Grad School: Avoiding the Real World

Here's some mid-week grad school humour:

Doctorate Degrees Granted in U.S. Reach Record Levels

According to a recent article in the International Herald Tribune-the global edition of the New York Times, the number of doctorate degrees granted by American Universities has reached the highest level ever recorded: 49,562 students in the 2008-09 academic year; an increase of 1.6% over the 2007-08 year. The stats are provided by the National Science Foundation's Survey of Earned Doctorates. Some of the findings were as follows:

-In 2009, 67.5% (33,470) of doctorates went to students in science and engineering (S&E), 13,593 of whom were women- a 4.8% increase over 2008. The number of men earning these degrees declined slightly.

-The number of doctorates awarded in non-S&E fields increased from 2008-2009 for both men (1.2%) and women (0.8%).

-The number of doctorates earned by international students declined- by 3.3% in science and engineering; and 4.6% in other disciplines.

The full report can be found here.

The Effect of Prestige at American Universities on Graduate Education

The most recent edition of the Journal of Higher Education features an article I have been eagerly anticipating: Keeping up with the Joneses: Socialization and Culture in Doctoral Education at One Striving University, by Susan K. Gardner. In the article, Gardner discusses the role of institutional prestige and rankings at American universities, and the effect this has on students, faculty, and the quality of graduate education programs. Gardner’s research at one third-tier university indicates that in their effort to increase their ranking to keep up with the most prestigious institutions of higher learning, lower-ranking universities may in fact be unintentionally undermining the quality of education. Such middle- to -lower ranking universities try to attract the ‘best’ scholars and students, but doing so requires funding and resources for research, areas in which many of these institutions are ultimately lacking. The reality is that such “superstar” faculty who get hired on devote little time to teaching and mentoring graduate students, and/or become disillusioned, many of them leaving, resulting in high turnover rates and setting a pattern in play of poorer quality programs and thus affecting the reputation of the university.

One’s institutional affiliation is an important factor to consider when enrolling in graduate study, particularly in the U.S., where prestige and ranking are considered important (though maybe not the most ideal) methods for measuring the success of a university. In Canada, this is not so much the case, but I think it definitely plays a role. Certain campuses are certainly less well known than others, and access to funding and resources is distributed less than equally across the country, as is the case around the world. How much do Canadian graduate students pay attention to how well their chosen institution is renowned (or not)? Do prestige and rankings matter all that much- to us, to faculty, or the institution? How much of a role does where one completed graduate work play in the job market or in seeking a career in academia? Should it play a role at all?

University Rankings: Do Grad Students Not Count?

Today’s blog post is a bit of an opinion piece, so I apologize in advance for those not fond of blog naval lint. I was excited to have finally gotten my hands on a hard copy of Maclean’s 2010 University Rankings. My excitement was diminished, however, when I discovered that once again, a significant portion of Canada’s student population was virtually ignored- graduate students. The focus of the rankings, has, and continues to be, high school students and graduates seeking advice on choosing ‘the right university’. I feel very strongly that this focus should now shift to include those students considering the option of continuing on or returning to school to enroll in graduate programs. Indeed, as the number of students choosing to do so continues to increase, the needs of this burgeoning population beg to be addressed. Information that I myself would be interested in knowing include university rankings and student opinions with regards to such matters as access to and quality of various student services, including professional development initiatives, resource availability, funding for research, and opportunities for teaching. The only segment of the graduate student population that is singled out, is, interestingly enough, international students. Other than this mention, the views of graduate students are lumped together with the voices of undergraduates attending primarily Medical/Doctoral and Comprehensive Universities. In the meantime, I was quite pleased to see issues of gender over- and under-representation being addressed, as well as other concerns of great relevance to both current and potential students.

International Graduate Students in the U.S. and Canada

According to a news release, The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported yesterday that first-time international graduate student enrolment has increased by 3% from 2009 to 2010. Other findings from the report, Findings from the 2010 CGS International Graduate Admissions Survey, Phase III: Final Offers of Admissions and Enrollment, were as follows:

- Total enrolment rose only 1%, the smallest increase in four years.

- Most of the institutions that participated in both 2009 and 2010 reported an increase in first-time enrolment, with an average increase of 14%.

- China and India send the most graduate students to the U.S., but while the former noted a first-time enrolment increase of 20%, the latter noted a 3% decline.

- Education is the only ‘broad field’ that reported a decline in first-time enrolment (down 7%).

- Overall, there was a 5% growth at institutions granting the largest number of degrees to international students, while there was no increase at schools outside the 100 largest.

- Doctoral institutions saw first-time enrolment rise by 4%, while masters-focused institutions dropped 7%.

The report is based on the final phase of a three-part annual survey of international graduate student applications, admissions, and enrolment among CGS U.S. member institutions, and can be found here.

In Canada, increased efforts to recruit international graduate students - particularly PhD candidates, has been hotly contested recently. The Ontario government has announced that it will fund 75 new international scholarships, each worth $40,000 annually for four years. Starting in 2011-2012, the Ontario Trillium Scholarships will be divided among the province’s universities funded two-thirds by the government and one-third by the various schools. Earlier this year, the Ontario government announced its goal of increasing foreign enrolment in postsecondary institutions, currently at 38,000, by 50% in five years, and also introduced measures to fast-track graduate students into permanent resident status. As this article states, “But these 75 new spots are more about luring elite minds who might otherwise land prestigious places elsewhere, such as the United States.” The Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada has reported increases in foreign enrolment for fifteen consecutive years.

According to critics, the new program is insulting to students in the province, who already pay the highest fees in the country, as well as to taxpayers, who will be putting out $20 million of the $30 million project. Follow the debate here.

Graduate Education Happenings at Memorial

I have decided to make this a semi-regular blog post 'column', as there are lots of great things happening at my home institution with regards to graduate education.

This week, Memorial was honoured as the recipient of the CAGS/ETS Award for Excellence and Innovation in Graduate Admissions. Offered annually by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) and Educational Testing Services (ETS), the award was presented yesterday at the CAGS Annual Conference in Toronto.

Earlier this week, 8 doctoral, 12 masters students and 2 undergraduates received $1,037,000 from the Research & Development Corporation (RDC), as recipients of the Ocean Industries Student Research Awards, to support ocean research over a three-year period. According to today.mun.ca, the awards range in value from $7,500 per year for undergraduate research to $20,000-$30,000 per year at the graduate level. The students’ research supervisors also receive a research allowance to support their supervisory work. The investment supports research in areas relevant to Newfoundland and Labrador’s ocean industries including offshore petroleum, ocean engineering, marine safety, fisheries and aquaculture and marine science. The students are enrolled in the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science and the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation at Memorial University. The awards are open to post-secondary students in Newfoundland and Labrador, across Canada and internationally, who are interested in pursuing their studies and conducting leading edge research in Newfoundland and Labrador.

Graduate Programs of a Different Kind

When one thinks of graduate programs, one tends to think of research studies in areas that contribute to the advancement of human knowledge in some way. Research that focuses primarily on the betterment of animals is not heavily profiled. The University of Guelph offers graduate programs through the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC) in the areas of biomedical sciences, clinical studies, pathobiology, and population medicine. The program is widely known for its equine (horse) science programs. According to Canadian Thoroughbred, there are more than one million horses in Canada; the equine industry generates $3.5 billion a year. The University of Guelph recently received $2 million from the E.P. Taylor Equine Research Fund to support clinical research in the health and performance of racehorses; plans for a new Equine Sports Medicine and Reproduction Centre are in the works. E.P. Taylor was a visionary in Canadian Thoroughbred breeding. The fund has been supporting graduate student and faculty research at the university through the OVC and Equine Guelph, which offers continuing education programs in equine science and business management. I am currently completing the Equine Science Certificate, and plan to go on to enrol in the Equine Science Studies Diploma. The courses are unique in that they are offered entirely online, making them appealing to horse owners ordinarily unable to access a university and to students without access to horses. Kemptville College, which partners with Equine Guelph, also has onsite degree, diploma and certificate programs specific to various aspects of the equine industry.

So You Want to Get A Ph.D. in the Humanities?

This video, mocking those in pursuit of a humanities doctorate, has been circulating on a number of sites (Inside Higher Ed; The Valve) this week.

Graduate Education Happenings at Memorial

The most recent edition of The Gazette, Memorial University's newspaper, reports on a number of important achievements in graduate education this semester. Graduate enrollment has increased by 10.3% over last year, with a total of 2,954 registrations, of which 1,677 students are studying full-time, and 1,277 on a part-time basis. Dr. Noreen Golfman, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, says that rising enrollment can be attributed to a number of factors, such as ..."the excellent graduate programming Memorial has to offer, the superior research carried out by faculty at this institution, the competitive funding and tuition made possible by support of the provincial government and our more aggressive approach to recruiting the best and the brightest graduate students."

Memorial has created the first online Masters in Physical Education (MPE) degree to be offered in Canada. The program was created and is delivered by the School of Human Kinetics and Recreation (HKR), Distance Education and Learning Technologies (DELT), and the provincial government's Department of Education. The new program received the Innovative and Creative Programming award this year at the University Continuing Education Association (UCEA) international conference in San Francisco, CA. DELT also received an award for its social media marketing via Facebook. Memorial's distance education offerings are the largest among Canadian comprehensive universities.

E-Learning: The Horizon and Beyond

This week I attended and presented at Edge Conference 2010, an international conference on the use of technologies in K-12 and Post-Secondary Education. The event was hosted by Memorial University. My presentation focused on the impact of high school distance e‐learning experience on post‐secondary participation and perception of distance education. I presented on behalf of our research team which also included lead researchers Dr. Dale Kirby and Dr. Dennis Sharpe; fellow Ph.D. student, Monique Bourgeois.

Heard it through the grapevine? Not with CCR

A new initiative from Memorial University's office of Student Affairs and Services is in the works. The Co-Curricular Record(CCR)reads like an academic transcript and documents a student’s involvement on campus throughout the year, accounting for various kinds of out-of-class learning. The service will be available to both undergraduate and graduate students, and will be extremely useful when applying for jobs, scholarships and awards, and building professional portfolios. Memorial is one of the first Canadian universities to implement the CCR; as Noreen Golfman, the Dean of Graduate Studies notes, it is an invaluable resource for grad students, many of whom participate in such activities as organizing conferences and running departmental societies, and until now, have not received 'credit' for these contributions to their university community. CCR is a formal method for communicating with potential employers and a launchpad for networking; it will be launched in fall 2010.

U.S. Doctorate Program Assessment

Yesterday the National Research Council released a report entitled A Data-Based Assessment of Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States. According to the report brief, this assessment consists of data on over 5,000 doctoral programs in 62 fields at 212 universities, and includes "information on faculty research productivity, institutional support for students, and the diversity of faculty and students, among many other characteristics."

The assessment provides data for each program on 20 characteristics, which were collected from the academic year 2005-2006 through questionnaires sent to doctoral faculty, as well as heads of doctoral programs, administrators, and students. Information on characteristics such as publications and citations came from public sources and uses a considerably longer timeframe.Data on these 20 characteristics also served as the basis for the illustrative rankings included in the assessment.The report also offers illustrative ranges of rankings for each program on three separate dimensions of doctoral education- research activity, student support and outcomes, and diversity.

Finally, the report examines findings and trends in doctoral education. Some interesting points are as follows:

-The number of students enrolled has increased in engineering (4%) and in physical sciences (9%) but declined in the social sciences (-5%) and humanities (-12%).

-On average programs in all fields have experienced a growth in the percentage of female students. The smallest growth (3.4%) was in the humanities fields, which were already heavily female, while the greatest growth (9%) was in engineering - to 22% overall.

-Over 50% of students complete their degree in six years or less in the agricultural sciences and in engineering. In the social sciences 37% complete in six years or less, while the same percentage of humanities students complete by eight years.

-The majority of students in the five fields surveyed for the report (chemical engineering, physics, neuroscience, economics, and English) were "very satisfied" or "somewhat satisfied" with the quality of their program. Over 60% in most fields felt they benefited from the program's intellectual environment, but only 40% or less of were satisfied with the program-sponsored social interaction.

According to the news release, the assessment is designed to help universities evaluate and improve the quality of their programs and to provide prospective students with information on the nation's doctoral programs.

Further information, and a download of the full report, can be accessed here.

Global Perspectives

A lucky group of Ph.D. students at Virginia Tech recently had the chance to explore higher education systems abroad, traveling to Switzerland and Italy as participants in a program that offers insights into higher education and the professoriate on the global scale. According to this article, the 13 graduate students from Blacksburg, Virginia were joined by seven counterparts from Universität Basel in Switzerland to participate in Global Perspectives, an interdisciplinary program developed by Karen DePauw, vice president and dean of graduate education at Virginia Tech.

“Global Perspectives enables graduate students to examine differences in academic practices worldwide and to develop innovative and effective approaches that foster international awareness and education,” said David Kniola, assistant director of Virginia Tech’s Office of Academic Assessment and a coordinator of the program.

As part of the program, students from Universität Basel traveled to the United States to visit several universities. The Virginia Tech Ph.D. students who participate in Global Perspectives are funded by the university’s Graduate School.

Graduate Student Orientation

Today I attended Memorial University's Graduate Student Orientation. The event featured welcome talks by the new university president, Dr. Gary Kachanoski, new Dean of Student Affairs, Dr. Rob Shea, as well as keynote speaker, dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Dr. Noreen Golfman. Students could browse booths set up with information on numerous programs, services, and activities available on campus, enjoy a complementary breakfast, and attend afternoon discussions on the role of the supervisor/advisor and graduate officers; how to achieve a work/life balance while completing graduate studies. The day concluded with a campus tour.

Trends in U.S. Graduate Education

According to this news release, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS)has released a report today entitled "Graduate Enrollment and Degrees: 1999 to 2009". The report contains statistics on graduate applications and enrollment for fall 2009, degrees conferred in 2008-09, and trend data for one-, five- and ten-year periods. Data is based on the findings of an annual survey of U.S. graduate schools, co-sponsored by CGS and the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) Board, and "the only annual national survey that covers enrollment in all fields of graduate study and is the only source of national data on graduate applications." Interesting findings include the following:

* Applications for admission to U.S. graduate schools grew 8.3% from 2008 to 2009

* Enrollment of new students at U.S. graduate schools grew 5.5% from 2008 to 2009

* First-time and total graduate enrollment in 2009 was higher for men than for women. First-time enrollment of men increased 6.7%, compared to 4.7% for women, while the growth in total enrollment rose 5.2% for men compared to 4.4% for women.

* The enrollment of new international graduate students declined in 2009, by 1.7%, compared to 6.0% growth for U.S. students.

* For the first time ever, women earned the majority of doctorates (50.4%) in the 2008-2009 academic year. Women also accounted for 6 out of 10 graduate student enrollments. Inside Higher Ed
notes that female graduates are still under represented in such fields as engineering (22%), math and computer science (27%), and physical and earth sciences (33%).

* First-time graduate enrollment increased faster at the doctoral level than at the master’s level: 6.3% vs. 5.1%.

* The representation of minority groups in U.S. graduate schools rose from 28.3% to 29.1% of first-time domestic enrollment.

* Approximately three-fourths of all graduate student enrollments were at the master’s level, and almost 90% of graduate degrees conferred in 2008-09 were master’s degrees.

* The number of master’s degrees awarded increased 4.3% and the number of doctoral degrees conferred grew 3.9% between 2007-08 and 2008-09.

The full report can be read here

Post-Doctoral Transitions

New opportunities are available for experienced faculty looking for a career change. Tulane University and the University of Florida are two of five universities now offering the Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business Program, endorsed by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSG); which aims to prepare experienced doctoral faculty from non-business disciplines for new careers as business faculty and to qualify them to teach in such areas as accounting and finance, marketing, management, supply chain management, international business, entrepreneurship, and more. The program arose in response to a faculty shortage in business schools.

According to this article,

"All participants of the Post-Doctoral Bridge to Business Programs must have a doctorate degree from an institution recognized for producing successful scholars, and as appropriate, the institution must maintain any necessary specialized accreditation for that field. Candidates must show excellent capabilities for conducting scholarly research and teaching in a field related to the business discipline for which they are applying. Graduates receive a certificate of completion indicating that they are qualified to teach in their respective business discipline at an AACSB-accredited school for five years from the date of graduation. To maintain academic qualification past the five-year period, each graduate must perform appropriate activities as both a scholar and a teacher."

Similar programs would be beneficial to new post-docs, looking to diversify their portfolios and boost their employability. Even better, such initiatives could be offered in conjunction with traditional graduate schools.

Employment After the Ph.D.

According to Times Higher Education, a study of doctoral employment carried out for Research Councils UK found that less than 2% of those with a PhD were out of work three years after completing their doctorates.While more than half (54%)are employed outside the academy, 94% say they use their research skills in their work and about 40% say they carry out research “most of the time”.

Research was presented today at the Vitae researcher development conference; in a report on the findings, What Do Researchers Do? Doctoral Graduate Destinations and Impact Three Years On, Vitae says that doctoral graduates had established careers in sectors including healthcare, engineering and finance.It is concluded that highly skilled workers are critical to the UK's economic and social well-being.

This information may come as a surprise to those who have been warned of the lack of opportunities and fear the job search after graduating, but it could be misleading. Further information on what positions these Ph.D.'s are filling would be interesting to know.

Supporting Graduate Students

As a new semester draws near, The University of Western Ontario is gearing up to help meet the needs of graduate students. According to Western News, The Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) provides services and benefits such as bus passes, a health plan, and financial support, as well as enrichment opportunities like the Western Research Forum, bringing grad students from all different disciplines together to present their research. SOGS also owns The Grad Club- a restaurant/bar that operates out of Middlesex College.

As graduate enrolment continues to climb at many universities, there is growing recognition and acknowledgement that graduate students have different needs from undergraduates. McMaster University has even created a new position to tackle the many unique issues these students face- that of assistant dean of graduate student life and research-the first of its kind at a Canadian university.

Russian Ph.D. Programs

There has been talk of increasing the period of graduate study in Russia from 3 to four years. This proposal has been justified in part due to the fact that some disciplines, such as the technical and natural sciences require mandatory experimental validation of the theoretical results.

From Inside Higher Ed:
The idea behind that proposal is that it should significantly improve the quality of dissertations and the quality of academic training. This proposal is consistent with international practice, where dissertations can take 4-5-6 years. More importantly, the current situation really needs to be improved – drop-outs are high and the average level of research associated with doctoral theses is quite low. However, many people believe that increasing program length, by itself, is unlikely to change anything, and that the problem is not too little time, but extremely poor financial support for such studies and work. Indeed, the basic post-graduate scholarship –currently about $50 a month – doesn’t allow students to focus entirely on research since they must seek some part-time or even full-time job to support themselves. The sad result is that most of PhD students devote too little attention and effort to their dissertation. Only 26% of graduate students finally submit their thesis and the quality (generally) is rather weak. Additionally, since PhD degrees are prestigious, there is a large demand for degree holders and this status is easily bought and sold. So the PhD degree does not necessarily reflect strong training or a sophisticated academic qualification anymore (This situation is most disastrous in the social sciences).

The Russian government also recently announced increases in graduate scholarships starting this September. This comes at the cost of reducing the number of graduate students.

Transitioning from Student to Faculty/Post-Doc

This article offers advice to those making the transition from graduate student to faculty member or postdoctoral fellow, based on conversations with those who have recently gone through the process. The writers of the article, Julie Miller Vick and Jennifer S. Furlong, are the authors of the book, "The Academic Job Search Handbook", an excellent reference that I highly recommend for graduate students contemplating an academic career as well as those on the job hunt.

Internationalizing Graduate Programs

This blog post has been a work in progress for some time, as more and more has been written on the topic in recent weeks, and I have found myself doing a lot of reading and thinking on the matter. At a time when the job market for new Ph.D.’s is particularly dismal, especially in the United States, there seems to be increasing attention and interest in recruiting and training international scholars, not just graduate students, but top researchers as well.

A recent article discusses the rise in the number of international students admitted to American graduate schools, according to a report recently released by the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS). Findings of the report are based on the most recent surveys conducted by the CGS. Interestingly, admissions offers made to international students increased by 3% in the past year, while offers to Americans fell 1%. China leads, with a 16% increase in admissions offers. While there was a 9% increase in graduate applications among American students in the survey, the number of offers remained the same at doctoral institutions, and went down 6% at master’s institutions. While the report cautions that these figures are probably not final for American students, due to late admissions, I admit I find these numbers a little disturbing, although not surprising. At Canadian universities, too, the number of international graduate students admitted continues to rise, as the number of domestic graduate students admitted decreases.

This past spring, the Government of Canada announced its first group of Canada Excellence Research Chairs. This program awards each of the chairholders- who are selected among the world’s top researchers, and their research teams, up to $10 million over seven years. The chairs’ research is to focus on the four priority areas outlined in the Government of Canada's science and technology strategy: environmental sciences and technologies; natural resources and energy; health and related life sciences and technologies; and information and communications technologies. Another recent initiative is the Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships program, which aims to attract and retain the world’s best doctoral students. Canadian and international students are eligible to be nominated for a scholarship, which is valued at $50,000 per year for three years.

An article by Amit Chakma, president and vice-chancellor of the University of Western Ontario, discusses some of Canada’s recent initiatives to attract he world’s best researchers, and the benefits of such programs. Chakma cites the obvious benefits of recruiting the best and brightest from abroad, but claims that we should be doing even more. He only briefly acknowledges the need for similar financial incentives that would enable Canadian students to study abroad; he cites a recent study conducted by Queen’s University that found that less than 3% of Canadian undergrads venture overseas. While I suspect that number may be higher for graduate students, this is a concern. Internationalizing the academic experience is a needed change to the insularism that currently prevails. Too many students in North America are either ill-informed or not supported, due in part to issues such as faculty ignorance and cost. More initiatives like the Canada-U.S. Fulbright Program, which provides educational exchange opportunities for graduate students, faculty, professional and independent researchers, are needed.

Memorial University has recently initiated the Professional Skills Development Program for international graduate students.According to the dean of Graduate Studies, this program includes 7 weeks of workshops focusing on topics such as preparing a curriculum vitae, and job interview preparation, as well as community/service learning and networking opportunities. There are now plans to extend the program and its services to other students. Perhaps increased opportunities for Canadian graduate students to study and conduct research abroad will be a part of these services, and similar programs will be implemented at other Canadian universities.

This article emphasizes the importance of understanding different educational systems and how having that international experience can be seen as an asset when applying for academic jobs. Those advising students need to be aware of global opportunities and to share this information. While supporting international students is certainly commendable, and their recruitment is important to achieving and maintaining a sustainable workforce, I feel there is a lot left to be done to support Canadians students at both undergraduate and graduate levels of study; to make international exchange programs a more viable option for those looking to expand their cultural and educational experiences.

Preparing to Teach

An article posted today on Inside Higher Ed discusses a teaching certificate program that has been implemented at Temple University. The program is open to both current and matriculated graduate students, and is designed to supplement graduate training for those who plan or already teach at community colleges. The need for such a program arose from the realization that many instructors begin their careers with Ph.D.s and masters degrees but without teaching experience. The certificate consists of a three-credit seminar on teaching in higher education and three one-credit modules on specific topics such as assessment, diversity and inclusive teaching, and teaching with technology. San Francisco State University offers similar graduate certificates in the teaching of composition and teaching post-secondary reading.

Several universities in Canada have begun to incorporate teaching training into their educational programs. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador requires all instructors who deliver vocational training in private institutions to complete the Post-Secondary Instructors Certificate. The Faculty of Education at Memorial University also offers two diploma programs in adult teacher education and post-secondary education. As well, the School of Graduate Studies offers the Graduate Program in Teaching (GPT) and Teaching Opportunities for Graduate Students (TOGA). The Centre for Leadership in Learning (CLL) at McMaster University offers teaching support for students, teaching assistants and faculty, including Education 750, a course that graduate students can complete as part of their program and receive full credit.

The importance of such graduate teaching programs has become apparent as far too many applicants vie for too few academic positions, and many new graduates turn to community colleges or smaller institutions for teaching employment. More can certainly be done, however, in preparing graduate students for teaching at the college/university level, easing the transition from student to teacher, and helping longtime instructors with new teaching technologies.

Actor Chooses Ph.D. Over Career

American actor James Franco has been accepted to Yale University to pursue a Ph.D. in English. Apparently, he claims that education is his true passion, and he has chosen this path despite a successful acting career. Franco's latest film is Eat Pray Love, starring Julia Roberts and based on the book by Elizabeth Gilbert. He received a MFA from Columbia,completed an undergraduate degree from UCLA, and also studied film at NYU.

Preparing Future Scholars

According to News at Princeton, Fourteen undergraduate students are currently taking part in the Princeton Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (PSURE), a program offered through the university's Graduate School for students interested in pursuing doctoral studies. The eight-week program matches students with faculty, postdoctoral researchers and graduate students who mentor them on research projects. Applications from socioeconomically disadvantaged students, as well as those from liberal arts colleges are encouraged. In addition, PSURE students also attend lectures, take part in discussions and other activities about graduate school, including workshops on the application process, financial aid and the Graduate Record Examination(GRE).

Graduate Completion Rates

The University of Nottingham in the UK announced today that its Ph.D. students are among the most successful in England, according to data released by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). Nottingham ties with Bristol University on a measure of PhD completion rates that compared 111 English universities, with 88% of full-time Home and EU doctoral students qualifying to graduate within seven years. Unfortunately, this data is not compared with completion rates in other countries.

The Commission on the Future of Graduate Education in the United States, a joint effort of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS) recently released The Path Forward: The Future of Graduate Education in the United States, outlining research findings and recommendations on how best to increase graduate education completion. To my knowledge, the last time Ph.D. completion rates in Canada were made available was in a report published by the Canadian Association for Graduate Studies (CAGS) in 2003 and revised in 2004. At that time, it was estimated that Canadian universities needed to produce between 80,000-90,000 graduate degree holders in the next decade. Six years later, I wonder where we stand. It is clear that more and more people apply and enter graduate programs each year, as educational qualifications for employment continue to rise.

It would be useful if statistics on graduate completion rates at all universities could be made available to students, faculty, and deans, so comparisons can be made across programs, institutions, regions, and countries, and to identify problems areas as well as solutions to make improvements. The CAGS report highlights three means by which Canadian universities can increase the number of master’s and doctoral graduates: 1) Increase the number of students admitted; 2)graduate more of the students that are admitted; 3) reduce the time to degree, increasing the number of students graduating within a given period of time. Those in favour of the first option should proceed with caution, given the recent research on student disengagement and grade inflation occurring in Canada’s post secondary institutions (see Cote and Allahar for discussions on these issues). The second method seems quite logical in theory, but may prove more difficult to implement. Issues that have been identified in the literature as contributing to graduate program drop-outs and lengthy times-to-degree include funding, inadequate supervision, lack of support or difficulties assimilating into the academic lifestyle; poor academic preparation, to name only a few. The third option has garnered some discussion, and some countries have already implemented steps to change the structure and requirements of Ph.D. programs to encourage and assist students to complete on time.

This brings up an important point with regards to time to degree. I see using narrow time frames (which vary by institution and program) for completion rates as potentially problematic and misleading as a measure of success. Today’s graduate student population is a lot more diverse than it once was. Many students complete masters and doctorate degrees part-time while working, raising families or pursuing other career and life goals. Depending on the program, students may be younger or more mature than average. Many factors contribute to why students take longer to complete, and longer times to degrees should not necessarily be considered a bad thing. For the sake of quality education if nothing else, students certainly shouldn’t be rushed through their programs, a point that Noreen Golfman, Dean of Graduate Studies at Memorial University, makes in her post; efforts to prepare them for the world outside of school should be emphasized more. A comparison of the productivity and successes of on-time versus late completers once they finish would be an interesting study.

Professors in Training

Ok, so here it goes: my first blog post. I would first like to say a few things about this blog. The purpose is to share news relating to graduate education, in Canada specifically, and on a more global scale. Posts will aim to serve two audiences: graduate students involved in the study of various subjects, offering information and support, and scholars interested in the study of graduate education as an interdisciplinary subject of research, discussing recent topics of debate. Oddly enough, I fit into both groups- I am an incoming graduate student setting out to study graduate students.

Today I read an article that I felt really reiterated an inhibition I have regarding graduate education and the training of academics. A Time to Teach: Reflections upon Pedagogy in the Life of a Graduate Student by Kevin Carey takes a look at one of the many hats worn by the graduate student: that of teacher. This role marks an important step in the transition from amateur to professional on the path to an academic career. I have long pondered the fact that university professors- those who teach students at the highest level of education- are not (typically) required to complete coursework in education or any sort of teacher training. A doctorate in one’s chosen discipline has long been the accepted standard –a license- for teaching at the university level, while educators at the pre-post-secondary level must complete an education degree, focused on the art of teaching a subject, not just the subject matter itself. I’m sure if you asked any university student they could easily share a story of the professor from hell who, while undoubtedly respected in their field for their significant contributions, struggled (if they were even willing to try!) to help their students grasp the material. Certainly this isn’t the norm; my own university experience is tainted by memories of scatter brained professors, but I have also been lucky to have had some really great teachers and mentors.

So, is it realistic to expect those professors who can’t teach/don’t enjoy teaching their undergraduate students to help their graduate students, as professors in training, learn this important skill? Isn’t this process reproducing a culture of what Carey calls “antipedagogy” and ultimately creating an environment hostile to learning? Indeed, how often do we hear graduate students grumble about their underlings and the tedious task of marking? Many universities offer professional development workshops for instructors, as well as graduate students, focusing on course development, methods of instruction and other topics related to teaching. Unfortunately, however, these opportunities are optional and ironically typically availed of by those who want to learn to teach, and not those who desperately need to learn. One quickly begins to question the quality of higher education when teaching is devalued to such a point. Instead, research is the almighty standard by which we judge academics; while I understand and appreciate the importance of this skill, I don’t feel that it should be the primary method by which we evaluate our peers or emerging scholars. I was once told by a Department Chair that they (the faculty hiring committee) did not care about what teaching experience the applicant had, but how reputable the journals were in which he/she had been published. What does that say about the importance of students in the academy, some of whom (those who are not entirely discouraged, that is!) will become the professors of the future? Just some food for thought…