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Engagement and Retention

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.

Learn about the Bouchet Graduate Honor Society.

Bouchet Honor Society
students talking

TGS Peer Mentor Program

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.

See requirements for participants.

Student organizations

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. 

Explore student organizations.

TGS day out
Let's Talk Diversity Graphic

Let's Talk Diversity Dialogue Series

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.

Learn more and view past topics.

Retention through engagement

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.

Additional campus resources