The Never Ending Quest for Balance: Graduate Students’ Professional Development Experiences Sonja Rizzolo, Ph.D., Aubreena DeForest, M.A., Dan DeCino, Ph.D. Molly Strear, M.A., Suzanne Landram, M.S. American Evaluation Association 2015 National Conference Denver CO; October 17, 2014

Research Goals 1.To gain a richer understanding of graduate students’ experiences overall. 3.To investigate graduate students’ perceptions and involvement with PD. 2. To gain a better understanding of graduate students’ experiences of professional development (PD).

Evaluation Journey To investigate graduate students’ experiences overall and with professional development GOAL: To generate discussion about what graduate students are experiencing on campus TOOL: Town Hall Meeting and Dining with the Dean GOAL: To investigate graduate students’ satisfaction and professional development needs and barriers TOOL: Quality of Life (QL) Survey Fall 2012 GOAL: To investigate graduate students’ perceptions of PD TOOL: Focus Groups Fall 2013 Outcome: Informed development of activities for engaging graduate students Highlighted study

TimeFormative Needs AssessmentData Analysis Fall 2012 QL Survey (n=689) - Qualitative data - open ended survey questions about overall experiences and professional development. - NVivo version 10 - Open, axial coding - Constant Comparative Method - Auto coded - Trustworthiness Fall 2013QL Survey (n=759) - Quantitative data – survey questions related to professional development. - IBM SPSS Statistics 21 - Frequencies Fall 2013 Focus groups (n=13) -Four 60 to 75 minute focus groups; semi-structured interview questions - current graduate students -Phenomenological Methodology - NVivo 10 - Open, axial coding - Constant Comparative Method - Auto coded -Trustworthiness Methods

Key Findings “My degree can go a number of different ways, but only a few are really emphasized in the program… learning early on what future employers will want to see--classes, practicum experiences, research,..” --QL survey qualitative comments 2013 Finances are a concern Think beyond the books Finances are a concern Think beyond the books Coursework matters Connecting content to career outcomes Coursework matters Connecting content to career outcomes “I work 3 jobs just to stay afloat. Financial issues are my biggest stressor. Also the huge amount of school work, plus regular work, plus having a husband, plus trying to have a life is a lot to handle!” --QL survey qualitative comments 2013

Essence of Graduate Student Experiences Finances Assistantships Paid Internships Job Placement Scholarships Professional Connections Faculty/Advisors Resources Field Experts Peer to Peer Professional Development Career Services Skills Workshops Coursework Degree Plan Content Purpose Scheduling Amount of Work Key Findings “I think for me the biggest one would be presenting at conferences, and just attending different trainings that are additional…” --Focus group study, 2013 Professional Development is needed Additional training beyond the classroom Professional Development is needed Additional training beyond the classroom Professional connections are important Faculty & peer relationships Professional connections are important Faculty & peer relationships “ as a scholar I find it really interesting to hear what somebody else’s research is, what somebody else’s challenges are, what are they doing here. I just find it really interesting and I think that can be very powerful even for later on in terms of collaboration and alumni networks.” –Focus group study, 2013

Professional connections are important Professional Development is needed Coursework matters Finances are a concern Essence of graduate student experiences Upon Exit Upon Entry “There is no time to do life well. It is difficult to balance work, school work, family and friends and this is what is most stressful because I have not found a way to do all of these roles at the same time…” --QL Survey 2013 “There is no time to do life well. It is difficult to balance work, school work, family and friends and this is what is most stressful because I have not found a way to do all of these roles at the same time…” --QL Survey 2013

ActivityOutputOutcome Developed targeted PD sessions (e.g., content) Designed accessible schedule to deliver workshops Next steps (short term) assess the usefulness of PD activities Investigate assesses role overload and balance Next steps(long term) New on demand graduate student orientation in development Coached presenters to narrow scope, integrate applied activities (shared results of study). Analyzed class schedules to deliver sessions when students are available (e.g., time, location, day) Delivered 1 with GSPD content 1 mo. at a time 1 survey (pilot) to be implemented Spring 2015 (capacity bldg) 1 survey to be implemented in FA2014 Work/life balance workshop Graduate School staff member attended Teaching Academy for Online Instruction Met with four campus services to discuss awareness and access Scheduled 1 st strategic meeting to organize stakeholders. PD participation increased: SP/FA13: Range 1-13 students, 62.8% attendance rate; SP14: Range: students, 80.3% attendance rate Number of sessions canceled decreased FA/SP13:17 sessions; SP14: 1 session Increase understanding of work/life balance across demographics and degree levels to inform practice 48 participants, highest attended session Increase awareness, increase access to services to intern increase satisfaction with graduate student experience overall Practical Implications

Lessons Learned Focus group design may not be the most effective research method for population, considering less than desirable recruitment results. Integrating multiple data sets in analysis, ad hoc enriched our findings but complicated analysis, significantly extending the length of this project. Multiple researchers and coding strategy increased the complexity of coding. Recommendation: Individual interviews or questionnaires. Recommendation: Proactive program evaluation strategies. Recommendation: In the future, it might be best to organize themes with all researchers as soon as possible prior to finalizing the coding structures.

Discussion Integrating career development throughout the entire graduate student experience is critical. This was reinforced by all three data sources. Connecting coursework to meaningful outcomes e.g., career goals are expected by graduate students. Actively addressing financial concerns for all graduate students is critical. Graduate students strongly desire a professional connection with faculty/advisors and feel it is critical for their overall success as a future professional. Data also indicate the quality of their coaching/mentoring relationship impact their overall satisfaction positively. The biggest hurdle for graduate students is balancing the various roles in their life. We suggest considering an awareness of graduate students’ entire experience inside and outside the classroom when planning and delivering curriculum and services for graduate students.