Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Rawls College is dedicated to fostering a community in which all students, staff and faculty feel accepted and appreciated. We exist in an interconnected world and strive to educate our students to become globally conscious business leaders. To that end, we encourage our students, staff and faculty to recognize and value diverse perspectives throughout their careers.

Fostering diversity and inclusion is one of the five Core Values of the Rawls College of Business.

Diversity is a broad concept that encompasses all the unique characteristics that students, staff, and faculty bring to the Rawls College. Diversity includes gender, race, ethnicity, nationality, sexual orientation/identity, socio-economic condition, education, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other ideologies, but also includes diversity of thought, ideas, backgrounds and experiences.

Equity is the promise to strive toward fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement of all students, staff, and faculty, while striving to identify and eliminate barriers that prevent full participation.

Inclusion means that students, staff, and faculty move beyond merely recognizing individual differences to welcoming and valuing the contributions that individual differences make to the innovative, engaged, and impactful business education experience in the Rawls College.

A diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences helps organizations make better decisions, and having processes in place to promote inclusion enables people to feel empowered to share their viewpoints.

—Margaret L. Williams, Ph.D.
Dean of Rawls College of Business

My goal is for all members of the Rawls community to feel accepted and appreciated. The unique characteristics that all students, staff, and faculty bring to our college enhance the Rawls College of Business education experience.

—Kirsten Cook, Ph.D.
Co-Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Associate Professor of Accounting

My goal for the Rawls College of Business is improved diversity and complete and total inclusivity. My hope is that we can continue to create a familial culture, with ever-increasing diverse representation and feelings of true belonging.

—Andrea Romi, Ph.D.
Co-Director of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Associate Professor of Accounting

Meet the Committee

This group of students, staff and faculty from a diverse range of orientations, backgrounds and experiences facilitate programming, discussions and innovative practices that will continue to build an equitable and inclusive community at Rawls College.