The Sloan School of Management will hold its third annual Diversity Day on Friday, April 9 in Wong Auditorium from 9am-3pm. The event is designed to foster an appreciation of diversity both at the school and in the larger business community.
Workshops will explore a range of situations in which diversity makes a positive difference in how businesses operate. Diversity includes cultural dimensions such as race, gender, disability, sexual orientation, income/class, nationality, ethnicity and religion; other dimensions of diversity such as cognitive style may come into play.
This year's Diversity Day will launch the first "$10K Return on Diversity (R.O.D.)" competition. Teams will submit a case study, research proposal or action plan that could be implemented in the organization or curriculum illustrating the mutual gains for businesses or organizations with diverse workforces.
Teams must include at least one student or staff member from Sloan. Prizes totaling $10,000 will be distributed among winning entries. Entries are due by May 3 and winners will be announced at Sloan Student and Faculty Appreciation Day on May 13 (final day of classes).
Several Diversity Day guest speakers will talk about the importance and benefits of diversity in today's workplace. Appearing will be Sloan Dean Richard Schmalensee; Jeff Shames (SM 1983), CEO of Mass Financial Services Corp.; Susan Shackford (Sloan Fellow, 1994), vice rpesident of Parts Manufacturing at Sikorsky Aircraft; and MIT Corporation chairman Alexander d'Arbeloff (SB 1949).
The event is open to all MIT students, faculty and staff but space is limited. Sign-up sheets are located in the Sloan lobby (Building E52) and Building E51, or you can register via e-mail at diversityday@sloan.mit.edu. Those attending the entire event will receive lunch while working in small group sessions.
A version of this article appeared in the March 31, 1999 issue of MIT Tech Talk (Volume 43, Number 24).
