Diversity Recruitment

In order to increase the enrollment of students from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees at the University, UChicagoGRAD supports divisional and departmental recruitment efforts through the following initiatives:

• Collaboration with Summer Research programs that provide underrepresented undergraduate students with opportunities to develop research skills, work closely with faculty members, and position themselves to be competitive graduate school applicants.
• Organizes Discover UChicago, an expenses-paid, pre-admissions program that provides prospective graduate students with the opportunity to visit campus, meet with faculty members, and attend workshops intended to prepare them to apply to graduate school.
• Travels to recruitment fairs across the country & hosts campus information sessions to connect with prospective students interested in attending the University of Chicago.
• Participates in a number of national partnerships:
  • Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students (ABRCMS)
  • Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (IRT)
  • Leadership Alliance
  • Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP)
  • The National GEM Consortium
  • The National Name Exchange (NNE)
  • Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

UChicagoGRAD collaborates with campus partners to support graduate students both personally and academically
during their time on campus. Below are some of the campus offices who conduct programs throughout the
academic year to ensure that underrepresented graduate students thrive at the University of Chicago:

• UChicagoGRAD Diversity & Inclusion offers programming to help graduate students and postdoctoral students engage with diversity more critically in their scholarship.
• The Center for Identity + Inclusion  (CI+I) is home to the Offices of Multicultural Student Affairs, LGBTQ Student Life, and Student Support Services to help support both underrepresented minority and LGBTQ+ identifying students, as well as students from immigrant, undocumented, first-generation, and lower income backgrounds.
• The Office of Multicultural Student Affairs (OMSA) works to create inclusive campus communities, promotes student advocacy, and strives to foster a university environment that supports the exploration of varied identities and intersections.
• The Office of the Provost works toward improving the recruitment and retention of minority faculty, postdoctoral scholars, and students. Initiatives include forums on campus climate and diversity, management of summer research programs, and implementation of the Provost’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program.

Graduate Ambassadors

The Graduate Ambassadors program offers Master’s & PhD graduate students an opportunity to participate in diversity recruitment initiatives across divisions and professional schools. The Grad Ambassadors represent current students from diverse backgrounds in STEM, non-STEM, and professional programs, and they help to provide prospective applicants with more information about student experience at the University of Chicago. Our ambassadors participate in a number of recruitment events throughout the year and serve as a point of contact for students interested in their graduate programs.

Questions? Contact Lester Harris, Diversity Outreach Coordinator.

Multicultural Student Groups

The University of Chicago has many graduate student clubs, including multicultural groups and organizations intended for underrepresented students. Many of these student organizations incorporate community-building activities, professional networking opportunities, and academic support:

• The Diversity Advisory Board is a group of student across divisions and professional schools who work to strengthen the sense of community for underrepresented minority students and assist campus offices with developing programs and resources related to diversity & inclusion.
• Graduate Council is the representative student government for graduate students who works with university administration to improve graduate student services on campus.
  • Graduate Council has compiled a list of multicultural student organizations across campus to serve as a resource for interested students.

Campus Resources and Offices

The University of Chicago’s diverse community provides the varying voices and perspectives essential to our mission of pursuing new knowledge. The backgrounds of our students, faculty, staff, and alumni enrich our culture. The following offices provide student resources that help to foster diversity on campus:

• The Bias Education Response Team (BEST) consist of administrators who are available to support and guide students seeking assistance in determining how to handle a bias incident.
• Student Disability Services facilitates the full participation of students with a disability and works to remove physical and attitudinal barriers, which may prevent their full participation in the University community.
• Spiritual Life Office connects students of every faith to resources on campus and in the community at large, including student groups, places of worship, and events.
• Student Wellness addresses the mental health needs of all students, including graduate students of color. University psychologists and professional staff routinely conduct workshops on implicit bias and host therapy groups for graduate student wellness.
• Academic Affinity Groups are communities that exist within the larger University divisions and schools to support students of varying cultures, backgrounds, lifestyles, and beliefs.
• Research and Internships enable students to perform research with our faculty up to three years before applying to graduate school. UChicago is a participant in the Leadership Alliance, the Creating Connections Consortium (C3), and Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program (MMUF). For more information about diverse scholarship at the University, explore Diversity & Inclusion in Academics.