Equity Now Speaker Series – November 13th
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| The University of Connecticut School of Business is proud to present the EQUITY NOW Speaker Series, featuring expert insights on how law and policy can promote diversity, equity, and fairness in organizations and society. We invite you to join us on Monday, November 13, at 6 p.m. ET, for the next speaker, Robert Thomas, Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University, for his talk, “Leading DEI in a Post-Affirmative Action Environment.” Please register here for this online event. DEI has never been disconnected from the political landscape in which it resides. Its origins coincided with the development of affirmative-action initiatives and equal-opportunity legislation. Tenets of DEI advance justice and effectiveness in education and in the business world. DEI initiatives also enhance the engagement and productivity of employees in the workplace, reduce absenteeism, and produce a more collaborative working environment. Despite its value in the workplace and beyond, DEI is not universally supported. In this environment, DEI leadership requires redoubling efforts to promote the essential elements of DEI and highlight its value to the workplace and society regardless of the political context. DEI is about lowering barriers for everyone, and DEI can play an important part of advancing widely-accepted societal goals. Robert Thomas is Professor of Business Law and Ethics and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging in the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Prior to this appointment, Thomas was on the business school faculties at the University of Florida and University of Michigan. He is an expert in diversity management and conflict resolution. His research examines strategic uses of law in business and politics. Thomas earned a PhD in business economics and a JD from Stanford University. He has served as Academy of Legal Studies President and is a founding board member of the Business School DEI Collaborative. The EQUITY NOW Speaker Series is produced by University of Connecticut School of Business in coordination with the Academy of Legal Studies in Business, Virginia Tech Pamplin School of Business, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, Boston University Questrom School of Business, and Temple University Fox School of Business. Each of the speakers to be featured during the 2023-24 academic year are esteemed experts focused on legal and policy issues related to equity in modern organizations. For more information about the series, please contact Robert Bird, Professor of Business Law and Eversource Energy Chair in Business Ethics, at robert.bird@uconn.edu. |
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