The Graduate School (TGS) promotes a transformative educational experience for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at Northwestern University. The Graduate School’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) focuses on the recruitment and support of underrepresented populations to foster an inclusive environment and facilitate community engagement. We are committed to the personal and intellectual growth of our diverse student population.
The Graduate School Diversity Statement
A diverse student population is a key element of the educational experience of students in The Graduate School (TGS). Diversity presents itself in many different forms such as: socioeconomic status, race or ethnicity, religion, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, nationality or place of origin, disability, unique work or life experience, etc. It is the goal of TGS to cultivate an environment that values diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives—all essential ingredients for true academic excellence.
Northwestern demonstrates its commitment to diversity and inclusion with a comprehensive list of available resources for all members of our community. To learn more about the University’s offerings, please visit Northwestern’s Diversity & Inclusion website.
Visit the pages listed below to learn more about TGS’s progress in recruiting, retaining, and supporting underrepresented students across our doctoral programs.
Recruitment & Retention
LEARN MORE
RETENTION & ENGAGEMENT
The Graduate School is committed to providing diverse graduate students with the tools they need to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom. The Office of Diversity and Inclusion has expanded our portfolio to include retention initiatives for underrepresented minority (URM) students including monthly events, mini grants, and mentorship.
Annual updates
These annual updates are intended to foster collaboration, provide greater transparency, and clarify what is within the purview of The Graduate School and where we work with campus partners to address questions and ideas related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Our goal is to cultivate an environment that values diverse backgrounds, approaches, and perspectives—all essential elements for true academic excellence.
2020–21 Recent Progress and Planned Initiatives
2019–20 Diversity and Inclusion Initiatives
Land acknowledgement
The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa. It was also a site of trade, travel, gathering, and healing for more than a dozen other Native tribes and is still home to over 100,000 tribal members in the state of Illinois.
The land we stand on from Multicultural Student Affairs on Vimeo.