Christ-Centered Diversity and Belonging
Cindy Wu was appointed the inaugural associate dean for Diversity and Inclusion at the Hankamer School of Business (HSB) at the beginning of 2022. Wu focused her first year in the position on the following objectives:
- Assessing and evaluating where HSB was in the diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging (DEIB) space.
- Defining and delineating Christ-centered diversity as one of the three HSB priorities outlined by Dean Sandeep Mazumder.
- Building rapport and trust with faculty, staff and students for the DEIB work.
Wu spent the 2022-2023 academic year addressing various operations within the Business School, including meeting with the undergraduate academic advisors to understand their needs and suggestions, as well as meeting with the seven department chairs one-on-one to audit hiring processes and protocols. She also conducted 24 listening sessions with faculty, staff and students, and launched the HSB DEIB survey.
From this work, Wu discovered a consensus across the Business School:
- There is a strong desire for a clear vision, definition, actionable plans and measurable goals for DEIB work in the Christian context.
- There is a need to cultivate a stronger sense of community and belonging.
These findings helped Wu form HSB’s Christ-Centered Diversity and Belonging (CCDB) initiatives. These plans include:
- A student-led Global Cultural Fest to learn more about the national cultures that influence global business.
- The Welcome to Hankamer Event to explain to new students what it means to be a Christian business school.
- A weekly prayer meeting hosted each Friday and open to all faculty, staff and students.
These initiatives help HSB foster a Christian environment and provide transformational education to students, both of which represent key areas of focus for Baylor University.
