The USC Marshall School of Business is committed to ensuring that representation among its faculty roster matches the diversity of its student body. This year, Marshall's FACULTY HIRING INITIATIVE continues to advance its efforts to fulfill that commitment.
“The school is actively exploring various avenues to strengthen diversity within its faculty ranks. Marshall has a history of improvements in this regard and is dedicated to further enhancing its efforts in the future,” said GREYS SOŠIĆ, senior vice dean of faculty and academic affairs and the E. Morgan Stanley Chair in Business Administration. “If you are a student and none of your instructors look like you, it doesn’t feel welcoming. Having more diversity in terms of gender, race, orientation, across all dimensions, is very healthy.”
As a professor of DATA SCIENCES AND OPERATIONS (DSO), Sošić can attest to the need for representation among faculty. Over the last 10 years, she’s seen a major shift in DSO, growing its female faculty members from 14% to 30%. This is an exciting “success story” for a field that is generally male-dominated and for a department whose faculty numbers haven’t grown as fast as the amount of programs offered to students. Four additional female DSO professors joined this fall as Marshall welcomed 13 NEW FACULTY MEMBERS for the 2023–2024 academic year.
“It’s really good to have higher percentages of female faculty because it helps in future hiring. Women may feel more inclined to join a department when they see a significant presence of female faculty,” Sošić added. “It creates a higher likelihood of quality candidates joining because they see a school that supports female faculty and encourages their participation.”
While Marshall’s main goal remains to attract premier teaching and research faculty — acknowledged by its top five placement in the UT DALLAS BUSINESS SCHOOL RESEARCH RANKINGS — the school sees that principle as hand in glove with the diversity and gender parity objectives set forth in the 2021 Faculty Hiring Initiative.
This past year, Marshall instituted the creation of endowed TEACHING CHAIRS. A unique-to-Marshall initiative, the five inaugural chairs (three are women) recognize teaching innovation, curriculum development, student growth, and overall performance as an instructor. It complements the traditional endowed research chairs common at all universities and shows Marshall’s commitment to creating a supportive environment that rewards excellence and expertise at the school.
In addition, USC Marshall has been a sponsor of the Tenure Project and will host its 3RD ANNUAL CONFERENCE next summer on the university’s campus. The two-day convening will feature mentorship, vital resources, and workshops focusing on important issues affecting Black, Latinx, and Native junior faculty as they navigate the complex tenure track. Programs held during the 2024 Conference will be tailored to the different stages individuals may be experiencing within the pre-tenure period.
These efforts to achieve gender parity and increased diversity address the here and now, but what about the future? Looking forward, Marshall faculty members are doing significant work to cultivate a PhD pipeline for future scholars.