School News • by Tim Akin

The Graduate School of Management has launched a School-wide diversity plan led by newly appointed Chief Diversity Officer Linda Oubre.

“Diversity is a core value of UC Davis and the Graduate School of Management,” Dean Steven Currall said in naming Oubre to lead the effort. “As our chief diversity officer, Linda will be responsible for advising me on all diversity matters. She will work across our GSM constituencies to develop and implement initiatives that reflect our commitment to achieving a diverse and outstanding student body, faculty and staff.”

Oubre has added the role of chief diversity officer, having joined the School in February as executive director for corporate relations and Bay Area business development. She previously served as executive-in-residence.

A graduate of UCLA and the Harvard Business School, Oubre brings more than 25 years of corporate and start-up experience with the Los Angeles Times, Walt Disney Co., BriteSmile and other ventures.

“I am honored to head this important effort,” Oubre said. “As the demographics of California change and the business world becomes more global, it is imperative that management schools continue to train leaders who can manage the complex and diverse communities that we serve.

“We are committed to achieving diversity at all levels in all of our constituencies,” she added. “It is central to our mission to ‘prepare innovative leaders for global impact’.”

Aligned with the UC Davis Principles of Community, the Graduate School of Management has implemented initiatives designed to strengthen and ensure the quality of research, teaching and public service related to diversity, equity and inclusion; extend pathways for access and success; and foster an engaging and healthy campus climate.

Specific diversity initiatives include:

• The establishment of a new Faculty Committee on Diversity. This committee will initially be focused on adopting the School’s first Statement on Diversity and on finding ways to ensure issues of diversity are a part of the School’s curriculum. The Faculty Committee will be chaired by Professor Kim Elsbach, and include Professors Brad Barber and Shannon Anderson, Assistant Dean of Student Affairs James Stevens and Chief Diversity Officer and Executive Director, Corporate Relations Linda Oubre.
• Increasing the diversity pipeline for all academic programs through the implementation of recruitment and student retention programs designed to increase the pool of diverse applicants.
• Recruiting and selecting a diverse faculty and staff.
• Building awareness of the impor-tance of equity, inclusion and diversity across the Graduate School of Management community.

Over the past several months, Oubre has led a team in identifying diversity efforts for the coming year. These include the adoption of an official Statement on Diversity, highlighting the School’s commitment to diversity through marketing and advertising, and designing programs to enhance student recruitment, retention and long-term pipeline development.

With these initiatives in place, the School is well-positioned to meet its goal to increase all diversity.