Evaluating and Improving Doctoral Education: The Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate

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Evaluating and Improving Doctoral Education
The Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate

• Robyn Gdula
• Gorka Peris
• May 4, 2004

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The Carnegie Foundationfor the Advancement of
Teaching

• Founded by A. Carnegie in 1905 to do and perform
  all things necessary to encourage, uphold, and
  dignify the profession of the teacher and the
  cause of higher education. (www.carnegiefoundatio
  n.org)

• Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher
  Education University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
  Research University, Extensive (gt50 Ph.D.s
  granted/year in gt15 disciplines).

• Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID).

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The CID

• What is the purpose of doctoral education? AND
  How does a graduate student become a Ph.D.?

• To Carnegie this is To educate and prepare those
  whom we can entrust the vigor, quality and
  integrity of the field a steward of the
  discipline (www.carnegiefoundation.org/CID/index.h
  tm)

• To Angelica Stacy this is To be a Ph.D.
  chemist today is to be a new type of leader,
  colleague, researcher and teacher. This kind
  of leader is what we might call an expert
  learner. (www.carnegiefoundation.org/CID/essays/C
  ID_chem_Stacy.pdf)

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Taking Action

• CID Modus Operandi
• Focused questioning
• Data gathering/Experimentation/Hypothesis
  testing
• Dissemination

• Who Else?
• Chemistry, History, English, Mathematics,
  Education, Neuroscience

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Focused Questioning

• How does a Ph.D. chemist become? Process
  Objectives
• How does a group of faculty agree that a student
  is qualified to receive a Ph.D.?

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Experimentation

• Questioning and Examining
• What are we doing and why?
• CID Chemistry Convening, Summer 2003, Palo Alto,
  CA.
• Presentations
• Site visits, November 2003.

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U of M PhD Process

• First Year
• Introduction to discipline, research and
  department
• Significant Transition
• Candidacy Exam
• Dissertation and defense
• Data Meeting
• Innovation
• PECRUM, research rotations
• Novel Idea
• Expanding the Professional Community

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U of M CID Agenda

• Broadening professional development
• For students seeking academic careers
• For students seeking industrial careers
• Supporting a diverse workforce
• For women in academic careers
• In general, for under-represented groups
• Diversify post-baccalaureate options

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U of Ms CID Proposal

• Proposed and Implemented
• Research Rotations
• PFF Program
• Combined Degrees (PhD and)
• Intradepartmental Conference (PECRUM)
• Student-run seminar program
• Research Ethics Course

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Commonalities

• Coursework (varying amounts)
• Teaching
• Candidacy
• Dissertation and Defense
• Seminars (external and internal)

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Major Differences

• Computer programming skills
• Coursework in ALL Chemistry sub-disciplines
• Cumulative Exams for all students
• Written research proposal outside of thesis topic
• Teaching outside of University
• Undergraduate Advising

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Evaluation

• What do these practices do?
• Is this what we want?
• Do they need to change?

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Conclusions

• We appear to be on target but.

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Future Plan of Action

• Student-run Seminar Program
• Academic-Industrial Education
• Ind ? Dept (Top 3 Need-to-Knows)
• Dept ? Ind (Site visits)
• Mission Statement
• PhD Syllabus

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Also . . .

• Meetings with CID students from other
  departments.
• Graduate Student Initiated Independent Research.

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Making it Public

• ACS Philidelphia, PA
• Other CID Meetings at national convenings
  (informal ones)
• Meetings with the chem department

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Summer Convening Update

• Upcoming June 5-8, 2004
• Palo Alto, CA

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What can you do?

• Implement future CID activities
• Attend Summer convenings
• Participate in National Meeting presentations
• Contact Brian Coppola and/or Bill Roush