Georgetown McDonough Women
Women represent 47 percent of the workforce but only 17 percent of boardrooms and 4.8 percent of CEOs among Fortune 500 companies, but McDonough is working to change that. This year, the McDonough School of Business enrolled 34 percent women into its Full-time MBA program, up 3 percent over last year. And the school is looking to move that needle even further forward.
This past year, Full-time MBA student Abby Schwartz embarked on a study of diversity at Georgetown, specifically focusing on women. For her work, Schwartz received the 2016 Graduate Business Forum (GBF) Responsible Leadership Award, and the university has implemented many of her ideas. She spearheaded the creation of a lactation room for students and staff at the business school, increased women in leadership positions (the current president and vice president of the Full-time MBA Student Government Association are women), and influenced admissions to increase the number of women in the program to 40 percent over the next few years.
Building on Schwartz’s exceptional work, Georgetown McDonough also is a strong supporter of the Forté Foundation, an organization dedicated to advancing businesswomen. Through its association with Forté, McDonough participates in the Take the Test campaign, Men as Allies and has an active Women’s Leadership Institute. All three programs are dedicated to promoting women not only in business school, but also in management business positions after graduation.
In fact, last year, the school increased the number of women students holding leadership positions by 400 percent, and this year it increased its Forté Fellowships for women by 200 percent. Now, more than one third of all women MBAs at the school receive a scholarship.
“We recognize that a woman’s experience in business and business school can be different from a man’s and that they can face unique challenges. So, we’re implementing targeted programming to successfully contribute to our women’s experiences on campus, such as mentoring programs and ensuring they are not isolated on study teams,” explained Pace.
Families at Georgetown
When you enroll in the MBA at Georgetown, the McDonough School of Business also welcomes your partners and children to its community. The school wants MBA students to know that you can have a family and attend an MBA program.
“Partners and families are considered a part of our community. It’s not just our students, but the people that love and support them as well,” said Pace. “We recognize that their support is critical to our students’ success, so we encourage our students to bring their families to attend events whenever possible.”
In fact, over the last year and a half, the McDonough MBA classes have welcomed more than 30 babies. And to ensure that family remains of utmost importance—as represented by Georgetown University’s Jesuit values (cura personalis – caring for the whole person)—the school offers a variety of family-oriented programs and activities.
For example, McDonough organized the Sippy Cup to encourage family involvement in the MBA experience. The Sippy Cup takes place during the annual McDonough Cup every spring. The weeklong friendly competition between classes in areas like sports and trivia always has been a great opportunity for MBA students to interact outside of the classroom. Now, the addition of the Sippy Cup provides an exclusive outlet for families to interact with each other. The event offers activities like face painting, balloon twisting and a ball pit for even the youngest members of the community to enjoy.
Beyond welcoming MBA families with fun and games, Georgetown McDonough also is serious about becoming a resource for the families of its MBA students, which is why it offers spouse orientation and career support. It’s called the McDonough’s Partners Program, and it includes a workshop from the career center as well as one-on-one career coaching sessions.
“We recognize that our MBA students aren’t the only ones with great careers or aspirations,” said Hubert. “So, at Georgetown McDonough we’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for spouses to relocate to Washington, D.C., and to feel like a part of the community.”
To learn more about how the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University has braced inclusion and diversity, visit the Full-time and Evening MBA Programs
