Auburn University’s Graduate Diversity Campus Experience program (DiCE) was developed by Counseling Psychology graduate student, April Scott, in 2013 and supported by the Black Graduate and Professional Student Association (BGPSA). The program was created to to identify highly qualified and competitive students from underrepresented groups to encourage them to pursue graduate degrees in their academic field as well as introduce them to the graduate programs offered at Auburn University. Part of April’s inspiration for creating DiCE was her own experiences in applying to graduate school and recognizing the need to increase Auburn’s minority recruitment efforts at the graduate level.
April Scott, along with support from BGPSA, presented the initiative to The Graduate School and Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs (currently named Office of Inclusion and Diversity) and was immediately given the green light to proceed with planning,
Over 70 applications were received first year this program was launched and 24 students were accepted. Many participants expressed they felt much more prepared to apply to graduate school after participating in the DiCE program, one even commented, “this weekend has changed my life” and another remarked, “I gained a breadth of advantageous knowledge from everyone I encountered. It surely was an experience that I will never forget and has encouraged me to apply to the Auburn University graduate school this Fall 2015.”
DiCE continues to grow with the support of BGPSA, The Graduate School and the Office of Inclusion and Diversity and has even inspired other universities to create similar initiatives. The true testament to its success is the number of participants who have been accepted to Auburn’s graduate school and note their involvement in DiCE as a significant factor in preparing them for graduate school.