Dear members of the ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Desautels community,
I am pleased to bring to you the latest updates on our equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) efforts at the Faculty.
The Empowering Impact of EDI on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Last week, I had the opportunity to meet with alumni in the San Francisco Bay Area and participate in a special event in collaboration with M-GEN: Generation ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ - ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Global Tech and Innovation Group. Hosted by Audrea J. Golding (BA’92), the event focused on ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ’s and ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Desautels’ vision for EDI and on EDI-related initiatives. I was heartened to see so many alumni in the area turn up to show their support for our efforts, and I am so grateful to Audrea, her team at Fragomen, and M-GEN for their involvement and staunch support.
EDI Action Plan
Following months of consultation, the EDI 2022-23 Action Plan has been completed. We encourage you to view the summary document on our website. The Action Plan is centered on the following four themes:
- Teaching and Curriculum
- Research and Knowledge
- Student Admissions
- Cultural Transformation
The EDI Team aims to foster change by way of fusing EDI into our practices, policies and plans. We will be introducing new and innovative ways of incorporating the student voice into our EDI initiatives including paid opportunities for students to act as EDI advocates and to conduct research on EDI topics. Additional details regarding opportunities to provide feedback on our plan, learn about new initiatives, and participate in focus groups on the subject of mentorship will be highlighted on the website in the coming weeks.
Branches – PYP Program
The ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Desautels Faculty of Management has been working in collaboration with the Branches Program at ÎÛÎÛ²ÝÝ®ÊÓƵ Enrolment Services to improve our outreach to potential students who identify with underrepresented groups. This year, we are thrilled to announce that the Branches Pick Your Path (PYP) for Black Youth initiative has partnered with Desautels to offer a management stream within their mentorship program for high school and CEGEP students. Students are paired with mentors who share similar interests and participate in workshops and sessions designed to expand their community network and nurture their path to post-secondary education. We were overwhelmed by the interest in this pilot project and look forward to hosting this program on an annual basis. We also look forward to expanding our collaboration next year by also working closely with the PYP for Indigenous Youth initiative.
EDI Case Writing Competition
This year, our EDI team will once again coach Desautels students to compete at the WDI 2023 DEI Global Case Writing Competition. This is a great opportunity for students to strengthen their case writing skills and EDI knowledge and be able to win up to $10,000 as well as have their case published. Last year, two teams participated, one of them winning the Honourable Mention award (out of 52 total submissions). Faculty and students who are interested in participating or have any questions, should reach out to tatiana.gauvin [at] mcgill.ca (Tatiana Lamoureux Gauvin).
Scotiabank Ethics in Action Case Competition
I would also like to highlight undergraduate students Karen Zhuang, Lara Landauro, Maë Vernet, and Thanh Nguyen who won the $2,500 first place prize in the 2022 Scotiabank Ethics in Action Case Competition (undergrad track) hosted by Dalhousie University. The team was coached by Dr. Niels Billou and sponsored by the Laidley Centre for Business Ethics.
Sincerely,
Yolande E. Chan
