Poole College’s diversity and inclusion programs: building awareness, trust through networking

On September 3 and 4, 2013, 67 professionals from 48 companies in Raleigh, Research Triangle Park, and beyond will join 38 undergraduate students at the NC State Poole College of Management for a workshop that will prepare them for their roles as volunteer mentors in the college’s Student Network Groups (SNGs) for new students.

The SNGs are modeled after corporate affinity groups that initially began as a way for women to network in a male-dominated corporate environment over 30 years ago. Now, according to one source, affinity groups are present in 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies and represent the diversity of interests within those companies.

“We decided several years ago that adapting the affinity group model for our Professionalism, Diversity, and Academic Success (Management 100) course would bring value to our incoming freshmen and transfer students,” said Dr. Shannon Davis, professor of human resources and associate dean for undergraduate programs.

“These small networking communities, each led by both a corporate professional and a student peer mentor, provide our new students a safe environment in which to challenge assumptions and gain insight into today’s diverse, global business environment,” she said. “They also provide a personal channel for information about the many resources available in Poole College and across campus to help the new students achieve success.”

Students self-select into a Student Network Group for discussion and activities related to the group’s demographic focus: women, men, African American, military, part-time students, Asian, GLBT, first-generation at college, and others, said Roshaunda Breeden, who transitioned this summer from academic advisor to coordinator of diversity and student involvement in the college’s Office of Undergraduate Programs.

Diversity, inclusion in action

In her new role, Breeden complements the services offered by the college’s team of professional undergraduate academic advisors by encouraging students of all backgrounds to get involved soon after arriving on campus.

The Student Network Groups are a starting point for that involvement, she said. “Students can discuss options with their professional and student mentors, attend cultural events together, or make a site visit to the professional mentor’s place of business. These kinds of experiences help to build awareness of the opportunities and the value they provide, as well as the confidence to get involved,” Breeden said.

“The SNGs reflect the college’s commitment to providing a welcoming and supportive environment for all students by integrating awareness and respect for diversity and inclusion throughout the curriculum,” she said. “Our goal is to teach students how to trust and work with one another in the global business environment, so that when they move into the workforce and are working with people from various backgrounds, they are able to ‘meet them at the table’,” Breeden said.

That requires providing opportunities for students to put what they learn into practice, both within the college community and beyond. The SNG peer mentors are one example of that kind of applied learning.

Diversity Peer Educator Scholarships awarded by Target Corporation are providing two Poole College seniors – Abdul Hindi and Maya Krishnan – the opportunity to gain additional experience with diversity and inclusion programming.

Both have been working with Breeden to develop and present peer-to-peer programs on diversity and inclusion for the college’s undergraduate students. Hindi is in his second year of a two-year award from Target; Krishnan is starting her first year of a one-year award.

They also are continuing their training through a university course on cultural competency in which they are learning about the various forms of diversity, including societal, economic and international as well as ethnicity, gender and religion. In September, Hindi and Krishnan will participate in a day-long training program, led by Breeden, on the importance of diversity and inclusion in the classroom, in student organizations and ultimately, in the workforce.

This additional training is preparing the two seniors to help the college’s student organizations achieve their goals of being more inclusive in their membership recruitment and engagement activities.

Diversity on a global scale

Breeden also works with the college’s director of international programs, Robert Sandruck, to increase awareness among all Poole College undergraduates of opportunities available for global diversity experiences, including study abroad.

Breeden serves with Sandruck on NC State’s At Home in the World committee, “which seeks to encourage students to understand their own cultures and those of their neighbors at home and abroad,” she said.

She also provides diversity and inclusion training for students interesting in serving as mentors to fellow students in the Alexander Hamilton Scholars program, a dual degree program offered by Poole College and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Workshop on understanding differences scheduled for September

Breeden said that the university’s Global Training Initiative (GTI) has partnered with Poole College to teach domestic students how to build bridges with international students through an interactive workshop on understanding differences in social behaviors and cultural expectations.

Students are invited to attend one of the four sessions being offered over two days, on September 3 and September 4. The times are 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. or 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Those interested are asked to register by emailing Breeden, indicating the date and time they plan to attend.

Point of contact for future students

In addition to her work with current Poole College students, Breeden works with the university’s undergraduate student admissions team, in collaboration with Bonnie Yarboro, Poole College’s associate director of undergraduate admissions. Breeden provides a point of contact for future students from diverse backgrounds and their parents, as well as for students seeking admission to the college from community and technical colleges or those who are planning to complete their business studies after an interruption.

About Roshaunda Breeden

Breeden has master’s degree in college student affairs administration from the University of Georgia and two bachelor’s degrees from NC State, in psychology and Africana studies. While a student at NC State, she served as president of the Peer Mentor Program in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs and was a resident advisor. During her graduate studies, Breeden was active in the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the University of Georgia, where she completed a number of training programs. Prior to joining Poole College in fall 2012, Breeden was an area director and advisor in the women’s program at Spelman College in Atlanta, and worked with non-traditional students and the GLBT student population through the residence life program at North Carolina Central University in Durham.

Read more

• Follow the college's diversity and inclusion activities on the Undergraduate Programs website
• Read more about corporate affinity groups: Women’s Affinity Groups Grow Up
• Target Scholarship recipients take on roles as diversity peer educators