In today’s ever-changing climate, systematic efforts enacting change for equity, diversity, and inclusion have never been more important. While changes within institutions of higher education often occur from a centralized vantage, grassroots-based initiatives at the department level can ensure greater clarity, buy-in, and opportunities for different stakeholder groups. In particular, graduate students are positioned to lead and be part of change initiatives, particularly those that impact their success in a graduate program and beyond. The Chemistry Graduate Student Council (CGSC) of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UC San Diego is one such organization committed to representing student interests at the department level. At its core, CGSC functions to bridge the communication gap between students and department administration, while advocating for a robust and supportive graduate school experience. Elected positions within CCSC ensure participation from each cohort of graduate students in our department, from first to “5<sup>th</sup> +” year, recognizing the unique challenges with each stage of graduate student socialization. Representation matters, student voices matter, and advocating on behalf of one’s self matters. In this talk, I will (1) highlight strategies for graduate student engagement, including the role student leaders may play on committees charged with graduate affairs oversight, and (2) discuss multi-pronged approaches from an array of student organizations that may help advance access, retention and equity in graduate education.

Inclusive graduate education: Advancing student organizations and self-advocacy

ACS Spring 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.