Our Commitment to Diversity and an Inclusive Community

As a leading center for the study of work and employment, the School of Management and Labor Relations aspires to serve as a role model for creating an environment that reflects our commitment to diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging. We are inspired by President Obama’s words at the 2016 Rutgers University commencement, noting the incredible diversity of Rutgers’ student body, “America converges here.” At Rutgers, we are rightly proud of the diversity of our student body. Yet, the diversity of our faculty and staff lags far behind that of our students. Moreover, having a diverse student body or a diverse faculty tells us little about whether our accepted policies and daily practices of interaction communicate these values to those, who because of their race, gender, ethnicity, immigration status, class background, or sexual orientation or gender identity are made to feel they belong here. 

We aim to change that.  

We seek to influence the world beyond Rutgers in promoting just and effective practices in the workplace and beyond. We are proud of being a school that successfully educates and mentors a diverse array of students including many who are first generation college attenders. Creating a culture that demonstrates our values is essential to our ability to work together to develop curricula, govern ourselves, create knowledge and plan for the future. Finally, as many advocates and experts in this area affirm, inclusion is not a destination or a goal that can be reached, but rather a process where we all continue to work to improve our own behavior and to break down institutional barriers.

 — Message from Dean Adrienne E. Eaton to the SMLR Community, April 2019 

Communication Regarding Racism and the Death of George Floyd

Committees on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Two committees have been established within the School of Management and Labor Relations to focus ongoing efforts to create an inclusive environment within our faculty and staff communities. 

SMLR Faculty Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mission: 
This committee shall make recommendations to the Dean and the faculty regarding policies and practices that will further the School’s commitment to creating an inclusive community that values diversity, equity and justice in its research, teaching, service and employment practices.

Co-Chairs and SMLR Diversity Champions:

  • Hazel-Anne M. Johnson-Marcus, Associate Teaching Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Program in Human Resource Management (HRM)
  • Susan J. Schurman, Distinguished Professor, Labor Studies and Employment Relations (LSER) Department

Members:

SMLR Staff Committee on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

Mission: 
To foster an environment that values and promotes diversity, while implementing equitable and inclusive practices to create a safe and affirming space for all SMLR staff. 

Co-Chairs:

Members:

  • Tracy Cangiano, Senior Program Coordinator, Education and Employment Research Center
  • Ludine Daux, Program Coordinator, Center for Women and Work
  • Steve Flamisch, Press Officer, Office of the Dean
  • LauraAnn Walkoviak, Department Administrator, Labor Studies and Employment Relations Department
     

Building Community Through Shared Group Experience

So You Want To Talk About Race bookLike institutions across the U.S., we have been challenged to engage with our community on issues of diversity and address systemic racism in particular. During the summer of 2020, the entire SMLR faculty and staff read the book, So You Want to Talk About Race, by Ijeoma Oluo.

On October 30, nearly 100 faculty and staff from across the school's various departments, programs, and centers came together for a morning of discussion to explore our personal experiences reading Oluo's book. Small group breakout sessions allowed for individual reflection on what resonated within the book for each person and established a setting for group discussion about actions that can be taken – both individually and collectively – to battle systemic racism in our own workplace to positively impact SMLR and its culture, perhaps even the larger university community as well.
 

In the News: SMLR Faculty and Staff Share Expertise on Racial Justice in the Workplace

Rutgers School of Management and Labor Relations faculty and staff are sharing their expertise on racism at work, the power of police unions, and the nationwide protests.

View a list of SMLR faculty and staff news stories and articles on racial justice and the workplace
 

Diversity in Our Curricula

As our society becomes more diverse and our economy more global, how an organization draws upon the talents of every individual in the workplace is critical to its success. SMLR offers courses to bring awareness to topics of diversity and inclusion that offer students the tools to help navigate the challenges and opportunities associated with an increasingly diverse workforce. 

Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace Graduate Certificate

SMLR offers a 4-course graduate certificate program on Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace. Students enter the program by completing a non-degree application for study through the Rutgers Office of Graduate and Professional Admissions. Visit the Graduate Certificate Program webpage for complete details on requirements and how to apply. 

Required courses include:

Employment Law – one of the two options below:

  • 38:578:566 offered by the HRM Department (not open to non-degree students)
  • 37:575:315 offered by the LSER Department

AND one of two broad classes about diversity:

  • 38:578:510  The Inclusive Workplace
  • 38:578:551  Identity and Discrimination at Work and in the U.S. Labor Market

AND any two classes from the following list:

  • 38:578:541  Women and Work 
  • 38:578:526  Immigration, Public Policy and Worker Rights 
  • 37:575:365  Disability, Work and Society
  • 38:578:511  Emotional Intelligence in the Workplace 
  • 37:575:316  Employment Discrimination Law
  • 37:575:303  Black Workers in American Society
  • 37:575:307  Latino Workers in the U.S. 
  • 37:575:366  Asian American Workers in a Global Context
  • Topics or other classes related to the content of this certificate with the approval of the program director
  • Independent Study related to diversity and inclusion
     

Selected Coursework Related to Diversity and Inclusion

The School of Management and Labor Relations offers coursework at both the graduate and undergraduate levels addressing topics of diversity and inclusion. 

Graduate Courses Descriptions:

38:578:510  The Inclusive Workplace 
Fostering an inclusive workplace; issues related to race, ethnicity, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, disability, and other aspects of diversity in work organizations.

38:578:535  Women and Global Labor Movement 
How women are organizing worldwide for gender justice and an improved quality of life; how changing labor movements are addressing gender issues.

38:578:541  Women and Work 
An analysis of women’s experiences and status in a range of work settings; an evaluation of legal, institutional, and public policy responses to issues such as the segregation of work by race and gender, pay equity, the feminization of poverty, sexual harassment, and the restructuring of work and family roles.

38:578:551  Identity and Discrimination at Work and in the U.S. Labor Market
Social construction of identity and the consequences for contemporary diversity outcomes; intersectionality of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and other forms of identity.

 

Undergraduate Course Descriptions:

37:575:303  Black Workers in American Society 
Examination of the historical relationships between African-American workers and the American labor movement; analysis of problems facing Black workers at the workplace.

37:575:307  Latino Workers in the United States 
Role of Latino workers in U.S. society and the U.S. economy; impact of the new migration on the U.S. labor market and social policy.

37:575:309  Working Women in American Society 
Focus on the contemporary experience of working women, including an exploration of current legal strategies and social policies created to address their concerns.

37:624:364  Diversity in the Workplace
Focuses on how the increasing demographic diversity of American workplaces affects social relations, cultural dynamics, and organizational effectiveness.

37:575:366  Asian American Workers in a Global Context
Social structures affecting Asian American workers; contemporary and historical immigration policies; stereotypes and other problems; racialized employment; inequality and achievement; differences by nation origin.

 

Rutgers University Resources

The Division of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement at Rutgers offers resources for faculty, staff, and students:

  • Becoming Anti-Racist Resource List - A list of articles, books, videos, and podcasts on the following topics: Understand How Race Shapes Experiences in Higher Education, Understand How Race Shapes Experiences in the Workplace, Understand Allyship, and Understand How Anti-Black Racism Shapes American Society
  • Self-Directed Learning - LinkedIn Learning Paths provide clustered content on Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for All; Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging for Leaders and Managers; and Become an Inclusive Leader.
  • Bias and Crisis Support - Information and support resources for reporting a bias incident and for reporting a Title IX incident

 

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