The University is listed in “Forbes” magazine’s rankings for the second year in a row due to its policies and programs that advance equity, diversity, and inclusion.
The University of Maryland, Baltimore’s (UMB) commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (EDI) was recognized again by Forbes magazine, as UMB was listed among America’s Best Employers for Diversity for the second year in a row.
Noting that the global DEI market is expected to reach $17.2 billion by 2027 according to a report by Global Industry Analysts, Forbes set out to see which companies have made progress on this front. The magazine partnered with market research firm Statista to create the 2023 list of America’s Best Employers for Diversity.
“I am deeply committed to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion at our University, and earning this Forbes recognition for the second year in a row shows that our efforts are working,” UMB President Bruce E. Jarrell, MD, FACS, said. “I am proud of the UMB community’s commitment to our values, and I especially applaud the leadership of Dr. Diane Forbes Berthoud and the Office of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion [OEDI] for its work in developing impactful programs and leading our diversity strategic planning.”
According to Forbes, Statista surveyed more than 45,000 Americans who work for businesses with at least 1,000 employees. They were asked to anonymously rate their organizations based on criteria such as age, gender, ethnicity, disability, and LGBTQ+ equality, as well as general diversity.
Participants who belong to underrepresented groups also were asked to recommend businesses other than their own, Forbes explained. In addition, each company’s diversity-related practices — i.e., employee resource groups, publication of diversity data, percentage of women in board and executive roles — were reviewed and incorporated into the rankings.
According to OEDI, UMB’s demonstrated leadership in gender equity and representation was one of the reasons for earning the Forbes recognition again this year, as more than half of the University’s senior leadership are women and more than a third are part of traditionally underrepresented groups.
UMB’s diversity efforts have ramped up since July 2021, when Forbes Berthoud, PhD, MA, was hired as the University’s inaugural chief equity, diversity, and inclusion officer and vice president, with OEDI forming in 2022.
“UMB has a longstanding and consistent commitment to equity and diversity,” Forbes Berthoud said. “My office is honored to build and advance that commitment through increased capacity building, leadership development, and innovative and impactful policies and programs. We are dedicated to advancing and supporting faculty diversity and development, inclusive hiring and training policies, inclusive pedagogy and student learning, and increased leadership engagement and accountability.”
Among the EDI initiatives at UMB led by OEDI:
- The EDI Data Dashboard was created to map and track the state and progress of EDI across all schools and administrative units at UMB related to areas such as presence, recruitment, retention, promotion, and access. The dashboard provides deans, vice presidents, other institutional leaders, and the entire UMB community information to address EDI gaps and opportunities to develop informed and innovative change and implementation strategies.
- The Faculty of Color Network (FCN) was formed to support the recruitment, retention, and success of UMB faculty from underrepresented groups. FCN, which is specifically for those who identify as faculty of color and is based on principles that are grounded in research on faculty equity, climate, and advancement, provides opportunities for community building, knowledge sharing, networking, faculty mentoring, support, and collaboration among faculty members from UMB’s seven schools.
- UMB’s inaugural Diversity Strategic Plan is designed to create a coordinated plan to advance EDI and engage the entire University community around Theme 3 of the 2022-2026 UMB Strategic Plan: University Culture, Engagement, and Belonging. The goal is “to create a sustainable, equitable, and inclusive culture of care that collaboratively engages and embraces all members of the University community, and the broader community, with respect and in a manner that fosters belonging, understanding, trust, and equity.”
- The Be JEDI Innovation Grant is the University’s first interprofessional/interdisciplinary innovation award for 13-month projects and initiatives that advance Belonging (Be) and Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (JEDI) at UMB through education, research, service, climate, or leadership outcomes. Two grants of $10,000 and one for $7,000 were awarded in May 2023 to UMB faculty and staff members.
- OEDI has partnered with UMB schools and units to fund and advance EDI by, for example, successfully securing a $10 million National Institutes of Health Faculty Institutional Recruitment for Sustainable Transformation (FIRST) grant to increase diversity in biomedical research. OEDI also has co-sponsored and supported UMB faculty to gain access to National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity resources and increased leader and unit buy-in to integrate EDI competencies in employee and leadership assessments.
Read about the Forbes rankings at this link.