Prioritizing the Terminal Degree: PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BUSY, WORKING PROFESSIONALS CONSIDERING THE DOCTORATE

PRESENTERS Ph.D. 2017 Higher Education & Student Affairs Leadership Kimberly Introduce self and current role & institution Ph.D. 2017 Higher Education & Student Affairs Leadership University of Northern Colorado Ph.D. 2014 Community Health University of Illinois Ed.D. 2017 Executive Doctorate Higher Education Mgt. University of Pennsylvania

Kimberly Renique, Bobby, and I all met when we worked together at North Central College back in 2006. Bobby and I were working residence life and Renique was working in student success and retention at the time. This may or may not be an old photo of the three of us.

LEARNING OUTCOMES Gain clarity about your own professional and educational goals. Become familiar with at least three pathways to the doctorate for busy, working professionals. Consider ways to approach obstacles to pursuing doctoral work, including different approaches to financing a program. Kimberly

FORMAT Partner Pair-Up Pathways Common Obstacles and Strategies Questions and Conversation Kimberly

PARTNER PAIR-UP Introduce yourselves What are your professional goals? Are you actively considering pursuing a doctorate? Why or why not? If you are considering the doctorate, what obstacles or concerns are you facing? Renique Over many decades, research has shown that students who place more importance on the connection between doctoral degree attainment and achievement of personal and professional goals are more likely to persist in their doctoral education (Brien, 1992; Hoskins & Goldberg, 2005; Lemp, 1980). Let’s use the next few minutes to get warmed up (as this is a heavily participatory program), to get to know each other, and to try to make that link for ourselves. If time permits, after this exercise ask folks to share a few of the reasons they are considering pursuing a doctorate.

PATHWAYS to the DOCTORATE for working professionals 1. Full-time at your home institution 2. Part-time at a neighboring institution 3. Executive Program 4. Low-Residency Programs 5. Online Program 6. Part-time at your home institution Bobby Focus on 1-3/4, with some long-distance doctorate Brief description from each panelist about why, when, where, and how they pursued their doctoral degree including potential benefits and drawbacks of their chosen pathway (10 minutes)

CONSIDERATIONS Program Format (online, low residency, in person, cohort or not) Academic Discipline Program Content Focus Time to Completion (and completion rates) Program and/or Institutional Reputation Cost (including hidden costs) Diversity of colleagues & faculty Faculty Expertise Dissertation or Not Opportunities for Professional Networking Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D., etc. Bobby The pathway that you choose may be determined by a variety of factors. Here’s a few that we thought pertinent to mention. Each presenter spend a minute highlighting what ended up being most important for us… As folks to share other considerations that are influencing their own decision-making processes.

COMMON OBSTACLES Even once you’ve decided on a program or programs that might be the right fit, there are many common obstacles that get in the way of applying, accepting an offer and starting, and/or of persisting through a program.

TIME POTENTIAL STRATEGIES Negotiate flexibility at work Use vacation time Reorganize personal priorities & household responsibilities Budget to outsource (house cleaning, groceries, transcribing, editing…) Short-term pain, long-term gain Be realistic with your expectations of yourself Renique NOTE: Mention the extra challenges of balancing motherhood, fatherhood, parent-care, partner relationships in this section.

MONEY POTENTIAL STRATEGIES Tuition remission Scholarships, Grants, Fellowships Loans & Loan Forgiveness Programs Institutional Support Friends, Family, Organization (e.g. support) Credit Card Rewards Tax Deductions Renique Highlight a few key components of asking for institutional support (in exchange for staying, dissertation as consultancy)

FEAR of FAILURE POTENTIAL STRATEGIES Acknowledge it and work through it Find a cheerleader/support team Establish a cohort/posse Develop accountability mechanisms Work with a dissertation coach Make it about something (someone) bigger than yourself Stay focused on the end-goal Renique NOTE: Imposter Syndrome is REAL and Renique to share her Leadershape story

Questions & Conversation Kimberly

CONTACT INFORMATION Renique Kersh rkersh@niu.edu Bobby Kuntsman bobby.kunstman@unc.edu Kimberly Sluis kasluis@noctrl.edu

Thank you for joining us today! Please remember to complete your online evaluation following the conference. See you in Los Angeles in 2019!