A Message from Dean Rajan on Today's Verdict and Diversity and Inclusion

To the Chicago Booth community:

In the wake of the verdict of the trial of Derek Chauvin for George Floyd’s death, I write to reaffirm the message you received from Provost Lee and want to underscore Chicago Booth’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, and rejection of racism.

This past year, we have experienced a rise in racial reckoning in this country and across the globe in ways not seen in decades. Today’s verdict compounded with too many recent incidents of bias and violence weighs heavily on all of us. Booth extends its support to our students, and faculty and staff concerning these issues.

In addition to resources, Booth continues to pledge to do our part to help move our nation forward and heal. Diversity and inclusion have taken on higher priority and greater urgency in the past year across the university. As you know, we are taking concrete steps to build upon our D&I efforts at Chicago Booth. The school is currently engaged in a robust initiative across all dimensions of our institution. Our new Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan reflects student input, acknowledges the need to do more, and reaffirms Booth’s commitment.

I am deeply grateful for your support of these efforts and of one another as we remain fully committed to fostering an environment that empowers each individual to fully participate in the exchange of ideas and perspectives that are foundational to the Booth experience.

Best wishes,

Madhav