The Terry College of Business believes diversity and inclusion strengthen our community to help make business a force for good. While we have councils, programs, and events in place to ensure those from different racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds are engaged in our college, we commit to doing more to advance diversity and inclusion and serve our community. Below is a summary of our commitments and current related programs and actions. We invite your feedback to enhance our efforts.
Terry’s Commitment to Diversity & Inclusion
Promote Respect
PROMOTE RESPECT
- Foster a welcoming and inclusive environment while promoting dignity and respect
How we deliver our commitment:
Terry Student Diversity Advocacy Council
As part of this mission, the Terry Student Diversity Advocacy Council plays a central role in hosting groups of prospective students for tours and panel discussions to help increase the number of underrepresented students at Terry. TSDAC collectively monitors the pulse of the Terry student body, provides direction to the Office of Diversity Relations on program ideas and issues affecting the UGA community, and offers guidance to the administration in responding to major events happening on campus or in the media.
Multicultural Business Students Association
A leading business student organization in the Terry College, the Multicultural Business Students Association incorporates students from diverse backgrounds and helps bolster their professional needs. MBSA develops mutually advantageous relationships between students and working professionals with a mission to enhance students’ understanding of business and provide them with resources encouraging professional development.
Terry Business Case Extravaganza
Coordinated by the Multicultural Business Students Association (MBSA), the Terry Business Case Extravaganza provides a fun and interactive event designed for busy students who seek to sharpen their business skills. There is no pre-case preparation — just sign up, show up and skill up! Enjoy free food, networking with top companies, and a chance to win prizes. Build business skills with fun activities that feel like team-building exercises!
Diversity Block Party
Graduate Women in Business Association “Driving Change” Summit
NAAIA National Talent Development Competition (Risk Management)
Partnerships:
National Black MBA Association through national and local chapters. Annual involvement with the NBMBAA Case Competition and NBMBAA Atlanta Scholarship Fund; Prospanica, formerly the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, through participation in the annual conference and career expo. (Full-Time MBA)
Student Organizations:
Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting; Black Business Student Association; Gamma Iota Sigma D&I Chair; Graduate Women in Business Association; Minorities in Technology; Multicultural Business Students Association; National African American Insurance Association; National Association of Black Accountants; Women in Business; Women in Economics; Women in Finance; Women in Technology
Reaching Out MBA (ROMBA)
Annual conference, case competition and career expo participation (Full-Time MBA)
Terry Faculty and Staff Diversity Advisory Board
Terry Trailblazers
Terry Women’s Initiative
Support Diversity
Support Diversity
- Increase recruitment and retention of underrepresented students, faculty, and staff
How we deliver our commitment:
Summer Business Program
A pre-collegiate program for exceptional high school rising juniors and seniors that provides an inside track on the various fields of business with a focus on the career paths of the high-demand fields. The program provides participants with a broad overview of business and rare exposure to executives from widely known and respected corporations.
INTERACT Workshops
Offered through the Terry Student Diversity Advocacy Council, the diversity and leadership workshop explains the six dimensions of diversity, explores how bias works, and provides a strong foundation to lead diverse groups. Students build the confidence and skill set to meet new people and find relationships across a wide spectrum of backgrounds.
PhD Project
The Terry College of Business is a participating member of the PhD Project, an organization founded upon the premise that advancements in workplace diversity are propelled forward by increasing the diversity of business school faculty. The expansive network helps Black/African-Americans, Latinx/Hispanic-American, and Native Americans attain their business PhD and become the business professors who mentor the next generation of leaders. PhD Project members on the Terry College staff include Dr. Abdul Sesay, an assistant professor in the Department of Management Information Systems, and Dr. Julio Sevilla, an associate professor in the Department of Marketing. Terry has enrolled several PhD students from the program as well.
Eli Lilly scholarships (MMR students)
Georgia Daze
Need-based scholarships:
Helping students with the greatest financial need is a top priority for the Terry College, and the college offers scholarships in several departments and programs to assist those students.
Global Leadership
Global Leadership
- Prepare students to serve and lead in global and diverse businesses and communities
How we deliver our commitment:
Beckham Workforce Diversity Certificate
The William E. and Barbara H. Beckham Jr. Workforce Diversity Certificate provides students with professional, social, and cultural knowledge to successfully launch a career in a competitive job market. The certificate provides students with the skills to develop a “management capability” for leveraging diversity in coursework at UGA as well as improving business performance throughout a career.
Diversity and Inclusion Lecture Series
The series brings outside speakers to engage the campus community in conversations about identity and difference, which serves to further the University’s mission “to enhance and maintain a diverse and inclusive environment for learning, teaching, research and service at the University of Georgia.” The Terry College and the Institute for Leadership Advancement host the series.
International Business Week (IB)
Passport Terry (IB)
Social Innovation focus (MBA)
Terry Study Abroad Programs
Undergraduate International Internships (IB)
Winning Edge Leadership Academy partnership (ILA)
Global Leadership, BUSN 4650
Multicultural Marketing, MARK 4550
Serve Community
Serve Community
- Serve our local community to build a better tomorrow
Each year Terry students, faculty, and staff invest their time, talents, and resources to benefit the underserved in Athens through community service, consulting projects, and financial support. Some recent organizations and programs include:
Boys & Girls Club of Athens
Terry College faculty members and students spend time at the Athens Boys & Girls Club to meet with middle school students who are part of the Mind Blowers program, which offers tutoring to students at the club’s after-school program. The initiative was founded in 2012 by students within the Terry College.
The Sparrow’s Nest
The Terry community organizes an annual donation drive to aid The Sparrow’s Nest, a nonprofit whose mission is to serve those in need in the Athens area. Drive volunteers collect personal hygiene products and fill hundreds of backpacks for donation to the organization.
Athens Area Diaper Bank (MAcc)
Athens Area Homeless Shelter
B Collaborative projects and the B Impact Assessment (Full-Time MBA)
Books for Keeps
Clarke County Mentor Program
Data For Good (Full-Time MBA)
Jeannette Rankin Foundation
Leadership Scholars Service-Learning Project (ILA)
MBA Service-Learning Project Course
Thomas Lay After-School Program
Office of Diversity & Inclusion Offerings
Summer Business Program
The Accelerated Business Program is a competitive, pre-collegiate program at the Terry College designed to introduce juniors and seniors to various fields of business.
Workforce Diversity Certificate
Through a series of diversity lectures, this certificate equips students with a better cross-cultural understanding of their work environment and gives them a competitive advantage in their job search.
Terry Student Diversity Advocacy Council
The Terry Student Diversity Advocacy Council (TSDAC) aims to foster an inclusive and welcoming environment at the Terry College of Business by promoting understanding and accountability. Through hands-on initiatives and events, TSDAC highlights the power of diversity as a tool to build relationships and enhance team performance. The council also provides general guidance to the Office of Diversity Relations and works to increase enrollment of underrepresented students at Terry.
Faculty and Staff Diversity Advisory Board
The purpose of this group is to provide direct input to the Dean and Office of Diversity Relations on the vision formation for the colleges’ diversity and inclusion strategy. The group plans, supports and hosts college-wide events for Terry which highlight various topics relating to diversity and inclusion.
MBA Programs
Learn more about how Terry’s commitment to diversity and inclusion impacts our MBA.
Terry Business Case Extravaganza
Coordinated by the Multicultural Business Students Association (MBSA), the Terry Business Case Extravaganza provides a fun and interactive event designed for busy students who seek to sharpen their business skills. There is no pre-case preparation — just sign up, show up and skill up! Enjoy free food, networking with top companies, and a chance to win prizes. Build business skills with fun activities that feel like team-building exercises!
INTERACT at Terry
INTERACT is a diversity and leadership workshop explaining the six dimensions of diversity, exploring how bias works and providing a strong foundation to lead diverse groups. Participants engage in interactive exercises throughout the workshop. Email rgroomes@uga.edu for available dates and instructions to register.
UGA Campus Diversity
The University of Georgia must prepare students to function effectively and be leaders and citizens of the state, region, and nation. Part of this duty is preparing students to work in a diverse environment and includes an obligation to expose students to a robust exchange of ideas within a student body representing a great variety of backgrounds. It is essential students are ready to interact in an increasingly diverse workforce and society, both domestically and internationally. To provide a diverse learning environment, UGA will adopt policies and practices to increase diversity among its entering students.
For more information about diversity at the University of Georgia and a complete list of resources, visit the UGA Office of Institutional Diversity.
UGA Resources
African American Male Initiative
Aspire Alliance iChange Network
Certificate in Diversity and Inclusion program
Department of Student Transitions
Early Start/Early Success program
Georgia African American Male Experience
Georgia Commitment Scholarship program
