As part of DEI efforts, the admissions process for graduate students has been revised to both be more equitable and to better assess candidates holistically. This includes standardizing the interview process, providing greater clarity in the materials requested from applicants, removing standardized testing (GREs) from the application portfolio and increasing transparency in how decisions are made about applicants. 

Graduate students in the department from underrepresented groups have received funding to support their graduate studies from the Lulu Merle Johnson Fellowship and the Diversity Fellowship. These fellowships provide both stipends and tuition support and supplement other funding from the department.    

The Geographic & Sustainability Graduate Cluster (GSGC) is an organization that provides support for graduate students in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences in areas important for academic and professional development within the discipline. For more about the role of the GSGC, see this link.

The GSGC Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Liaison represents graduate student concerns and experiences on the department’s DEI committee. The DEI Liaison is an integral member of the committee and helps guide department policies and programming regarding underrepresented groups. The DEI liaison will attend all department DEI meetings, and is a resource point on DEI issues for students in the department.

The GSGC also recognizes the importance of mentoring for student retention and success. All graduate students also identify mentors, outside of their academic advisor, who can support them in their progress to degree. These mentors can be in the department, in other units on campus or in outside groups with shared research interests or identity characteristics. The role of non-advisor mentors is to provide guidance in both academic and non-academic matters. More senior graduate students often mentor newer graduate students.

The Research Support Group is a group for and by graduate students. The group meets regularly to discuss a variety of topics identified by students. Topics have included: how to navigate teaching responsibilities; how to select research topics and questions; how to best utilize committee members; and how to access and use campus resources. The group also provides examples of and feedback for degree milestones such as research proposals. The Research Support Group is ultimately meant to provide a safe and candid environment for students to help each other through the graduate experience in the Department of Geographical and Sustainability Sciences.