Over the last week, several concerned faculty members proposed, drafted, and modified the following statement. I am writing to ask for your signatures and support.
Our proposed statement supports diversity in US business schools, and thus directly attacks one of the first effects of the Trump administration – fear and marginalization. It also speaks to the importance of trade and international exchange, both of which could be harmed by Trump. And finally, it supports our educational mission.
Personally, I know from first had experience that many business students are "freaking out", and I have heard from a few that they are worried about the effect of the election on their relations with their colleagues and contacts. There are rumors of employers pulling back on diversity hiring, and international students are reconsidering applications to US schools. If you want to see reporting on this last issue, check out: 'Is It Safe?' Foreign Students Consider College in Donald Trump's U.S. http://nyti.ms/2eH4D2c.
Many schools already have diversity statements, but I have heard no objection and a lot of support for a group statement from faculty. Because of its general appeal, the current statement represents an opportunity for us to recruit more people to our effort. Please send on this message to those you think might be inclined to join us. If you have a list of faculty in your department or school and would like me to send the appeal directly, please send me the list.
I am working on a plan to bring attention to our statement. If you have suggestions, please email me. Obviously, the more signatures we have the better our chances.
To sign the statement, go here or copy this address into your browser: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LF8TZJV.
Thank you all.
Andy
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Statement on the Importance of Diversity from US Business Professors
We the undersigned, are deeply troubled by the potential effect of President-elect Donald Trump's rhetoric on our ability to provide a world-class education. Already we have heard directly and through news reports, that existing and potential students are deeply concerned by the consequences of his election.
The United States leads the world in business education, and we attract a diverse array of students to our schools. Students from other countries enrich our classrooms by bringing their knowledge of different cultures, business settings, and governments. Students from every nation bring their familiarity with different religions, races, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, socio-economic levels, ages, physical disabilities, and political ideologies. Without access to their rich experience our educational programs will be impoverished.
Last year the number of international students in US colleges and universities surpassed one million in number. These students bring billions of dollars into the U.S. economy during their studies. When these students leave our classrooms, they contribute to the prospect for our country and the world as a whole. Many international students stay in the US and use their innovation and entrepreneurial talents to start or grow our businesses. US students of all backgrounds spread out throughout our country and around the world, bringing a range of benefits to business, its shareholders, and the society as a whole. Without students of all backgrounds, our educational institutions and our economy will fail.
We Deans and faculty of business schools hereby seek to reassure all students by pledging that we will not tolerate discrimination based on religious belief, race, ethnicity, country of origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, physical disability, age, socio-economic background, or political ideology. We will work to ensure that our students, our communities, and all our nation's inhabitants are educated with respect to the vital contributions made by people of all backgrounds.
We urge every faculty member or Dean of a US Business School to endorse this statement.