In his
message to the College earlier this year, Dean
Martijn Cremers reasserted the University’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, noting that these principles are foundational to our imperative to Grow the Good in Business.
For me, his message was a call to action. Each of us, in our various roles across the College, were being called to use our work of educating future business leaders to guarantee that diverse voices, experiences and backgrounds are valued, respected and nurtured.
It is in this spirit that I am excited to announce the
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Grow the Good in Business™ Case Competition for the spring 2022 semester. This competition joins the forces of Mendoza graduate students and business leaders who are committed to equity and inclusion in the workplace. The competition, open to residential Specialized Master’s students in this inaugural year, will challenge students to solve a business case focused on a current DE&I issue while engaging with companies willing to share their real-world challenges and expectations in striving for a more equitable society.
We expect the chosen case to intersect all business disciplines and thus be applicable to all Specialized Master's students, regardless of whether they study business analytics, finance, accounting, management or nonprofit administration.
Because diversity, equity and inclusion are a business imperative for successful organizations, this case competition will serve as a form of experiential learning for our Specialized Master’s students. As such, my key partner in this initiative is Joan McClendon, associate director for Specialized Master’s Experiential Learning. Our goals for the case competition include:
- Send a signal, both internally and externally, that our Specialized Master’s programs strive to be diverse and inclusive.
- Provide an educational experience that reflects the broader society, as well as the challenges and expectations of real businesses.
- Equip students to enter the real world as leaders after graduation.
- Create mutually beneficial relationships between Specialized Master’s students and corporate sponsors.
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Case Competition will kick off on Friday, February 4, and the final awards ceremony will be Friday, April 1. Between the launch and close of the competition, a series of educational and networking events will be held with corporate sponsors for students who opt-in to the competition. Prize money will be awarded to the top three finalists. A summary of key dates is below:
- February 4: Competition begins
- February 4 - March 4: Educational and networking events
- March 4: Round 1 deadline
- March 18: Top 10 finalists announced
- March 25: Round 2 deadline
- April 1: Finals / top 3 winners announced
Corporate sponsors will play a key role in the case competition. Meijer, 1st Source, Gibson Insurance and the State of Indiana will mentor students and gain innovative ideas for advancing diversity, equity and inclusion in their organizations. We hope that you will play an important role, too! We encourage faculty and staff members who are interested in serving the College through planning and execution of this event to sign up using
this Google form.
We are excited to add to the growing list of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives in the College, all which support the dignity of the human person and work towards a culture where we succeed together.
In Notre Dame,
Kristen
Kristen Collett-Schmitt, Ph.D.
Associate Dean for Specialized Master's
Associate Teaching Professor of Finance
