For Staff

Wharton continues to foster a community of belonging for staff members.

Wharton continues to foster a community of belonging for staff members with new initiatives that provide opportunities for staff engagement with the Philadelphia community (e.g., Wharton Penn Medicine Juneteenth Summit) and existing practices that foster community such as staff luncheons, wellness and professional development workshops, and various opportunities to express gratitude through Wharton’s gift card and gratitude recognition programs.

Wharton Human Resources Affirmative Action (AA) Officers continue to be an active member of the Office of Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity team by attending monthly meetings and disseminating information to our staff. Additionally, Wharton’s AA Officers review each hiring decision to ensure a diverse pool of candidates are considered. The HR staff also assists managers who have not attracted a diverse candidate pool and continues to review salaries to ensure equity is central to the hiring process.

The Wharton School has multiple staff DEI related groups that build community, engage the community around DEI development resources, and support the broader UPenn and Philadelphia community. Those groups include:

• Diversity and Inclusion Staff Coalition (DISC)*
• Wharton Computing Inclusion Taskforce (WCIT)
• The Wharton Intergroup Dialogue and Inclusion Team (WIDIT)
• Executive Education Race and Social Justice Task Force**
• Diversity and Inclusion Engagement Board (DIEB)
• Wharton Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Group (WEDIG)

* The Wharton Intergroup Dialogue and Inclusion Team is comprised of staff from across the School and continues to create an educational space to develop professionally and personally, as well as build networks. In addition to promoting the University’s resources and programs around DEI, the group has engaged with speakers from inside and outside the University to discuss such topics as unconscious bias, LGBTQ awareness, and Asian racism.

**The Executive Education Race and Social Justice Taskforce created and implemented the Knowledge for Impact Award. The Knowledge for Impact Award aids small business owners operating in low-income areas. This award is an investment in talented entrepreneurs around the country, as well as a commitment to diversity and inclusion in Wharton’s programming and classrooms. The award enables six entrepreneurs per academic year to attend Wharton Executive Education online programs at no cost. These efforts and practices in addition to those mentioned in relation to Wharton faculty, demonstrate Wharton’s commitment to DEI and serves as a building block for future efforts and initiatives.