Carmen Cortez, a graduate in ecology, stands in the Ecological Garden of the Student Farm

Graduate Diversity Initiatives

Graduate Diversity Initiatives

  • Holistic Review    
  • Holistic review, whole file review, or comprehensive review, all refer to the consideration of quantitative and qualitative criteria and background, such as GPA, coursework, and personal motivations, values, and experiences without applying specific criteria as cutoff points, such as an overall GPA or test scores, to quickly reduce the number of applications to consider for admissions. To address equity, inclusiveness and social justice, graduate program faculty define a common set of criteria, participate in faculty admissions training and employ rubrics to maintain consistent and equitable admissions outcomes.
  • Holistic U Diversity Orientation for Incoming Students

  • Holistic U 2023 is an in-person orientation for first year graduate students that is intended to address the barriers that have prevented full participation of educationally disadvantaged students at the U.S. graduate level, including underrepresented minority students (African American/Black, Latinx, and Native American). By participating in Holistic U you will learn how mental and physical health is central to one’s success in academia.  You will start building a cultural community from day one. Finally, you will learn about successfully navigating the University environment for first year graduate student success.

  • Graduate Antiracism Initiative   
  • UC Davis Graduate Studies opposes racial bias in any part of graduate education and training, and yet acknowledges that racism has shaped the development of academic research, methods of training graduate students and postdocs, and the make-up of faculty, students, and postdoctoral scholars.  Such bias has limited who has access to the development of human knowledge and has placed limits on that knowledge. We, therefore, commit to re-envisioning graduate education and training that actively rejects racist assumptions and structures.
  • Competitive Edge Summer Bridge Program
  • The UC Davis Competitive Edge Summer Bridge Program is an eight-week “early start” research and professional development program for selected incoming graduate students. Competitive Edge is motivated by the belief that a diverse graduate student body enhances the quality of the educational experience for all students. Tied directly to UC Davis' strategic plan To Boldly Go, Competitive Edge works towards fulfilling our mission to be fully inclusive and supportive of all students.
  • First Generation Grads Initiative
  • First-generation graduate students is one group which struggle with navigating the varied spaces within higher education. This initiative is designed to address the needs of first-generation graduate students with a multi-pronged approach involving 1) peer mentorship, 2) professional development, and 3) a series of networking events. Ultimately, the goal of this program is to support graduate students in their development and ensure student success.
  • First Year Graduate Students Learning Community (seminar)
  • This seminar is designed to establish an environment at UC Davis that promotes the seamless transition of first year graduate students from marginalized communities into graduate school, especially doctoral programs. Participants will engage in a weekly seminar and other activities that unmask the "hidden curriculum" of graduate school. They will receive enhanced, cross disciplinary mentoring, and will be encouraged to engage in additional social development activities (such as the Graduate Diversity Community Dinners) to build community within the cohort. *More information about registering for this course will be available in late fall 2021