Groups are working with Owen to urgently advance changes in our structure that can advance equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) and combat racism within our community and the systems that touch it. This page serves to update the community on the work underway within these groups.
D&I Advisory Board
Objectives: To advise the Dean, Faculty, Administration, and Students around creation & execution of Owen Diversity & Inclusion Strategy. To provide ongoing communication, including annual updates, on key indicators to the Owen community. To serve as point of contact for D&I-related ideas and suggestions, and identify emerging issues and offer advice to the Dean’s office.
Members (2020-2021, membership will be updated later this year): Ranga Ramanujam*, Kelly Goldsmith, Maria Triana, Corbette Doyle (ex officio), Sue Oldham, Cherrie Wilkerson, Emiko Baldwin, Courtney Fain, Ashley Lomax, Tadishi Morgan, Jeri West, Taylor Mathis, Lucas Hagerty, Lexie Winograd, Ali Meshkat.
Update: The Board-authored D&I statement has been vetted by faculty, staff, and returning MBA and EMBA students. It has been uploaded to Owen’s website and will be socialized throughout the entire Owen community. The Board has finalized membership for the upcoming school year and continues to chart its plan of action for the next year. Update provided September 16, 2020.
Staff Diversity & Inclusion Taskforce
Objectives: To identify systems that disrupt Owen’s ability to foster a diverse and inclusive community; to better understand the resources available at Owen and Vanderbilt to aid in this effort; and to make recommendations on protocols and policies that can combat systemic discrimination in the administration.
Members: Nate Luce*, Lindsay Donald*, Mario Avila, Sylvia Boyd, Courtney Fain, Consuela Knox, Tadishi Morgan
Update: Originally launched in January 2020, the Staff D&I Taskforce was designed to complete its work by March 2020 before the COVID-19 outbreak disrupted progress. With that said, this taskforce has completed its discovery work and drafted a set of recommendations. They include calls for ongoing D&I training, strengthened incident reporting protocols, a staff accountability agreement, hiring protocols, student survey adjustments, and the hiring of a Chief Diversity Officer to oversee implementation of these recommendations and any others that Officer deems necessary. Recommendations are being finalized for presentation to the Dean in the next two weeks. Update provided July 26, 2020.