B&F Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
In the summer of 2020, a survey was conducted of the 300+ staff members across B&F to understand any experiences of microaggressions encompassing race and gender, and to determine what goals should be adopted to better support our under-represented communities.
In September 2020, the B&F Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee was formed, chaired by Michael Papadakis, CFO & Senior Vice President, with committee members representing all areas and levels throughout the unit.
Tasked with the creation of actionable plans and metrics in alignment with the university, the B&F Committee meets monthly to provide tangible plans for implementation.
In its inaugural year, sub-committees have formed to explore the following:
- Are there current policies, practices and services that should be reviewed for inclusion and equity?
- Do communications affirm diversity, equity and inclusion?
- How can there be clear expectations on staff roles in supporting an inclusive culture?
- Are we cultivating connections to prospective diverse talent pools?
During the 2021-2022 academic year, the B&F Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Committee created subcommittees to drive action plans in the following areas:
- Expanding the talent pipeline through the development of an internship program;
- Improving B&F employee awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles by increasing usage of university DEI training and recommending a training schedule;
- Collaborating with the university senior commodity manager focused on supplier diversity to increase the awareness and usage of diverse suppliers throughout the university and providing spend data to assist areas in setting attainable and achievable goals.
Mission Statement
We seek to foster a more diverse and inclusive climate and build a community that promotes an equitable, healthy, supportive, and nurturing environment in Business and Finance.
We strive to be active change agents for our university and local community by acknowledging and addressing policies, practices, programs, and positions contributing to inequity or differential outcomes for specific groups within Business and Finance.
Through these efforts, we will inform and engage university officials, support the University’s Task Force goals, and recruit and retain a diverse talent pool with a deep commitment to action, ensuring that all are respected and valued.
FY22 Accomplishments
- Established initial plan for The Business & Finance, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Internship Program in partnership with Fisher College of Business office of Diversity & Inclusion. Two student interns were hired in the program's pilot year working within the Tax Office and Office of Investments.
- Alignment of DEI Committee goals with B&F Human Resources and Chief of Staff broader goals regarding recruitment and retention.
- Established required training for all B&F Staff (Diversity Basics) and for all B&F managers (Navigating Difficult DEI Conversations). Created DEI Guide to help facilitate open dialogue and provide additional DEI resources to B&F staff.
- Created Workday report on diverse supplier spending in order to help set and track unit-specific goals. Met with Senior Fiscal Officers to discuss opportunities to engage with diverse suppliers.
FY23 Accomplishments
- Expanded internship program to offer opportunities within the Office of Enterprise Risk Management and the Office of the Treasurer.
- Held information sessions on the internship program for B&F managers.
- Published an internship guide for B&F managers.
- Published and maintained the DEI Guide on the B&F website.
- Held a Lunch & Learn to discuss the DEI Guide and other B&F Diversity Committee work.
- Rolled out a “Pick your own DEI training” for B&F using the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s DEI Education Program.
- Worked with five areas (Administration and Planning, OTDI, Student Life, Student Life-Dining Services, and Business and Finance) to establish FY24 diverse spending targets.
FY24 Goals
TALENT PIPELINE GOAL: Our objective is to foster an inclusive and equitable culture within the Office of Business and Finance by prioritizing retention, achieving a diverse employee population, and promoting demographic diversity in applicants.
TRAINING & PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT GOAL: To improve B&F employee awareness of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles by increasing the usage and availability of DEI training and professional development resources.
BUSINESS DIVERSITY GOAL: To increase the awareness and usage of diverse businesses throughout the university by providing spend data to assist areas in setting attainable and achievable goals.
Committee Members
| Anita Bratcher | Executive Assistant | Office of the CFO |
Wayne Cartwright | Commodity Manager | Purchasing Administration |
| Vella Garrett | Business Continuity Manager | Risk Management |
Alexandria Goolsby | AP Interim Manager | Accounts Payable |
| Todd Isler | Senior Information Systems Auditor | Internal Audit |
Monique Lumpkin | Financial Services Special | Bursar |
| Teri Parsell | Manager | Payroll Accounting |
| Garrett Patterson | Debt Management Senior Analyst | Treasury |
| Kai Peters | Senior Commodity Manager | Purchasing |
Renee Schlade | Director of Investment Operations | Investments |
| Tracy Shrimplin | Sourcing Analyst | Purchasing |
| Mindy Swanner | Technology Training Developer | Financial Training |
Subcommittees include Talent Pipeline, Training & Professional Development and Supplier Diversity. Interested in supporting a subcommittee? Let the committee chairs know by responding here.
Mike Papadakis, Chair
Yolanda Zepeda, Office of Diversity & Inclusion Representative
Karina Brown, Director of Communications
Willingness to Serve Statement
The above committee members acknowledge that they have committed to serve on the Office of Business and Finance (B&F) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee to work with the Talent Pipeline/PD&Training/Supplier Diversity Subcommittees for at least one year and are willing to serve as an active member as summarized below.
I will work to promote the committee, its aims and its purposes.
I have agreed to foster a more diverse and inclusive climate and build a community that promotes an equitable, healthy, supportive, and nurturing environment in Business and Finance. To accomplish the stated objective through a pledge to the following:
Willingness to coordinate DEI efforts within B&F and across the university to align with B&F and university DEI initiatives.
Commitment to actively participate to achieve committee and subcommittee goals throughout the year.
Dedicated to supporting and driving change on DEI topics within my unit and across B&F.
Open to an understanding of different ideas, opinions and feedback on DEI topics.
Have a desire to make a meaningful impact within B&F and the university.
Engage in personal education and growth in topics associated with DEI.
Familiarity with key terms and definitions associated with DEI. Glossary | Racial Equity Tools
Ability to express a specific personal or professional commitment to DEI.
I also understand that this is a volunteer position, and I will not be paid for any services rendered to the committee. Upon departure from this role, I agree to transition all documents related to this position to a designated, active committee member immediately to ensure no interruptions to the committee’s efforts.
Contact Us
Contact the B&F Diversity & Inclusion Committee at busfin@osu.edu.
Land Acknowledgement
The Office of Business and Finance would like to acknowledge that the land The Ohio State University occupies is the ancestral and contemporary territory of the Shawnee, Potawatomi, Delaware, Miami, Peoria, Seneca, Wyandotte, Ojibwe and Cherokee peoples. Specifically, the university resides on land ceded in the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville and the forced removal of tribes through the Indian Removal Act of 1830. We want to honor the resiliency of these tribal nations and recognize the historical contexts that have and continue to affect the Indigenous peoples of this land.
What is a Land Acknowledgement?
A land acknowledgement recognizes and respects the relationship that exists between Indigenous peoples and their ancestral and contemporary territories. Additionally, a land acknowledgement provides opportunity to explore the current impact of colonization and systemic oppression on Indigenous peoples. Land acknowledgements do not exist in past tense or a historical context as colonialism is a current ongoing process.
Learn more about Ohio State's Land Acknowledgement at the Center for Belonging and Social Change.