate student to make it in a graduate program.”
Evans noted practical steps that MBA admissions staff can take to retain more minority students, including communicating to students that current academic difficulties in classes such as math do not have to prevent the pursuit of an MBA; and also offering advice on obtaining scholarships and aid.
About the Author
Maggie Boccella
Maggie Boccella, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, is a freelance writer, artist and photographer. She has consulted on various film and multimedia projects, and she also serves as a juror for the city's annual LGBTQIA Film Festival.
