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Diversity
The Office of Graduate Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives (ORDI) seeks to promote a diverse and inclusive graduate community by acting as an enabler - assisting virtually every graduate program on campus to recruit, retain, and graduate a diverse student body. We follow the model of Inclusive Excellence* as a way to improve the diversity of our student body, the success of all students at VT's Graduate School, and improve the climate for all staff, faculty and students involved in graduate education. We want to make Virginia Tech's Graduate School the number one choice for people of diverse backgrounds.
- Focus on student intellectual and social development, complementing the available courses of study offered at Virginia Tech.
- Purposeful development and utilization of the Graduate School to enhance student learning. Establish an environment that challenges each student to achieve academically at high levels and each member of the campus to contribute to learning and knowledge development.
- Attention to the cultural differences learners bring to the educational experience and that enhance discovery and dissemination of new knowledge.
- A welcoming community that engages all of its diversity in the service of graduate students.
WHAT WE DO
Diversity Scholars Program. The Graduate School hosts a Diversity Scholars Program that encourages scholarship and faculty-student mentorship through diversity initiatives. Click here to learn more about becoming a Diversity Scholar. Nominations are closed for 2011-2012 and will reopen Fall 2012. View our DIVERSITY SPOTLIGHT page that highlights graduate student initiatives.
Coordinated School Visits Program. CSVP brings together faculty from all across campus to coordinate a trip to visit a Historically Black College or University (HBCU) to recruit students and forge relationships with faculty and administrators.
Graduate Preview Weekend. Preview Weekend is designed for departments to nominate highly sought out graduate students to visit campus and experience what Virginia Tech has to offer. Preference is given to students who are admitted and are underrepresented or first generation graduate students. This spring the event will take place February 16-18, 2012.
Dean Diversity Assistantships. The ORDI manages funding in the form of fellowships and assistantships for students nominated by faculty based on financial need or for the student's contribution of diversity to the department.
Connect Lunches. Connect Lunches are designed to bring graduate students from a like constituency group together to meet one another and to share any suggestions or concerns about their graduate life experience. These are safe spaces where students can talk to Dean DePauw about his/her admissions experience and experiences on campus as a graduate student.
Diversity Initiatives. The ORDI puts out a call to departments to propose initiatives to enhance the mission of providing an inclusive graduate student environment. Grant money is awarded for these initiatives. Proposal Form.
Diversity Dialogues. This blog, created by Dean Karen DePauw, archives resources and conversations surrounding timely diversity topics.
GRAD 5214: Diversity and Inclusion for a Global Society. The course provides students with a broader perspective and the research around the topic of diversity and inclusion for a global society. Diversity is often equated with affirmative action and other points of view rooted in social justice.
Explore the four dimensions of Inclusive Excellence that our office strives to support. Contact us if you have any ideas about how we can make VT's Graduate School more inclusive.
Office of Recruitment and Diversity Initiatives, Graduate School, 240 Graduate Life Center, gradrecr@vt.edu, 540-231-6529.
Education and Scholarship. Provide students with motivations, rationale, and tools to embrace diversity in their research, day-to-day life, and future professional career.
- Expand Transformative Graduate Education initiative by creating a new 2 credit course on Inclusive Excellence in Research.
- Create Diversity Scholars.
Access and Success. Provide access to and support success of historically underrepresented students in Graduate Education.
- Support, organize, and evaluate recruitment and retention activities.
- Develop a mentoring program for graduate students.
- Foster partnerships with Minority Serving Institutions (MSI).
- Financial support for conference travel.
Graduate School Community. Create a Graduate School community that is welcoming for all graduate students, faculty, and staff - one that fosters a climate of inclusivity reflecting the Principles of Community.
- Co-sponsor activities with Women's Center, various caucuses on campus, participation in month-celebrations, partnering with graduate student associations, etc.
- Increase the online presence of our office.
Infrastructure. GSDI will serve as an enabler of diversity initiatives by departments and students.
- Organize Connect lunches.
- Support for recruitment activities (e.g., Preview weekend).
- Organize seminars/workshops led by students.
- Serve as a clearing house for targeted fellowships (e.g. Clare Booth Luce, SREB doctoral fellowhsips).
- Provide campus-wide mentoring program (e.g. Affinity program).
* Adapted from AACU's Making Diversity Work on Campus: A Research-Based Perspective, by J.F. Milem, M.J. Chang, and A. L. Antonio
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