By: Lindsay Hultman, Senior, Marketing, Digital and Social Media Business Applications, International Business
When diversity is discussed in the business world, the most common aspects mentioned are race, ethnicity, religion, age and gender. The Kelley Marketing Department is diverse in many ways, and according to some of our female students, there is one place we stand out – gender. One of those students, Lindsay Hultman, was willing to share her perspective with us, as well as quotes from two others female students.
Kelley Demographics
Similar to the statistics within the business world, the Kelley student body is predominately male. After researching the Kelley website, I noted an interesting point about the class profiles. For the past two years, each class is approximately ⅔ male and ⅓ female. However, there is one Kelley major that is not predominantly male – Marketing. For the class of 2021, the Marketing major is 58% female, with the next highest percentage being 46% female in Professional Sales. While school-wide efforts have been made to increase student diversity, my female colleagues and I see the greatest impact in our marketing classes.
Diversity in Courses
All Kelley School of Business students must take the same set of classes throughout their freshman and sophomore years. With the makeup of our school, the likelihood of any of these classes having more women than men in them is extremely low. It is difficult to look at your classmates and see more people who are different, though I will admit it also provides an appreciation for the diversity that IS present.
After completing I-Core and switching to taking primarily major courses, there is a noticeable difference in demographics. In a marketing class of 30 there are around 20 women and only 10 men. Groups for projects become predominantly female rather than male – a refreshing taste of diversity. From talking to students in other majors, it seems that diversity in gender typically does not shift when taking upper-level courses. I notice the differences in diversity among my marketing courses and my international business courses; there are more women than men in most of my marketing courses, but more men than women in my international business courses. Additionally, I have had many more female professors for marketing courses. Students who are part of other majors also notice the disproportionate representation of gender throughout Kelley.
“I wish there were more women in my major courses. It takes more work on the part of professors to ensure that anyone who is part of a minority, like being a woman, feel included.” – Rebecca, Senior, Finance
Why it Matters
Diversity is an incredibly important topic and aspect to have in places such as school and work environments. It allows for a variety of opinions and perspectives. Kelley’s challenges with balancing gender diversity is not unique. From my research, I have noted that other top business schools such as Ross and Wharton also have predominantly male business programs. I feel that the Kelley Marketing department does not fall into this same stereotype of “business is for men.” When there is an overwhelming majority, minorities often feel discomfort and do not speak up because they are overshadowed. The diversity within Kelley Marketing allows female students to feel empowered to fully participate in their coursework.
“As a female in the world of marketing, sometimes I feel as if it is considered “typical” because of my gender and major, and I wish this was not the case. However, it is easy for me to feel comfortable and respected with those in my classes. I feel empowered by the importance of marketing roles in a business and I love the impact I can make, especially as a female. I recognize that in the general world of business, women are not normally as respected as men are. However, I think my ambition and the ability to follow through with my passions overcome the boundary that females and males have in business.” – Robin, Senior, Marketing and Business Analytics
From my personal experience and those shared by my female peers, I feel I can say that the Kelley Marketing department is a place where women do not feel overpowered. Marketing is a major where women can know their voices are heard. It is a place for everyone to feel comfortable. Kelley Marketing is unique. Kelley Marketing is diverse.
We appreciate hearing this viewpoint from some of our female students. We strive to continue to create an inclusive experience within our department and to be a diversity thought-leader within the Kelley School of Business.
Leave a Reply