Putting Equity, Inclusion and Diversity at the heart of business
McGraw Hill was honoured to sponsor the Excellence Award for Diversity and Inclusion at the recent summit and gala dinner of the Association of MBAs and Business Graduates Association.
Laura Pacey, UK Product Director for McGraw Hill Higher Education, reflects on what the award means to her personally, and how as a company we are committed to making discrimination and bias a thing of the past.
It was my pleasure to present the Association of MBA’s excellence award for the ‘Best Culture, Diversity and Inclusion Initiative’, which McGraw Hill sponsored within their 2022 conference. Not only has it been a long-held personal mission to create greater diversity in the higher education publishing sector, and in turn, see the higher education space become more inclusive, it is a core focus at McGraw Hill.
Diverse voices can challenge assumptions.
Diverse voices can challenge assumptions. Diverse leaders can inspire future generations and accelerate change. Diverse learners can encourage an inclusive environment where all feel able to participate and share ideas. As a white, cisgender woman, I am first to admit that I still have a lot to learn about being an ally to marginalised groups, but I am working with intent and am always keen to hear about what has been working well for others in the journey towards equity, diversity and inclusion.
As an education partner, we at McGraw Hill are continuously listening to the challenges of the markets we serve and have taken meaningful action in EDI.
We have created inclusive language guidelines for authors, purchased images that better reflect diversity in our image banks, commissioned case studies from diverse voices and perspectives, and continuously work to diversify our author and reviewer base. We’ve also partnered with institutions, such as Middlesex University, to showcase the work of black and ethnic minority academics and work towards creating a more inclusive curriculum. Of course, there are many forms of diversity around us, including neurodiversity and physical disabilities that we support by making our products as accessible as possible. Our collaboration with diverse groups of academics and students will help us continue to develop inclusive learning resources.
Our new MBA product, Total MBA, recognises that MBA students come to the course with varying levels of experience and knowledge, and supports MBA course leaders in offering personalised, adaptive learning to this diverse cohort.
Developing a culture of diversity and inclusion is critical to success.
In addition to making inclusive and diverse products, we have been creating inclusive practices in our working environment, like the many impressive Business Schools that were celebrated at the AMBA conference. Our Women’s Leadership Initiative spans succession planning, events, training and more to work towards greater gender equity in our leadership. We also have BLACK at MH, Building Leaders by Activating Culture and Knowledge, that recognises all the benefits that a more diverse workforce brings.
When we look to the management of Business schools and their curriculum, it is clear why developing a culture of diversity and inclusion is critical to their success.
It prepares students for the workforce and provides role models to inspire excellence. It encourages self-reflection and delivers individuals who will challenge long-held assumptions. These are the types of graduates that McGraw Hill wants to employ and these are the types of higher education institutions that we want to partner with. It is an honour to support business school staff and students who are empowered to create positive change.