Erika James, Dean of the Wharton School. Emory photo

New Wharton Dean Speaks Her Mind

In July, Erika James made history by becoming the first woman and first person of color to be appointed dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.

James, who previously served as dean at Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and associate dean of executive education at the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, brings a deep knowledge of leading business education into her new role at Wharton.

She recently spoke with The New York Times and discussed the state of the MBA today and how she hopes to steer Wharton in the right direction when it comes to issues such as corporate social responsibility and diversity and inclusion.

WHARTON’S CURRICULUM: A TWO-FOLD PROCESS

One of the main topics of discussion in the business world today is the role that business plays in society.

Students, for one, are placing more focus on topics such as environmental and social responsibility as well as diversity and inclusion.

When asked how Wharton is addressing these topics, James says it’s a two-fold process.

“The conversations in the classrooms are changing because the students are asking for it,” she tells NY Times. “Their expectation is that that’s in our syllabus. We’re going to have coursework and reading material and discussions on corporate social responsibility. We have to.”

Additionally, James also highlights a shift in faculty as a new generation takes on leadership positions and plays a greater role in aligning the curriculum and setting the agenda.

“I would also say there’s a generation of faculty that’s now coming into significant leadership roles as department chairs, for example, who have much more influence in preparing the curriculum and setting the agenda, and those faculty are increasingly aligned with where the students are coming from.”

REAL, MEANINGFUL DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

In many corners, the business world lacks diversity and inclusion.

In 2020, there were only five black CEOs, according to Fortune.

When asked about whether she feels there has been real progress on the diversity and inclusion front, James says the data speaks for itself.

“There hasn’t been a lot of progress if you look at the sheer number of Black C.E.O.s or Blacks within one or two reporting relationships of the C.E.O.,” James tells NY Times. “Why is that the case? I think it’s the case that we haven’t fully prioritized it as much as we have talked about it. And the two are very, very different.”

Talking about diversity and inclusion is one thing. But creating real, meaningful initiatives and opportunities is another.

2020 saw the murder of George Floyd, a rise in protests calling for change, and the efforts of CEOs and executives in taking action – something James says is unlike anything she’s seen before.

“The question is how much of what we saw this summer was a reaction to his killing, versus how much of that will be a sustained effort to really think about the ways in which organizations recruit and attract and develop and promote and compensate Black professionals,” James tells NY Times. “Time will tell.”

Read the full New York Times interview here.

Sources: New York Times, P&Q, Fortune

What To Know About MBA Career Services

For many, an MBA is a path towards a new career.

And while applicants may focus on prestige of an MBA program when deciding, experts say evaluating an MBA program’s career services is just as vital.

When choosing business schools, MBA candidates should always ask about the scope of MBA career services. In particular, it is vital to consider the sectors and industries in which the career center specializes.

Judith Crown, a contributor for Crain’s Chicago Business, recently looked at how MBA students can make the most of career services.

CAREER EXPERTISE

Many career services have the expertise of career counselors available for MBAs throughout their job or internship search.

Experts say it’s important for MBA candidates to understand their own goals and needs.

“Some centers have dedicated consultants per industry,” Stacy Blackman, of Stacy Blackman Consulting, writes. “MBA participants at Oxford Said Business School benefit from insights and pragmatic advice of a select group of sector consultants who have experience of working for leading firms across a broad range of sectors across a range of industries including management consulting, finance, high-tech, new ventures, media and communications, and diversified industry in general.”

Crown adds that MBAs should seek out panel discussions or events targeting their specific disciplines.

LIFE-LONG SUPPORT

While getting a job immediately post-MBA is the goal for many, career services across MBA programs are now pitched as long-term career support.

“This is also because current and future professionals are likely to change jobs much more frequently than they did 20 years ago,” Blackman writes. “New professions crop up every day, requiring lifelong learning and acquiring transferable skills, as well as a vision of how to navigate your career.”

In the words of Julie Morton, associate dean at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business executive MBA program, “Career support is support for life.”

Sources: Crain’s Chicago Business, Stacy Blackman Consulting

How B-Schools Are Addressing Diversity and Inclusion

Diversity and inclusion in the MBA today isn’t just a matter of having more minority students.

It’s much more.

2020 has seen the rise of mass protests as people call for change. In business schools, that call for change is widespread – from enrolling more minority students to overhauling curricula.

Chris Stokel-Walker, of Bloomberg Businessweek, recently looked at what that change looks like across a variety of MBA programs.

MINORITY ENROLLMENT

Traditional metrics of MBA admissions, such as GPAs and exam scores, historically have placed minorities at a disadvantage.

“I think some of the things that universities need to be thinking about when they’re doing their admissions process is the value that candidates bring beyond just those traditional metrics,” Stella Ashaolu, founder and CEO of WeSolv and a USC Marshall Class of 2013 MBA, tells P&Q.

A majority of the top 25 b-schools have shown progress in increasing minority enrollment over the years.

Rice University’s Jones Graduate School of Business saw the highest proportion of minority MBA students in 2019 with 35%. The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania had 34.1%.

Yet, only four schools saw 30% or more.

There’s underrepresentation among MBA campuses. However, Ashaolu says it’s more so an issue of where and how b-schools are recruiting candidates.

“Schools need to go to those channels where more underrepresented candidates are, and provide a lot more education and awareness around the MBA process and the value of their program,” she tells P&Q. “They need to source candidates from more non-traditional pools and pipelines.”

ADDRESSING CURRICULUM

One way that b-schools are attempting to address diversity and inclusion is through the case studies used in MBA curriculum.

“Making those case studies more equitable and highlighting protagonists from a range of backgrounds is one part of decolonizing the curriculum,” Stokel-Walker writes for Bloomberg Businessweek.

Harvard Business Publishing, the supplier of roughly 80% of the world’s case studies, has been working to diversify protagonists in its case studies.

“We understand what we do has an impact on the rest of the educational community,” says Jan Rivkin, co-chair of the anti-racism task force at Harvard Business School, tells Bloomberg Businessweek. “We want students from underrepresented groups to see themselves in the cases.”

At Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management, two new courses were introduced this year to address structural racism and diversity in the workplace.

Whether it’s through greater representation among students and faculty or revamping curricula, B-schools know that change is necessary, even if the road to change is long and comprehensive.

“We are on a journey, committed to diversifying all our talent pipelines, which include staff and students as well as faculty,” François Ortalo-Magné, dean of London Business School, tells Bloomberg Businessweek.

Sources: Bloomberg Businessweek, P&Q, Vanderbilt University

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