Darden has been recognized for our community’s efforts in diversity recruiting and student body makeup in regard to underrepresented minority students as a percentage of the class. We are very proud of our accomplishments but we are not satisfied with them. Darden views diversity as only one half of the story. Inclusion provides the other half. We decided several years ago that Diversity alone was not going to help us make the strides toward a more enriched, open and holistically engaged institution until inclusivity became just as important in our efforts.
Many years ago I read this wonderful book titled Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? 1 It helped me better understand this dynamic to the degree that I could explain it to others without feeling awkward or defensive. So, when a few years ago at Darden I was sitting in a room with a diverse group of students and the question was asked, “Why do all the Black students hang out together?” I understood what was really being asked and could help our students articulate not only their perspective but listen actively to the questioning student’s perspective. We didn’t solve world problems that day but we had one of the most honest and revealing conversations in which I’ve engaged at Darden. The conversations continued over time and we challenged ourselves to challenge others but to also include others, invite others, bring others into the conversation as much as possible. I believe these early meetings and conversations led to some of Darden’s diversity and inclusion initiatives and programs under Dean Bruner’s leadership. I’m not going to list them all here – frankly, there are too many to list – but I will share that the tide is shifting, the community is stronger and the experience is richer.
This may in part help explain why Admissions is changing the way we host diverse prospective students on grounds. We have done things the traditional way for so long: Host several visit events and one other event geared toward diversity. Admissions has been thinking about the look and feel of this type of recruiting programming for a long time but I think fear of breaking away from the crowd and appearing to be “insensitive” to diversity prevented movement…..until now. This new generation of students is the most diverse we’ve ever seen. They think about diversity differently. They’ve experienced diversity differently. I’m not saying that they live in a utopian society where difference doesn’t matter, we know that’s not the case. But these students are smart, savvy and demand better. Darden Admissions decided to give them better. Every Darden Admissions Open House is a Diversity open house. Admissions went from offering one diversity open house to offering five. Everyone who chooses to will learn about and experience our diversity partnerships, classes, community and diverse student body as it exists every day. This is an inclusive approach. Everyone benefits from everyone else’s experience. We call this Diversity 365 because it’s us/Darden as we are everyday.
The reason diversity works at Darden is because we leverage diversity in the classroom through the case method and because we practice student self-governance which requires engagement and leadership outside of the classroom. There is no other choice but to put different experiences, ideas, backgrounds to work to create value in regard to learning, extracurricular activity and the community as a whole. What good is diversity if it remains silent and unengaged? No good.
Kellie Sauls
Director, Diversity Initiatives and Programming
Associate Director Admissions
1 Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Tatum is a book that explores the psychology of self-segregation.
