Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan

Overview

Sanger Mission

Accelerating leader development through bold ideas, transformative experiences, and inclusive communities.

Our Vision For A More Diverse, Equitable, Just, and Inclusive Society

Inseparable from our mission is our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Sanger envisions a society where all members are empowered to lead, thrive, and are equipped with the tools to co-create more inclusive, equitable, and diverse communities. This vision aligns with the Ross School of Business and the University of Michigan’s belief that collectively, diversity, equity, and inclusion, are core to individual flourishing, educational excellence, and advancement of knowledge.

By the Numbers

July 2021-June 2022

%

agree our programs provide inclusive spaces to learn

%

agree our programs foster an environment where they felt their perspective was respected

%

agree diverse views are respected in our programs

Group of UM students standing around the Block M

We welcome and encourage your ideas and feedback as we strive to fulfill our mission and vision.

Recent Highlights

Christina Wieberg

Learning to Lead: A Conversation With Christina Weiberg

As a woman of color in a leadership position, Christina Weiberg, MBA ’22, feels a responsibility to make the most of her opportunities. The Sanger Leadership Center helped her realize what good leadership looks like for her and how she can use her past experiences to more effectively communicate with and lead other people.

Photo collage of DEI award winners

Sanger Faculty Champions Receive DEI Research and Teaching Awards

Three Sanger faculty champions were honored for their research and teaching efforts that support diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at Michigan Ross. Congratulations to Julia Lee Cunningham, Christopher Rider, and Maxim Sytch!

Think Again by Adam Grant cover

The Joy of Being Wrong, and Other Lessons From Adam Grant

As part of our commitment to continuous learning, the Sanger team read Think Again by Michigan alum Adam Grant. Throughout the book, Grant offers a number of suggestions for how to rethink our convictions, embrace doubt, and avoid the pitfalls of our flawed beliefs.

Sanger is committed to practicing and fostering inclusive and equitable leadership with our:

Our Committment

Internal team and academic institutions

  • Embedding evidence-based diversity, equity, and inclusion best practices into our culture, core operations, strategic plan, and outwardly sharing research, resources, and tools
  • Proactively seeking and integrating feedback from diverse stakeholders to constantly improve and grow
  • Taking a data-driven approach to tracking our progress and transparently sharing progress reports
  • Committing to life-long learning and training to continually evolve as inclusive leaders

Programs and initiatives

  • Designing programs and events that foster diverse inclusive learning environments and provide inclusive leadership skill development
  • Redistributing power, agency, and voice to marginalized identities
  • Creating space to acknowledge and discuss the unique experiences of diverse individuals
  • Ensuring equitable access to and experience within our events

Stakeholders

  • Developing inclusive leaders who have the skill-sets and mindsets to build more equitable and inclusive organizations and societies
  • Providing educational resources on how our stakeholders can help lead and engage in the process of dismantling systems of structural inequality
  • Supporting the production and dissemination of research at the intersection of leadership and diversity, equity, and inclusion
  • Creating dialogue across stakeholders to increase awareness, empathy, learning, and growth

Advancing Ross Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Strategic Objectives

At Ross, developing big ideas and the leaders necessary to change the world is made possible when we bring together people with unique and different perspectives and ensure members of our community have access to and a voice in our community. Diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives are vital for success. Sanger strives to advance Ross DEI strategic objectives by fulfilling our shared vision.

Ross Objective:

Increase diversity of students, faculty and staff year over year

At Sanger we acknowledge the unique experiences and multifaceted identities of our staff and students. We commit to:

Diversity in Our Programs

We will create educational experiences that proactively seek and welcome participation from diverse individuals, increase access to programming for historically underrepresented students, and enhance the learning environment by leveraging the diversity of students and collaborators.

Diversity in Our Team

We will engage in a multi-month DEI training and use equitable hiring practices to intentionally attract, hire, and retain diverse staff members in line with Ross hiring practices.

Ross Objective:

Create a positive and inclusive climate in which all faculty, staff and students can thrive

At Sanger we will cultivate a culture that enables a sense of belonging and the ability to express one’s whole self and individual differences. We will meet individuals where they are to support their unique development goals and to overcome challenges. We commit to:

Equitable & Inclusive Programs

We will proactively ensure that our programs are accessible to all eligible students and provide materials and resources that meet the different learning needs of students. We will incorporate data-backed inclusive leadership best practices into the full life cycle of program design, implementation, and evaluation, and accelerate inclusive leadership behavior skill development in students.

Equitable & Inclusive Workplace

We understand and acknowledge that staff members have different needs in order to thrive at work. We will support the unique needs of each team member and take action against any form of bias, harassment, and discrimination. We will audit and update organizational processes on an annual basis to root out bias from all personnel decisions, including hiring, promotions, and bonuses. We will set individual and Center-wide goals to advance our own inclusive leadership development and create tools, norms, and practices to ensure that inclusive best practices are foundational to our culture.

Ross Objective:

Develop capacity of faculty, staff and students to contribute to a diverse, equitable and inclusive community at Ross; within their communities outside of Ross; and in business broadly

At Sanger we will develop leaders with the skills to build and lead diverse, equitable, and inclusive teams and organizations. We commit to:

Equitable & Inclusive Leaders

Through the development of bold ideas, integrative experiences, and co-curricular programs, we will help learners build the vital skills required to successfully lead diverse teams and organizations. Sanger commits to a life-long learning journey to develop equitable and inclusive leaders within our team, student body, staff, faculty, and other learners around the world.

Sanger Committment Graphic

This framework is adapted from the Student Life commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with permission from the talented and dedicated folks at University of Michigan Student Life.

Our Approach

 

We Innovate

our internal practices and programs to foster a more equitable and inclusive working and learning  environment

We Assess

our progress to continuously improve and implement data-driven best practices

We Enhance

current staff DEI skills and awareness, while developing inclusive hiring practices and building equitable onboarding and development experiences for all new team members

We Engage

with students, staff, faculty, alumni and other stakeholders to solicit and promote diverse voices and perspectives to better inform our approach

We Strengthen

existing DEI advocacy, support and education by increasing awareness of and access to, and production of research-backed tools and resources