The Story Behind Our Work

In 2020, Dean Rodriguez established a task force to research, evaluate and recommend actions to be taken to promote fairness of opportunity for all members of the Rice Business community. As part of his longstanding efforts to enhance belonging and engagement among the Rice Business community, students, staff, faculty and alumni were represented on the task force. The scope of the task force’s effort was focused broadly on curriculum, programs, courses, research and scholarship — areas that sit at the core of our university’s research and teaching mission. To augment its work, the task force commissioned a benchmark study to learn more about how other graduate business school leaders were addressing issues of fairness and belonging within their communities. 

Ultimately, the task force developed and delivered a series of initial recommendations to Dean Rodriguez, organized into five categories, that served as inspiration for the current strategic pillars of The Office of Belonging and Engagement today:

 a) School Culture

 b) Leadership and Oversight

 c) Curriculum and Programs

 d) External Engagement

 e) Student, Staff and Faculty Development. 

Among their 30+ recommendations put forth, the task force recommended that a new dean-level position be created to lead an office charged with ensuring implementation of the recommendations and sustain expansion of efforts to elevate fairness and belonging at Rice Business. Today, The Office of Belonging and Engagement continues to support many of the recommendations put forth by the task force and much of this work is captured in a report published annually by the dean. 

Importantly, the task force recommendations continue to be advanced through our teaching mission, the use of our convening power for discussions among members of our community and with leaders of organizations, the delivery of educational experiences that acknowledge/address issues of fairness, as well as the support and promotion of research on matters related to fairness and belonging within organizations such as Rice Business.