Group Mission

The Mission of CAUSE

The Council for the Advancement of Underrepresented Scientists and Engineers (CAUSE) was originally established in the Fall of 2017 to become a support group for students of color in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), due to the lack of representation and equitable resources provided to minority scientists and engineers nationwide. As CAUSE began to grow, we gathered preliminary data to support an initiative to change the culture of student support and retain a more diverse community of graduate students.

After meeting with faculty, gathering data, and recruiting the founding members, CAUSE has become a student-led, college-supported, initiative to improve the recruitment and post-graduate success of graduate students of color and first generation college students in CSE.

The Council for the Advancement of Underrepresented Scientists and Engineers aims to improve the recruitment, retention, and professional development of graduate students through collaborative, student-led, programming led by supported by the faculty and staff of CSE. Please note, while the mission of CAUSE is focused primarily on minority and first generation college students, CAUSE welcomes all students who are dedicated to its vision and goals. Furthermore CAUSE encourages and promotes and inclusive-collaborative environement which may benefit the larger community of students, post-doctoral researchers, staff, and faculty at the University of Minnesota.

Our Goals

CAUSE aims to improve the recruitment, retention, and professional development of graduate students of color and first generation college students in CSE through: 

  • Building community among students of color in the sciences, with social programming such as
    • Game Nights
    • Scavenger Hunts
    • Trivia & Movies
       
  • Ensuring students of color are well-equipped for success after graduate school with comprehensive workshops to teach transferrable skills and techniques for professional endeavors
     
  • Facilitating the exchange of information between STEM graduate students.
     
  • Alleviating financial barriers to graduate education and promoting equitable initiatives to implement for prospective students.

CAUSE Goals & Accomplishments

Statistics

Graduate minority students make up 10% of the CSE graduate student body. Data based on 2017 - 2018 enrollment. ENS = ethniciity not specified.
 
Ethnicity breakdown