Georgetown Joins Diversity Network

The Consortium is the United States’ largest diversity network. (Brian Treffeisen Photography)

Last September, faculty members at Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business were having a discussion about joining The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, a selective diversity network. In the middle of their conversation, the phone rang. At the other end of the line, a representative from The Consortium asked if McDonough wanted in. This week, the B-school became The Consortium’s newest member.

“We continually have a list of schools that we’re interested in,” Executive Director Peter Aranda said. “The timing was right this year.”

The Consortium currently has 17 full-fledged member schools. McDonough, presently a junior member, will officially join the list on July 1. “It’s one of the premier organizations of its kind,” said Elaine Romanelli, Georgetown’s senior associate dean of MBA programs. “They are a really good group of people that have been at this for a long time.”

As the United States’ largest diversity network, The Consortium aims to address the underrepresentation of African Americans, Native Americans and Latinos in business by connecting students with top MBA programs and companies. To join, prospective students use The Consortium’s common application to apply to up to six member schools; a student’s membership is contingent upon acceptance into one of these programs. Every year, The Consortium gives around 70% of accepted students full-tuition fellowships. Once students get to campus, the organization helps them hit the ground running through various career and networking events.

According to Romanelli, membership will further McDonough’s main educational goals: “Developing principled leaders with a global mindset in service to business and society.” “All three of these themes are captured in part by having a highly diverse student body—any dimension of diversity you can think of,” she said. “We’re trying to make sure our class represents that.”

The Consortium will also benefit from McDonough’s unique attributes. “We’re really always looking at how a potential school will round us out,” Aranda said. “[McDonough has] a fantastic set of faculty that are perhaps more connected to things happening in the U.S. government than at other schools.” In addition, McDonough will be the first member school with formal religious affiliation, Aranda said.

From June 7 through 12, Romanelli attended The Consortium’s Annual Orientation Program and Career Forum. The orientation allowed her to meet the MBAs. “The students are smart, polished, interested, articulate—and impressive in the things they’ve done to promote The Consortium’s purpose,” she said.

She is eager to get the partnership going. “This is what we do—my admission team and my career team,” she said. “This is another shade of activity that allows us to participate in this process we enjoy.”

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