Diversity: Overview
Princeton University believes that advanced research, scholarship and teaching are strongest when informed by the diversity of viewpoints, backgrounds and experiences of its students. For this reason, the Graduate School actively recruits underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged students and strives to create an environment that is friendly to all races, to both men and women, and to individuals of diverse sexual orientations.
While the Graduate School as a whole is engaged in the effective recruitment and retention of a diverse population of students, the Office of Diversity is particularly dedicated to the school's strategic campaign to increase the number of underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged students in Princeton's graduate programs. This office has primary responsibility for developing and implementing these initiatives and for establishing best practices to ensure that these students persist to the completion of their programs. Specifically the Office of Diversity provides:
- For prospective students: an opportunity to explore graduate opportunities at Princeton via a daylong visit or a multi-week intensive summer research immersion; a point of contact to discuss graduate student life at Princeton; and multi-day conferences focused on building a competitive portfolio to gain admission to Princeton.
- For current students: town hall meetings to engage faculty, administrators and students in exploring meaningful ways to build a more inclusive community; financial support to institutionalize grassroots organizations (such as the Black Graduate Caucus and the Latino Graduate Student Association); and comprehensive funding to increase the likelihood that underrepresented and socioeconomically disadvantaged students will persist to the completion of their degrees.
- For faculty and departments: a tailored road map to assist faculty in their quest to identify talented students; funding to facilitate student visits to departments; early circulation of applicant files of highly qualified students; and additional funding to make highly competitive offers to prospective students from these backgrounds.