Graduate Life
Resources and events to enhance your student experience
Diversity and Inclusion
At the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, diversity is an academic value — one that is a marker of institutional excellence as well as a benchmark of innovation for our research and scholarship, programming, and student experience. The Office of Academic Diversity and Inclusion is the space within GSAS in which we enact daily and intentionally our commitment to create an intellectual collective that is reflective of the disparate experiences of its constituents.
Many of OADI's programs and resources are targeted to the unique needs of students from groups that historically have been underrepresented in higher education settings within the United States, such as our Decentering Academia workshop series. We also offer programs and resources that are relevant for all students as we consider issues related to diversity and inclusion together, such as our Diversity Film Series with Scholars on Scene.
OADI's objectives are to:
• Reduce institutional barriers to high-quality graduate education and training for students from underrepresented and otherwise marginalized backgrounds;
• Enhance the graduate-student experience to promote intellectual growth and excellence;
• Prepare graduate students from all backgrounds in the principles of diversity, inclusion, and educational equity.
Our office works in close alignment with the Students of Color Alliance (SoCA), and with Initiative for Diversity in Engineering and the Sciences (IDEaS) and Women in Science at Columbia (WISC) as well as other student groups and campus partners to promote community-building and provide opportunities for professional development. If you have ideas for programming, wish to get involved in any of our upcoming events, or are interested in learning more about the Graduate School’s efforts in the area of diversity, equity, and student inclusion, we welcome you to reach out to us at gsas-diversity [at] columbia.edu.
To view the Graduate School's full statement on diversity and inclusion, please click here.
Connect with Our Community
Programs
Professional Development Programs
The GSAS Office of Academic Diversity offers a variety of professional development programs and trainings to support both MA and PhD students in the Arts and Sciences.
OADI Research Collective
The OADI Research Collective is an interdisciplinary group of PhD students who are researching topics of particular interest to underrepresented groups.
Diversity Film Series with Scholars On Scene
The GSAS Office of Academic Diversity and Inclusion hosts monthly film screenings at the Graduate Student Center.
Summer Research Program
The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences hosts the eight- to ten-week Summer Research Program (SRP) for undergraduates with a demonstrated commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Resources
Student Diversity Project Grant
This grant allows students to apply for funding to support events, projects, or programming that will enhance diversity and promote student inclusion efforts in GSAS.
Application Fee Waivers
The Graduate School will waive the application fee for US citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled in a US college or university who demonstrate financial need.
Provost Diversity Fellowship
GSAS is proud to participate in the Provost’s Diversity Fellowship initiative, established in 2012 to enhance the diversity of Columbia’s PhD programs.
Student Affinity Groups
The GSAS Office of Academic Diversity advises various affinity groups at the Graduate School.
The New Scholar Series is a mechanism to introduce graduate students from underrepresented groups to liberal arts colleges.
C3 PAVE visits enable graduate students and postdoctoral fellows from C3 partner universities to visit liberal arts college campuses for a two-day event to inspire undergraduates to apply for C3 summer fellowships and consider graduate school.
Partners
Creating Connections Consortium (C3)
Columbia is one of the founding institutions of the C3 initiative.
The CTL partners with faculty, students, and colleagues across the university to support excellence and innovation in teaching and learning.
The Office of the Vice Provost for Faculty Diversity and Inclusion facilitates faculty development, diversity, and planning initiatives with an emphasis on creating a welcoming and inclusive climate at the university.
The Office of University Life is a hub for University-wide student life information and initiatives.
The Leadership Alliance is a national consortium of leading research and teaching colleges, universities, and private industry. It aims to train, mentor, and inspire students from a wide range of cultural and academic backgrounds.
IRT addresses the lack of diversity in the nation’s teaching faculties by recruiting outstanding students of color and other scholars committed to diversity, counseling them through the graduate school application process and advocating for sufficient funding for advanced study.