The Office for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion seeks to foster positive, productive collaboration among all members of a diverse Rice Business community—students, faculty, staff, alumni and other stakeholders. By ensuring that every member of the community feels welcomed, valued and respected, our efforts will help to create and sustain a community well-versed and equipped with competencies and resources necessary to succeed in a world that recognizes and embraces our individual and collective uniqueness. This year, we are proud to be recognized as No. 7 for Greatest Resources for Minority Students by the Princeton Review.
Diversity— Psychological, physical, and social differences that occur among all individuals; including but not limited to race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, age, gender, sexual orientation, mental or physical ability, and learning styles.
Equity— Guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity, and advancement while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of some groups. The principle of equity acknowledges that there are historically underserved and underrepresented populations and that fairness regarding these unbalanced conditions is needed to assist equality in the provision of effective opportunities to all groups.
Inclusion— The act of creating environments in which any individual or group can be and feel welcomed, respected, supported, and valued to fully participate. An inclusive and welcoming climate embraces differences and offers respect in words and actions for all people.
Collectively, all three of these are necessary to create a culture at Rice Business where we respect and value our differences, leveraging them as sources of strength and innovation — on campus — and in the business world.
Our Diversity Preview Weekend is our flagship recruiting event to attract top talent from our diverse communities, including U.S. underrepresented minorities, women and LGBTQ prospective students.
Several student clubs and organizations exist to help the Rice Business community to share, explore career opportunities and support long-term relationships.
Rice Business is dedicated to making academic experiences inclusive and forward thinking. We’re proud to support all our students through strategic partnerships with local and national affinity organizations.
When leaders are vulnerable, authentic, and empathetic, they create a culture where true diversity can thrive, and people feel safe to be themselves.
During the last semester of business school, Megan Smith ‘22 added they/them pronouns to their email signature. It was part of a long journey from coming out as queer in college to finding their true identity as non-binary. Each leg of that journey shaped the person — and the leader — they would become.
Project Implicit Harvard University
The mission of Project Implicit is to educate the public about bias and to provide a “virtual laboratory” for collecting data on the internet. Project Implicit scientists produce high-impact research that forms the basis of our scientific knowledge about bias and disparities.
Sparking Success: A forum for awareness, dialogue and skill-building around issues of diversity and inclusion in the business world. Learn more
Beyond BUSI
Beyond BUSI is a series of quarterly programs for undergraduate students centered around three core values: community building, resource sharing and development. The events foster opportunities for connection, provide undergraduates with exposure and access to Rice Business resources, and create opportunities for personal growth and professional development.
Doctoral Student Programming
The Rice Business Office for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion hosts programming for doctoral students to help foster interdisciplinary collaboration and connections among students as they navigate their doctoral journey. The programs change throughout the year, covering topics like positionality and community building.
Continuing the Conversation Workshop
Rice Business is dedicated to making academic experiences inclusive and forward thinking. We’re proud to support staff through learning opportunities. Previous topics include:
21 Day Equity Challenge
Disability & Accessibility
Gender
Race, Allyship, and Inclusion
Learnings and Looking Ahead
EmpowerHer
EmpowerHer is an annual community building event for women at Rice Business. The event invites undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff to connect, engage in thoughtful table topic conversation, share their experiences and resources, and grow in community with one another.
