We are refreshing our Diversity Blog and kicking off the 2011-2012 season with an introduction. The Diversity Blog has been dormant for nearly a year. We feel it’s time to start blogging again as there is certainly no lack of current diversity topics available for discussion. Please stick with us as we kick start our efforts.
The Darden School of Business has a new Chief Diversity Officer. Professor Peter Rodriguez is no stranger to Darden, Academia nor the business related social media world. He is a beloved professor of Global Economies and Markets, renowned researcher in international business topics and avid tweeter (@profp_rod). In addition to Peter’s CDO role, he is also the Senior Associate Dean for MBA programs at Darden. Given his unique and extensive set of responsibilities, we thought interviewing Peter would be a great way to kick off this Diversity@Darden Blog season.
You are the Senior Associate Dean, for Degree Programs and International Affairs and Chief Diversity Officer. What was the motivation behind combining these roles? Why did you accept the positions?
Coupling the drive to live Darden’s values on diversity with leading and being accountable for the performance for our MBA programs offers the influence necessary to succeed by influencing all our programs and admissions. The signaling value is also intentional and important for Darden and its future.
Will you be teaching any classes while serving in these roles?
Yes, I teach two sections of a second year elective on the global economy, a course in the GEMBA program and I teach in a number of our custom and executive education programs.
What do you see as your key challenges as the Chief Diversity Officer at Darden?
Darden evidences diversity every day in its efforts and throughout our enterprise. We’re fortunate to have a pervasive commitment to living the values of a rich, diverse, engaging and inclusive community. Our frontier is making the ‘value of our values’ even more plain and actionable in our programs. We also require a classroom and grounds that are rich in diversity of many kinds and this is always a priority.
What are Darden’s key challenges to having a more diverse and inclusive community?
Many of the challenges derive from the potential for stasis that always faces organizations. Momentum is that all too precious asset that sometimes loses its value just when other assets lose theirs. With a flat economy Darden could have also stood flat, but we’re continuing to build and to grow. It’s a long, steep hill to run but that’s what separates the pack. In addition to momentum, we must remain not just a wonderful teaching organization, but a learning one. Learning about ourselves and how each of us can seize opportunities to live more thoughtfully and to commit our resources to ensuring and embracing diversity must be our daily ritual.
What do you hope to have accomplished by the end of your tenure?
I can’t say how long will be my tenure (I hope its long), but to be successful Darden should preserve and enrich the diversity in its programs and classrooms each and every year. We need to attract more of the highest quality candidates from all backgrounds and yield more top candidates from underrepresented groups than we do today. A substantial improvement in yield over the next three years is key to delivering the world’s best management education, and that’s the number one goal. Year by year, we must also integrate into our classrooms effective and engaging discussions of how diversity affects all of us, how it impacts and can significantly benefit organizations. Leading the universe of MBA programs with respect to diversity and how to live it in organizations is an attainable and appropriate goal for Darden.
We will be sure to follow-up with Peter at the end of the academic year to check and see how things are going. In the meantime, please stay tuned for additional Diversity@Darden blog entries.
