Lunch Bucket D&I: Turning Diversity and Inclusion into Competitive Advantage at UMUC Europe

All post-secondary institutions proclaim a commitment to diversity and inclusion (D&I); it is precisely the universality of these pronouncements that disqualify them as a source of competitive advantage as the term is properly understood—something valuable, rare, inimitable, and non-substitutable. This paper describes a more expansive approach to diversity and inclusion undertaken at University of Maryland University College Europe, which has advanced D&I’s role and contribution from providing compliance and advocacy to creation and promotion of competitive advantage, using examples from its MBA program to illustrate key concepts. Coined “lunch-bucket D&I”, the approach honors traditional D&I initiatives and programs, but adds a supplemental focus on integration of embedded inclusive practices into the daily work of students, faculty, and staff to create a uniquely inclusive environment that attracts and retains top talent. Combined with its formal D&I programs and Speak Up! initiatives, UMUC Europe’s “lunch bucket D&I” approach demonstrates the potential for D&I to be leveraged to create true competitive advantage in post-secondary education.