A report commissioned by the UCLA Anderson School of Management found the school has a male-dominated class environment that makes it difficult for women to gain promotions, tenure and receive equal compensation than male faculty.
The school requested the Korn Ferry consulting firm to conduct the report because the school has consistently low percentages of tenured and senior-level female faculty members compared to other business schools, according to the report.
The report recommended, among others, a two-day retreat for faculty to encourage cultural and behavioral change, a Transformation Management Team to lead the process and a specific plan toward increased gender equality.
In its research, Korn Ferry did not include statistical analysis, but instead relied on interviews of 13 male and 17 female faculty members and a survey of 67 male and 23 female faculty members.
Based on the interviews and surveys, the report found the Anderson School of Management’s climate serves to reinforce the status quo because of institutional as well as unconscious bias.
The faculty in the survey said they think male faculty are held to lower standards than female faculty and are praised more despite their level of achievement, showing an unconscious bias against women.
Furthermore, it found that leaders in the school, specifically deans and department chairs, have not been proactive in increasing diversity and inclusion of women.
In the letter responding to the report, Dean Judy Olian announced a faculty retreat in December to discuss how to achieve some of the recommendations of the report, such as small group conversations to improve connection between faculty. Among other changes, Olian announced an online discussion forum to be launched next week that will gather ideas from faculty on the matter.
“I am passionately committed to an environment that encourages all to thrive, however I clearly need to lead more loudly, visibly and forcefully on that front,” Olian said in the letter.
Olian also announced the appointment of Brett Trueman as a faculty diversity adviser and asked Vice Chancellor of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Jerry Kang to help the school with resources and support.
Compiled by Alejandra Reyes-Velarde, Bruin senior staff.
