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.
Community and networks
Explore opportunities to interact with other diverse students.
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 CLASS: Character, Leadership, Advocacy, Scholarship, and Service.
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.
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 Graduate School's Office of Diversity and Inclusion (ODI) distributes a monthly e-newsletter to inform underrepresented graduate students and postdoctoral trainees of current activities and opportunities on campus.
Let's Talk Diversity is a monthly dialogue series for faculty, staff, and students led by a guest speaker on diversity, equity, and inclusion/sense of belonging topics.
The goals of our new retention strategy are to improve the engagement, the graduate school experience, and the recognition of URM students. Learn more about the following retention strategies.
Quarterly Diversity Celebrations
The Office of Diversity and Inclusion at The Graduate School (TGS) hosts quarterly diversity celebrations for our underrepresented minority (URM) students. Read more about Diversity Celebrations.
Student of Color Support Group
The Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) Graduate Student of Color Support Group provides a safe and brave space for under-represented populations to discuss topics that are relevant to inclusion.
D&I Coffee and Donut Check-ins
These monthly check-ins with ODI take place on both the Evanston and Chicago campuses. These safe and brave spaces are for current graduate students and postdoctoral trainees to discuss any topics that are going in their academic and social communities.
Diversity Dinner Series
In this Office of Diversity program, five annual dinners are designed for students and postdoctoral trainees to socially and professionally connect with other members of underrepresented groups across campus.
