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Evaluating and Improving Doctoral Education: The Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate. Robyn Gdula Gorka Peris May 4, 2004. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
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Evaluating and Improving Doctoral Education: The Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate Robyn Gdula Gorka Peris May 4, 2004
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.carnegiefoundation.org) • Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education: University of Michigan, Ann Arbor = Research University, Extensive (>50 Ph.D.s granted/year in >15 disciplines). • Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate (CID).
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.htm) • 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/CID_chem_Stacy.pdf)
Taking Action • CID Modus Operandi: • Focused questioning • Data gathering/Experimentation/Hypothesis testing • Dissemination • Who Else? • Chemistry, History, English, Mathematics, Education, Neuroscience
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.?
“Experimentation” • Questioning and Examining • What are we doing and why? • CID Chemistry Convening, Summer 2003, Palo Alto, CA. • Presentations • Site visits, November 2003.
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
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
U of M’s CID Proposal • Proposed and Implemented • Research Rotations • PFF Program • Combined Degrees (PhD and…) • Intradepartmental Conference (PECRUM) • Student-run seminar program • Research Ethics Course
Commonalities • Coursework (varying amounts) • Teaching • Candidacy • Dissertation and Defense • Seminars (external and internal)
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
Evaluation • What do these practices do? • Is this what we want? • Do they need to change?
Conclusions We appear to be “on target” but….
Underway/Completed Proposed • CSIE next retreat Program Data Collection • Rotations • Alumni Survey • Climate Survey 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”
Also . . . • Meetings with CID students from other departments. • Graduate Student Initiated Independent Research.
Making it Public • ACS Philidelphia, PA • Other CID Meetings at national convenings (informal ones) • Meetings with the chem department
Summer Convening Update Upcoming… June 5-8, 2004 Palo Alto, CA
What can you do? • Implement future CID activities • Attend Summer convenings • Participate in National Meeting presentations • Contact Brian Coppola and/or Bill Roush