Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives

Building Community

• The Student Diversity and Community Engagement office works with over thirty-five student affinity groups to host a variety of events, including lunch-n-learns, film screenings, festivals, and educational activities. These groups raise the level of awareness and appreciation for the many types of diversity at Rush.
• The Rush Graduate College Student Council (GCSC) organizes and supports extracurricular events, social activities, and fundraisers for Graduate College students. The GCSC also hosts two annual Interprofessional Education events.

Opportunity

• Summer Research Program​
  The Graduate College offers a research-intensive training program for undergraduate students interested in Biomedical Science. The programs are designed to provide research experience and faculty lead mentorship to students interested in pursuing an advanced degree.​
• IMSD​
  The Rush Initiative to Maximize Student Development program is a National Institutes of Health-funded PhD training grant for underrepresented minority students (URM). Rush IMSD is an institutional effort to enhance the recruitment, retention and training of URMs in the Graduate College at Rush University.

Inclusion

• Peer Mentoring Program​
  The Rush University Graduate College Peer Mentoring Network serves as a resource to aid first- year Graduate College students In becoming acclimated to life as a graduate student. The program strives to achieve the following goals:
  • Increase graduate student retention, especially among the most vulnerable populations, by connecting first-year students to campus resources
  • Help first-year graduate students transition from undergraduate programs or careers into graduate study
  • Professionalize mentors and aid them in developing effective mentoring and networking practices​
  • Create a network of mentors and build a sense of an inclusive graduate student community
• International Student Services​
  Student and scholars from all over the world come to Rush University. Our International Student Services department offers support to international prospective and current students for everything from the application process to immigration document preparation. You’ll get one-on-one attention to meet your unique needs in becoming a part of the Rush family and getting acclimated in the global city of Chicago.

Accessibility

• Our core values—ICARE: Innovation, Collaboration, Accountability, Respect and Excellence—translate into our work with all students, including those with disabilities. Rush actively collaborates with students to develop innovative ways to ensure accessibility and creates a respectful accountable culture through our confidential and specialized disability support. Rush is committed to excellence in accessibility.​
• Students seeking support can contact the Office of Student Accessibility Services for help with requesting accommodations at Rush University

Commitment

The Graduate College at Rush University is committed to increasing the representation and success of underrepresented students in the biomedical, clinical, and nursing sciences.

• Scholarships and Funding​
  The Graduate College supports students through the following mechanisms:
  • Graduate Assistantship which provides a stipend and covers the cost of tuition and health insurance premiums for Integrated Biomedical Sciences doctoral students
  • Student conference travel and professional development course scholarships​
  • Professional organization memberships​
  • Tuition scholarships​
• Career and Professional Development​
  The Career Development Office provides an enhanced environment for our graduate  students by offering a diverse range of  professional development programs to prepare them for the next step in their careers​.
• Alumni Engagement​
  The Graduate College has a large network of alumni that reside around the world. With a commitment to building a robust alumni community and fostering strong student-alumni relations, we offer current and future students' opportunities to advance their careers and professional development

Recruitment

Through established and sustainable relationships with partner institutions, the Graduate College strives to increase recruitment and enrollment of a diverse student body​.

• Please visit our Recruitment Event Calendar to identify opportunities to speak with a Rush Graduate College representative
• A Graduate College admissions representative can be reached by email at gc_admissions@rush.edu