Letter from the Assistant Dean | Spring 2022

Steven Johnson Jr. discusses some of the highlights of DEIB programs this academic year.

The 2021–2022 academic year was an exciting time for our program for a variety of reasons. First, this was our first academic year back fully on campus following the response to the COVID-19 global health pandemic. Students eagerly accepted the challenge of transitioning back to predominately in-person experiences and successfully maintained academically sound habits.

Our program continues to boast a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Next, the Multicultural Business Scholars Program (MBSP) has continued to grow in recent years. This growth was sparked by staffing and funding support. Growth to our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) staff has not only enabled better support of the MBSP, but also other DEIB initiatives that directly benefit scholars and other diverse business students.

In this welcome note, I will briefly share highlights about the MBSP and DEIB programs broadly. Throughout this newsletter you will read stories from our scholars describing their experiences and sharing their accomplishments. You are encouraged to give attention to each story and to celebrate the amazing work of current scholars.

MBSP supports a growing number of diverse business students

The MBSP is a unique scholarship and mentoring program that seeks to create opportunities for diverse students to excel academically, professionally, and personally. Through the implementation of intentional interactions, this program caters to holistic student development.

The MBSP was founded in 1992 by Professor Emerita Renate Mai-Dalton. Throughout the program history, the sizes of each cohort have gradually increased, though it should be noted that with recent funding and staffing expansion, the program has experienced significant growth in the last three years. In the 2021–2022 academic school year, the MBSP oversaw 75 scholars, with representation across all majors in the School of Business and many with minors, concentrations, and certificates.

Scholars in this program continue to maintain the highest academic honors, with the program GPA strongly situated at a 3.5. Scholars are leaders both in and out of the classroom. In addition to sustaining excellent academic habits, over 90% of program participants have membership in registered student organizations, and 70% hold a part-time employment experience while concurrently attending to other student responsibilities. We are eager to continue the impressive legacy of this program in future years and supporting the goals and aspirations of diverse business scholars.

DEIB team offers more engagement opportunities

As diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging has been a strategic priority for the School of Business, there have been significant changes in both staffing and program offerings. At the start of this academic year, the school welcomed three new staff members who each focused on a different segment of the Jayhawk student life cycle.

The pre-collegiate programs coordinator is tasked with overseeing the Summer Venture in Business program and supports the recruitment team in developing initiatives that support the college choice process for historically underrepresented prospective students. The student program coordinator works closely with the existing Multicultural Business Scholars Program, advises the Undergraduate Business Council DEIB Task Force, and creates programming experiences for diverse students who may not already be involved in enrichment programs. Finally, the alumni and professional engagement coordinator helps to bridge connections between diverse alumni and students and delivers professional development programming to help prepare students for professional engagement.

Though this was the first academic year the team was fully assembled, our team quickly planned and implemented a few different initiatives that were new and exciting. Two that are worth highlighting include the revamping of the Multicultural Business Network and the creation of the 2022 Diverse Engagement Conference. Each of these experiences supported the amplification of diversity and inclusion efforts in the School of Business and created space for all students to learn more about how to connect and work across differences.

The Multicultural Business Network
The Multicultural Business Network (MBN) is a new student group that purposes to enable business students from historically marginalized identities to convene, share best practices, and exchange ideas that lead to personal and professional success. The DEIB office recognized the importance and need for identity-specific student groups within the School of Business. Identity or affinity groups allow for individuals with like experiences to find community, experience mentorship, and celebrate difference. In coordination with student leaders in the Undergraduate Business Council DEIB taskforce, the DEIB office worked to create this student group and modeled the formation of the MBN after employee resource groups.

While the MBSP serves to bring diverse business students together and support them through the duration of their undergraduate careers, there is a limit to the number of students that can be admitted into this program. The MBN provides structured support for underrepresented students who are not integrated in other enrichment programs such as the MBSP, while also providing space for students in the MBSP to make connections with others in the school who may have similar lived experiences. Noting the power of networking and importance of peer-to-peer connections, this initiative endeavored to strengthen relationships among students and support their commitment to the KU School of Business. We were able to host monthly meetings with each focused on a different topic area relevant to business students.

The 2022 Diverse Engagement Conference
The 2022 Diverse Engagement Conference experience prepared students to effectively engage in an increasingly diverse and collaborative world through multiple workshops facilitated by employers, alumni, and staff members; an alumni and employer discussion panel moderated by the KU Alumni Association; and a networking reception where students, staff, alumni, and employers mingled. Some of the sessions delivered during the event included:

• How internships prepare you for employment and the role of internships and volunteer position
• Social media: How to present yourself to the world/role of social media for networking
• The art of networking and creating a cover letter
• Financial education for independent living — Student Money Management
• How to create opportunities for yourself: Career supplementation
• Meeting and presentation preparation

Nearly 150 individuals participated in this one-day experience as either volunteers, student attendees, or presenters. In our program assessment, one student wrote, “Attending the different sessions from the three rounds was life-changing for me. I have started implementing takeaways into my personal and professional life. Thank you!” Other feedback encouraged us to continue to deliver programs such as this in the future. It is our plan to host this conference on an annual basis moving forward.

Summer Venture in Business continues for the sixth year

The Summer Venture in Business (SVB) is a pre-college summer academy housed in the University of Kansas School of Business for underrepresented ethnic minority students in high school and/or potential first-generation college students who are interested in business.

The goal of this program is to familiarize high school students with aspects of the college experience in and out of the classroom. It will serve as a pipeline program for students to access academic resources and opportunities at KU. In addition to exposing participants to business topics, the SVB aims to equip students with the tools and knowledge for applying to the university, succeeding in college, and prospering in their careers.

The 2022 Summer Venture in Business will be offered in-person and participants can choose from two session dates: June 5–7, 2022, and July 9–10, 2022. Each SVB session includes an introduction to the School of Business and its student services, a panel with current KU business students, presentations focused on the school’s academic offerings, and networking opportunities with industry professionals.

Opportunities to remain connected

As noted in our program agreement, alumni are encouraged to remain actively engaged with MBSP. This remains true for all alumni, regardless of graduation year. We host a variety of events throughout the year where we request alumni perspectives. Alumni are also invited to share their time and talents as mentors to current students. The Business Career Services offers a mentoring program that bring together those with shared interests and supports students in their early career journeys. Finally, we always accept any financial support you may be willing to offer. As our programs are expanding and we are diligently moving to supporting more students, support of any kind and amount can be beneficial.

Thank you for your continued support of the MBSP, SVB, and other DEIB focused initiatives!

Rock Chalk,
Steven Johnson Jr., Ed.D. (he/him/his)
Assistant Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging