Guarini School Impact and Initiatives

Research

Designated an R1 institution by the Carnegie Classification as having "very high research activity," sponsored research attracted $326 million in FY 2020.

Since 2019, Dartmouth has been a member of the Association of American Universities, a leadership group which influences higher education policy, and supports best practices in undergraduate and graduate education nationwide. 

Dartmouth is ranked #1 in the Ivy League for the long-term, real-world impact of our scholarly work, according to the Nature Innovation Index.

The Guarini School supports over 1,000 students and postdoctoral scholars across the Arts & Sciences, Thayer School of Engineering, Geisel School of Medicine, and Tuck School of Business, and connects more than 4,000 alumni who are global leaders in academia, policy, industry, and business. Tailored to respond to a faster-moving world, Dartmouth graduate programs are embedded in 160 buildings across our 269-acre campus. 

The Guarini Advisory Board was established in 2019 and meets at least twice a year to discuss Guarini School strategy, programs, policies, and resources. Advisors serve three-year terms, limited to three consecutive terms. Four board subcommittees, focusing on World Class Competitiveness, Successful Transitions, Diversity and Inclusion, and Strategic Initiatives and Communications, are working on initiatives to increase the impact of Guarini on Dartmouth and the world.

The Council on Graduate Studies (CGS) meets quarterly and comprises faculty representatives from each of the graduate programs overseen by the Guarini School, the President and Vice-President of the Graduate Student Council (GSC), and Guarini School Deans. 

The Assistant Dean for Graduate Student Affairs meets regularly with the GSC, and liaises between GSC Executive Board and the Guarini Deans. Two representatives from the GSC leadership board sit on the Student Liaison Committee - a group of student leaders that meets regularly with Dartmouth senior leadership and the Board of Trustees Committee on the Student Experience.

The Guarini School Dean meets monthly with GSC leadership, and a dedicated contact form exists on the Guarini School website to direct questions to the appropriate Dean in all other instances.

Guarini has supported 13 Dartmouth faculty members to be trained as Entering Mentoring facilitators by the Center for the Improvement for Mentored Experiences in Research (CIMER). A number of CIMER-based mentor training sessions have been held for graduate students and postdocs, and more training opportunities for faculty, postdocs, and graduate students are forthcoming. CIMER will be coming to Dartmouth in the spring of 2023 to train up to 64 faculty in their Entering Mentoring research mentor training program.

The Guarini School supports a number of fellowships for graduate students who are committed to supporting our community. These include the International Graduate Mentoring Fellow, the Guarini Housing Fellow, the Guarini Scholars Fellow, and the Graduate Activities Fellow.

From 2019-2022, the Guarini School supported up to three Graduate Student Diversity Fellows who helped with planning and implementation of diversity initiatives. In 2022, a full-time Diversity Fellow position was created. This role works in partnership with the Assistant Dean of Recruitment and Diversity to fulfill Guarini's commitment to building a supportive and inclusive community.

The Guarini School holds monthly meetings with faculty, staff, postdocs, and graduate students to work on diversity initiatives proposed by the Guarini community. The Diversity Committee serves as a hub for work on equity, diversity, and inclusion.

The Assistant Dean for Diversity and the Guarini Diversity Fellow meet regularly with the BIPOC Diversity group to discuss topics of concern, provide support, and offer networking opportunities for the community.

The Provost's Fellowship (PROF) program is part of Dartmouth's ongoing efforts to diversify the professoriate. The Guarini School partners with the division of Arts and Sciences and the Provost's Office to prepare early career scholars for long-term success in higher education through the PROF program. 

E.E. Just Liftoff Fellowship is designed to recruit top graduate students from underrepresented minority groups.

In partnership with the EEES program, Guarini hosted the first Scholar's Program. This initiative brings undergraduate students to campus for a four-day visit during which they have an opportunity to experience life as a graduate student, meeting with faculty, attending research events, and participating in professional development opportunities.

Dartmouth's Academic Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (ASURE) provides summer research experience to undergraduates. Focusing on academic research, networking, and mentoring, ASURE prepares students for future graduate research training. ASURE is open to all non-Dartmouth students.

Fully-funded recruiting opportunities for graduate students to return to their undergraduate institutions to talk about graduate life, and meet prospective students, was initiated in 2021.

The Guarini School launched the Diversity Award in 2021 in recognition of outstanding leadership and determined efforts by graduate students in addressing and raising awareness about issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion across campus and in our community.

In 2022, the Dartmouth Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Chapter was established.

Significant steps have been taken to address student mental health and well-being across campus.

Since 2015, the Counseling Center:

• has increased the number of counselors by 60%, including one psychiatrist who self-identifies as a member of the BIPOC community, two clinicians who focus on clinical and outreach with the BIPOC community, two international counselors, a clinician who specializes in suicide prevention outreach, and a Case Manager
• is able to offers counseling in four different languages
• hired a Case Manager who helps students navigate the community provider referral process and ensures connection with community providers
• students are now able to schedule counseling triage appointments through the Health Service Portal
• partnered with Uwill teletherapy company to offer all students unlimited session, no matter where they are in the world

Graduate Student Mental Health Awareness week, co-sponsored by the Guarini School and the GSC, was expanded in 2019 to highlight resources, events, and tools for mental health and well-being throughout the entire month of May.

In Fall 2021, Dartmouth partnered with the JED Foundation to administer the Healthy Minds Study (HMS). Guarini, Thayer, and Tuck are working collaboratively to prioritize recommendations from the Study.

The Guarini School promotes community-building in tandem with academics by sponsoring monthly communal study breaks in the Guarini Commons, Anonymous Hall, and discounted lunches held regularly at '53 Commons for graduates and postdocs.

In Spring, 2022 Dartmouth appointed an ombudsperson to provide Dartmouth's faculty, staff, postdoctoral fellows, and professional and graduate students with impartial support. This could not have been achieved without the strong advocacy of the GSC executive board.