The Graduate School (TGS) is committed to providing diverse graduate students with the tools they need to be successful both inside and outside of the classroom. The Graduate School’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) has expanded our portfolio to include retention initiatives for underrepresented minority (URM) students.
At TGS and the Office of Diversity & Inclusion, we uphold a holistic approach to diversity and inclusion, recognizing their interconnectedness. Our aim is to foster a welcoming and equitable learning environment that supports the matriculation and retention of our graduate school community – valuing and celebrating differences.”
Dr. Brittany Young, Director
Highlighted Initiatives
Bouchet Honor Society
The Edward Alexander Bouchet Graduate Honor Society seeks to develop a network of preeminent scholars who exemplify academic and personal excellence, foster environments of support and serve as examples of leadership, advocacy, and scholarship.
ODI works with graduate students and affinity groups to host free monthly diversity celebrations for our underrepresented students. These gatherings serve as an opportunity for graduate students across the university to come together, unwind, and build community.
The Graduate School's Diversity Peer Mentor Program is designed to help first-year, diverse PhD students become acclimated to Northwestern. Peer mentors will serve as an additional resource to incoming PhD students and provide support, encouragement, and information as our new students embark on this new academic journey.
Let's Talk Diversity is a dialogue series for students, postdoctoral scholars, faculty, and staff led by a guest speaker on topics of diversity, equity, and inclusion/sense of belonging.
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) offers a one-time Social Justice Mini-Grant up to $2500 for those who focus on community-forward research. This yearlong mini-grant seeks to support Northwestern graduate students in facilitating, promoting, and advancing innovative ideas on social justice and belonging in Northwestern and larger communities.
Northwestern and TGS offer many student associations that promote interactions among graduate students, provide academic and social programs, and serve as advocates for graduate students.
The HBCU Hangout is a social gathering designed specifically for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who attended historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). This event provides a unique opportunity for students and scholars to reconnect with their HBCU roots, share experiences, and celebrate the rich culture of HBCU communities.
The Inclusive Voice is a monthly newsletter distributed by the TGS Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) as an opportunity for graduate students and postdocs to engage with ODI, celebrate cultural holidays, find support on campus, and acknowledge the great work done by our underrepresented graduate students, postdocs, and faculty. TGS students and postdocs are automatically signed up to receive the newsletter. All retention and engagement programming is advertised to graduate students and postdocs in the newsletter.
