Here in the heart of America’s most diverse city, the Jones Graduate School of Business at Rice seeks, values and champions students from a range of backgrounds. The reasons are simple, says Lina Bell, our Director of Diversity and Inclusion. “Research shows that the best business decisions are informed by a multitude of perspectives,” Bell says. “In addition to being good for business, it’s the right thing to do.”
High-achieving people of color, of LGBTQ orientation, of foreign birth and women still face discrimination – which means that picking the right business school means choosing a culture as well as a classroom. They may also face specific challenges, such as financing graduate school without intergenerational wealth or finding an environment where they’re seen as individuals rather than as representatives of a community. This second point is important, since some members of underrepresented minorities say they feel less free to make a mistake or spontaneous comment when they’re seen as spokespeople for their group. At Rice Business, we strive to appreciate each student on their own terms.
This philosophy is integral to Rice Business culture, Dean Peter Rodriguez says. “Organizations and societies truly succeed only when everyone within them is equally valued and supported for who they are,” Rodriguez, an economist, says. “To fully live our values at Rice Business, we have to first commit to ensuring that every one of us can confidently bring their whole, pure self here every day.”
Rice Business Benefits From A Diverse City
Students at Rice Business, while learning in purposely small classes, also benefit from the school’s location in Houston. The fourth largest city in the country, it’s distinguished both by extraordinary diversity – it has the most equal distribution of ethnic groups in any U.S. metropolis – and a pragmatic, business-friendly culture.
Known as a welcoming and progressive city, Houston is the nation’s number one refugee destination, the first major American city to elect an openly gay mayor – twice – and is currently governed by a two-term African American mayor.
On our serene campus near the world’s largest medical center, Rice Business prioritizes diversity and top business skills – and recognizes that the two reinforce each other.
Diversity And Good Business Reinforce Each Other
Research by Rice Business professors confirms the value of these priorities, showing, for example, the power of antidiscrimination law and how innovation can spring from economic constraint, adversity and even living in another country.
This respect for a range of life experiences is what sold MBA student Norma Torres Mendoza on Rice Business. “I knew they were serious about their diversity efforts when I received a called from Dean Rodriguez congratulating me on my acceptance and on my Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship,” says Mendoza, a member of the Class of 2020. “I knew that my presence mattered to Rice so much that the dean was willing to call. I believed that my voice as a former undocumented immigrant and first generation college graduate Latina mattered, and it mattered enough to add a scholarship behind it.”
Ashley John, an African-American MBA student in the Class of 2020, says the school’s commitment to these values was clear from the moment she applied. Born in Missouri City, Texas, John studied urban affairs at Stanford University before working for five years in nonprofit educational administration. “I was looking for a program with a strong community that was interested in social impact,” she says.
From the start, says John, Rice admissions staffers were thoughtful and candid in helping her prepare for both the quantitative and qualitative parts of her application. They were also hands-on in advising her on financial issues.