WEBVTT - Stanford's Action Plan for Racial Equity 0:00:00.520 --> 0:00:04.080 You're listening to Bloomberg Business Week with Carol Masser and 0:00:04.200 --> 0:00:08.880 Jason Kelly on Bloomberg Radio. All right, so the past 0:00:08.920 --> 0:00:12.440 two Novembers scarlet food. You may have noticed Carol and 0:00:12.520 --> 0:00:17.079 I pop up out. I have noticed you have noticed 0:00:17.280 --> 0:00:19.720 we're out at the Stanford Graduate School Business because for 0:00:19.760 --> 0:00:23.160 the past two years running, Stanford's Graduate School Business has 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:26.480 been the number one business school according to Bloomberg Business 0:00:26.520 --> 0:00:29.520 Week Quick Flex. Jonathan Levin has been nice enough to 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:33.520 host us there. He is the dean alongside Sarah Soul 0:00:33.720 --> 0:00:37.879 associate Dean. They're really good to have you guys with us. 0:00:42.080 --> 0:00:46.040 Next same here. So Dean Levin, I want to start 0:00:46.120 --> 0:00:50.360 with you. Tell us what it's like out there right now, uh, 0:00:50.400 --> 0:00:52.600 you know, obviously, and we'll talk a lot about some 0:00:52.640 --> 0:00:54.600 of the work that you've been doing amid these dual 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:57.400 crises that the nation is facing. But just you know, 0:00:57.480 --> 0:00:59.400 give us a sense of what life is like. They're 0:00:59.440 --> 0:01:04.400 in palat them. Well, the weather is beautiful, and it 0:01:04.400 --> 0:01:08.000 would be a terrific summer if we weren't all walking 0:01:08.040 --> 0:01:12.360 around wearing masks and worried about social distancing. In a 0:01:12.480 --> 0:01:16.240 normal year, in the summer, we have thousands of business 0:01:16.240 --> 0:01:21.000 executives and other folks coming to campus for executive programs 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.280 and all types of different summer programs that we run. 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:27.200 Of course, all of that has been shut down this summer, 0:01:27.240 --> 0:01:31.240 and so we're running the whole range of virtual programs 0:01:31.319 --> 0:01:36.360 we have working with businesses and were running a big 0:01:36.480 --> 0:01:41.320 virtual entrepreneurship program that we just put together over the 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:45.200 course of the last two months, the Stanford Rebuild program UM. 0:01:45.240 --> 0:01:48.480 But it's a very unusual time. There's nothing. You know, 0:01:48.520 --> 0:01:51.760 a university campus is meant to be a place with 0:01:51.920 --> 0:01:55.800 interaction and students and faculty and staff and everyone just 0:01:55.800 --> 0:01:59.760 bumping into each other, and right now it feels lonely 0:01:59.760 --> 0:02:03.320 and on your Stanford campus. Yeah, that interaction is key, 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:06.800 and it's what contributes to the success of institutions like 0:02:06.880 --> 0:02:11.079 Stanford Graduate School of Business UH associating SOUL. I want 0:02:11.120 --> 0:02:13.959 to bring you into this conversation here because obviously, as 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:17.520 with other universities UH, Stanford is trying to of course 0:02:17.560 --> 0:02:21.800 increase its diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, really increasing the 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:27.400 representation of black and other disenfranchised people, not just among 0:02:27.520 --> 0:02:31.080 students but also in your faculty as well. Talk a 0:02:31.080 --> 0:02:35.280 little bit about the plan to increase racial equity. How 0:02:35.320 --> 0:02:37.639 do you go about that in this kind of environment 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:40.399 when people cannot get together and the interaction is so 0:02:41.000 --> 0:02:46.160 artificial and stilted. Yes, thank you with Scarlett, it's really 0:02:46.200 --> 0:02:48.960 nice to meet you. Nice to meet another Cornell alum. 0:02:49.200 --> 0:02:53.480 Oh yeah, big, yes. Yes. Let me step back a 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:56.160 little bit and say a word or two about what 0:02:56.320 --> 0:02:59.079 it is we've been working on here at the Stanford 0:02:59.120 --> 0:03:03.200 Graduate School of the no In ten, we re released 0:03:03.200 --> 0:03:07.400 our first Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Report, and one of 0:03:07.480 --> 0:03:11.000 the goals that we issued in that report for the 0:03:11.240 --> 0:03:17.440 academic year of was to spend some time studying and 0:03:17.600 --> 0:03:20.720 thinking about how we could do better as a school 0:03:20.919 --> 0:03:26.519 as an institution to learn from and um increase representation 0:03:26.720 --> 0:03:29.400 and increase a sense of an inclusion and belonging for 0:03:29.560 --> 0:03:34.480 groups that otherwise before had been underrepresented in our efforts 0:03:34.560 --> 0:03:37.760 to date. So what we've been working on really started 0:03:37.880 --> 0:03:42.480 last year, and what we're announcing today is what we're 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:45.640 calling the Racial Equity Action Plan for the school. And 0:03:45.720 --> 0:03:48.400 as you noticed, Scarlett, one of the things that we 0:03:48.600 --> 0:03:53.360 are working on is representation in particular, and so what 0:03:53.480 --> 0:03:56.840 we are thinking about in in this particular bucket, and 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.800 what we're announcing our commitment for is thinking how we 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:05.240 can do better about bringing black and other underrepresented minority 0:04:05.360 --> 0:04:09.560 teaching faculty, staff and students to campus. And you know, 0:04:09.640 --> 0:04:12.520 as I noted, this commitment really does build on the 0:04:12.640 --> 0:04:15.720 momentum that we have had over the last couple of 0:04:15.800 --> 0:04:20.000 years around our broader diversity, equity and inclusion efforts. But 0:04:20.120 --> 0:04:24.040 in particular when we think about uh hiring of black 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:28.040 and you r M teaching faculties, what we're thinking about 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:32.600 doing in particular is taking advantage of an incredible UM 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:36.440 initiative on the part of the university that Stanford University 0:04:36.880 --> 0:04:41.680 to UM to to bring ten new faculty members and 0:04:41.760 --> 0:04:44.560 ten year line faculty members to campus UM on a 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:47.760 search that is really centered around the impacts of race 0:04:47.880 --> 0:04:50.480 in America. So that's one piece of what it is 0:04:50.520 --> 0:04:53.880 that we're working on collaborating with the university to take 0:04:53.920 --> 0:04:58.000 advantage of these new ten billets for ten year line 0:04:58.040 --> 0:05:01.640 faculty members. And then on the on the sort of 0:05:01.839 --> 0:05:05.800 lecturer side, we also have a number of UM practitioners 0:05:05.839 --> 0:05:10.160 who lecture in our classes. We're working actively with our 0:05:10.200 --> 0:05:14.799 alums and also with our our faculty to identify more 0:05:15.400 --> 0:05:19.839 black and underrepresented minority teaching faculty as well as guest 0:05:19.839 --> 0:05:22.280 speakers too, so we can make sure that we are 0:05:22.400 --> 0:05:25.159 having voices heard in the classroom and that we're able 0:05:25.240 --> 0:05:29.719 to teach issues related to race in business and race 0:05:29.880 --> 0:05:33.400 in America. Yeah, and I find that so interesting, you know, 0:05:33.640 --> 0:05:38.960 and Jonathan, the the integration into the curriculum as it were, 0:05:39.160 --> 0:05:41.400 I find really interesting here. And you've even got some 0:05:41.480 --> 0:05:45.200 new courses that you're going to be offering. Tell us 0:05:45.240 --> 0:05:52.120 about that. I think one of the topics that we've 0:05:52.720 --> 0:05:56.279 spent a lot of time thinking about in in our 0:05:56.960 --> 0:06:01.440 curriculum over the last few years has been generally preparing 0:06:02.040 --> 0:06:06.440 students to go out and be effective managers and leaders 0:06:06.720 --> 0:06:12.480 in uh in diverse organizations, and to help build organizational 0:06:12.600 --> 0:06:15.320 cultures and be the effective in leading in the world 0:06:15.400 --> 0:06:18.240 where the country has become more diverse and and the 0:06:19.200 --> 0:06:24.240 need for businesses to create widespread opportunity in many different 0:06:24.279 --> 0:06:28.440 ways has become increasingly important and is on everyone's minds. 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:32.560 And so that's that's been something that Sarah just mentioned. 0:06:32.600 --> 0:06:36.279 We've thought about in what sort of cases our faculty 0:06:36.360 --> 0:06:38.599 or writing in terms of the guest speakers, they're bringing 0:06:38.640 --> 0:06:41.800 and so forth. And and interestingly, when the when the 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:44.839 pandemic arrived and we had to move very quickly into 0:06:45.279 --> 0:06:48.400 virtual teaching in the spring UM, we had the opportunity 0:06:48.400 --> 0:06:51.279 to create some new classes. We created a Civic Workshop 0:06:51.400 --> 0:06:56.320 class where the students developed ideas to to around the pandemic. 0:06:56.360 --> 0:06:59.560 We created a new Business and Society class, which is 0:06:59.640 --> 0:07:01.880 a lack sure series virtual lestages. We bring people in 0:07:01.920 --> 0:07:04.920 from around the world to speak to the students. Wonderful 0:07:04.960 --> 0:07:07.600 thing about virtual learning is you can you can bring 0:07:07.680 --> 0:07:12.360 in guests regardless of graphic boundaries. Phenomenal And Sarah, I 0:07:12.400 --> 0:07:14.720 want to pick up the conversation with you because I 0:07:14.840 --> 0:07:17.640 was reminded as I was getting ready for this, I mean, 0:07:17.920 --> 0:07:21.920 this is really part of your all of your jobs 0:07:21.960 --> 0:07:25.160 in many ways, is understanding all of this when it 0:07:25.240 --> 0:07:27.280 comes to social movements. And I remember talking to you 0:07:27.320 --> 0:07:30.280 about this in a totally different context when we visited 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:33.080 last November. Then we were talking about sort of the 0:07:33.160 --> 0:07:35.840 social movements around the use of technology. Now we're talking 0:07:35.880 --> 0:07:40.000 about something very different in many ways and yet adjacent 0:07:40.120 --> 0:07:43.560 to that. I do wonder when you look at Silicon 0:07:43.680 --> 0:07:47.400 Valley and certainly Stanford and the business school's prominent place there. 0:07:48.040 --> 0:07:51.360 What do you make of Silicon Valley's broader role in 0:07:51.480 --> 0:07:55.600 these discussions around equality, because, as you know, probably better 0:07:55.640 --> 0:07:58.720 than I, the reviews haven't been awesome when it comes 0:07:58.760 --> 0:08:04.840 to diversity across the tech industry. That's a really wonderful question, Jason. 0:08:05.160 --> 0:08:07.440 And one of the goals that we have at the 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:11.640 Graduate School of Business is to impact and make positive 0:08:11.760 --> 0:08:15.400 change beyond the g SB and that includes most approximately 0:08:15.960 --> 0:08:18.480 the Silicon Valley, and we aim to do this in 0:08:18.560 --> 0:08:20.600 a number of different ways. One of the things that 0:08:21.080 --> 0:08:24.640 we are working on actively is the g SB Racial 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:27.240 Equity Initiative, which is going to be in partnership with 0:08:27.280 --> 0:08:31.640 our alumni, many of whom are here in Silicon Valley, 0:08:32.040 --> 0:08:35.680 and the goal of this is to increase representation, strength, 0:08:35.720 --> 0:08:40.520 and leadership and foster economic conclusion beyond the campus and again, 0:08:40.640 --> 0:08:43.240 as I said, most approximately here in the Silicon Valley. 0:08:43.600 --> 0:08:45.160 So that's one of the ways that we hope to 0:08:46.120 --> 0:08:49.559 help to help the companies here in Silicon Valley. The 0:08:49.640 --> 0:08:53.840 other thing that we're doing actively right now is collaborating 0:08:54.040 --> 0:08:58.599 with the Stanford VM where Women's Leadership Lab on a 0:08:58.720 --> 0:09:02.200 number of different tool kits and trainings that we're developing 0:09:02.280 --> 0:09:05.960 in conjunction with the lab, but which will become part 0:09:06.080 --> 0:09:08.800 of the training for all of the corporate partners in 0:09:08.920 --> 0:09:12.840 that lab. Now, while the lab is focused on gender 0:09:13.000 --> 0:09:18.600 representation and gender equality, they're more broadly focused on diversity, 0:09:18.640 --> 0:09:22.920 equity and inclusion. And like most organizations right now are 0:09:23.040 --> 0:09:27.760 focusing on racial justice and racial equity. And so those 0:09:27.800 --> 0:09:29.400 are just some of the ways that we hope we 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:33.240 can impact our local area, but our global area of 0:09:33.360 --> 0:09:36.439 the global arena as well. I want to pose my 0:09:36.559 --> 0:09:40.199 question to Dean Levin. I mean, obviously, increasing diversity is 0:09:40.640 --> 0:09:44.880 a huge priority for for universities, for companies. I wonder, though, 0:09:44.960 --> 0:09:48.679 are you expanding your class size to bring to be 0:09:48.760 --> 0:09:52.520 able to bring more underrepresented minorities on campus or are 0:09:52.600 --> 0:09:56.120 you are you still looking at the same class sizes. 0:09:56.320 --> 0:09:59.720 And this matters because otherwise it becomes a zero sum situation. 0:10:00.000 --> 0:10:03.200 Are more spaces open up for a certain group of people, 0:10:03.280 --> 0:10:05.880 but that means others that might not might have been 0:10:05.920 --> 0:10:07.800 able to get in are no longer able to get in. 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:14.959 So wonderful question in terms of thinking about the some 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:17.280 of the trade us that can arise in thinking about 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:23.640 class composition at the Stanford gsb our class size has 0:10:24.240 --> 0:10:31.319 increased gradually over time, at a at a at a 0:10:31.400 --> 0:10:35.199 continuous rate, and so we have been able to have 0:10:35.840 --> 0:10:39.199 more students being our NBA classes and our one year 0:10:39.280 --> 0:10:42.800 master's and sex program over time, and that has helped 0:10:42.880 --> 0:10:46.160 to broaden the set of people who have who have access. 0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:50.199 And there are opportunities through some of the programs that 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:53.320 we also run that are non degree programs. For example, 0:10:53.400 --> 0:10:57.600 we run an online program, the Lead Program, which now 0:10:57.720 --> 0:11:01.800 has hundreds of participants every year, to to reach more people. 0:11:01.920 --> 0:11:05.160 And and that's a way by providing broader access to 0:11:05.400 --> 0:11:07.680 the Business School that we're able to reach more people 0:11:07.720 --> 0:11:11.000 and all different types of people, and and that that 0:11:11.120 --> 0:11:14.520 really helps when your goal is to to create more 0:11:14.600 --> 0:11:17.839 access for different groups. All right, before we let you 0:11:17.880 --> 0:11:20.920 guys go on, only got a couple of minutes left, uh, 0:11:21.320 --> 0:11:24.320 Dean Levin, where are we when it comes to getting 0:11:24.360 --> 0:11:27.520 folks back to campus this fall? Given the backdrop that 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:30.800 you're seeing in California, but also taking into account you are, 0:11:31.280 --> 0:11:34.959 by all means a very international school with a global 0:11:35.040 --> 0:11:40.240 footprint and a global population. It's a great question everyone 0:11:40.480 --> 0:11:43.760 once to know the answer. We're all trying to figure 0:11:43.760 --> 0:11:46.880 it out. We're in a mode right now where we're 0:11:47.280 --> 0:11:50.200 we're planning for contingencies. So we have had a plan 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:53.120 to bring our students back to campus to have a 0:11:53.280 --> 0:11:56.320 hybrid learning environment where there's a mix of in person 0:11:56.480 --> 0:12:00.439 and virtual learning. We are like everyone up when you're 0:12:00.440 --> 0:12:03.679 waiting for the state to provide guidance around what will 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:07.079 be possible and allowed and our county, San Clair County 0:12:07.160 --> 0:12:09.440 to do the same, and we'll have to operate within 0:12:09.520 --> 0:12:12.520 the bounds of those regulations. So we're also preparing for 0:12:12.600 --> 0:12:15.839 an eventuality where we would be doing virtual learning as 0:12:16.200 --> 0:12:20.760 a backup plan. And I think you know, our focus 0:12:21.160 --> 0:12:24.559 is that whatever rules were given by the state and 0:12:24.600 --> 0:12:27.959 the county, the public health rules, we will we will 0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:32.679 do everything we can to create a wonderful, immersive, interactive 0:12:32.760 --> 0:12:36.160 environment for our students. And I think our students are 0:12:36.840 --> 0:12:39.480 committed to that, or faculty are committed to that. We're 0:12:39.480 --> 0:12:42.040 gonna no matter how we end up this spool, we're 0:12:42.040 --> 0:12:44.120 going to end up doing a lot of innovation because 0:12:44.160 --> 0:12:47.600 it's going to be uncharted territory and we're gonna we're 0:12:47.640 --> 0:12:50.800 gonna rely on the innovation of our community and the 0:12:50.840 --> 0:12:52.839 good will of our community to get through it, and 0:12:52.960 --> 0:12:55.920 I'm confident we'll have a great quarter no matter how 0:12:56.000 --> 0:12:58.679 it how it plays out all right, well, we look 0:12:58.720 --> 0:13:01.439 forward to visiting with you in per since someday, some 0:13:01.600 --> 0:13:04.240 way or another. Jonathan Levin is the dean of the 0:13:04.280 --> 0:13:08.600 Stanford Graduate School of Business. Business along with Sarah soul 0:13:08.720 --> 0:13:13.520 she is Associate Dean Professor of sociology organizational management as 0:13:13.640 --> 0:13:17.520 well organizational behavior. Excuse me, uh, really good to catch 0:13:17.600 --> 0:13:18.160 up with them.