Diversify your Graduate Programs with the National Name Exchange

In 2022, the Council of Graduate School assumed administration of the National Name Exchange, a program designed to support greater diversity in U.S. graduate programs. Founded in 1976, the National Name Exchange began as a consortium of fifty-five American universities that annually collected and exchanged the names of their talented but underrepresented students who were in their sophomore, junior, or senior years of college. The purpose of the Exchange is to ensure that participating universities continue to identify a pool of qualified students who could be recruited to the graduate programs at these institutions. Until recently, this effort was organized by the University of Washington.

Starting this year, the Exchange will be open to all active CGS members in good standing. Participating institutions will be required to submit names to the Exchange if they wish to download lists of student names. Information about the Exchange will be emailed to designated coordinators at participating institutions.

The National Name Exchange is currently open for enrollment for the 2022 year and the enrollment period will run until August 15, 2022. CGS sent graduate deans at member institutions a form that allows them to designate an NNE coordinator on their campus.

If you have any questions about the Exchange, including how to participate, please email nne@cgs.nche.edu.