Graduate School – Colorado State University Professional Relationships and Expectations in Graduate School – aka Conflict management before the conflict Peter K. Dorhout Jodie R. Hanzlik

Resources for Relationship Management  “Research Student & Supervisor”  L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS, 2009  “Setting Expectations and Resolving Conflicts in Graduate Education”  K. Klomparens, et al., CGS, 2008  “Making the Implicit Explicit – Creating Performance Expectations for the Dissertation”  B. E. Lovitts, Stylus, 2007  “On the Right Track: A Manual for Research Mentors”  M. King, CGS,  2 Graduate School – Colorado State University

What we hope to accomplish:  Understand what are some recurring problems we see at CSU and across the US, in general  Share some observations about graduate student experiences across the disciplines  Share some best practices among programs  Improve the graduate student experience  Retain graduate students in our programs  80% achieve the Master’s who start  58% achieve the PhD who start  Most students leave in the first 3 years  Become a destination graduate university Graduate School – Colorado State University 3

 Understanding the Student/Advisor Partnership  Framework of the Graduate Program  Expectations for the Thesis/Dissertation  Critical Challenges to Success  Developing a Mentoring Program  Key elements for a Student Handbook – group discussion Graduate School – Colorado State University 4

Student/Advisor Relationship – Intellectual Partnerships  Two aspects to faculty supervision  Creativity – most critical  Stimulate and excite students in the field  Select appropriate problems  Provide a steady stream of ideas, critiques  Making appropriate progress towards the degree  Maintain a steady presence in the student’s life  Develop networks in the discipline 5 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Graduate School – Colorado State University

Elements of the Partnership  Students & Faculty  Career Development  Gainful Employment  Elements  Intellectual growth  Curiosity  Passion for research  Time and $ ̶ Time to degree ̶ Likelihood of completion  Degree is not the ultimate goal – it’s a career  Unique relationship with advisor – not like UG  Success relies on guidance/familiarity of elements 6 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Graduate School – Colorado State University

Communication is Vital Graduate School – Colorado State University 7 When you talk, you repeat what you already know; when you listen, you often learn something. - - Jared Sparks

The Framework of the Program – Student Handbook  Framework provides a shared understanding of the critical elements for success in the program  Structure and time in formal coursework  Assessing coursework in relation to the program – the core competencies  Requirements for rotations/selecting a mentor  Expectations for financial support  Expectations for Responsible Conduct of Research training  Clear description of exam(s) to candidacy – critical thinking  Timetable for submitting written work such as original proposals  Timetable and expectations for oral presentations  Expected timeline for degree and its components above 8 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Graduate School – Colorado State University

Do the hurdles meet expectations? Graduate School – Colorado State University 9

Qualities of a Thesis/Dissertation  Purpose of the thesis in the discipline  Nature/significance of an Original Contribution  Identifying what is the student’s contribution v. team  Journals format thesis, copyright, intellectual property  Components of the thesis  Introduction, body of the work, literature review  Quality of the thesis  Examples of quality products, departmental/faculty expectations, preparing the electronic Thesis/Dissertation Graduate School – Colorado State University 10 Q: What are the quality standards? A: HIGH! Q: How long should my thesis be? A: Long enough to cover the topic. Q: How exhaustive should my lit review be? A: Exhaustive! “Making the Implicit Explicit,” B. E. Lovitts, Stylus, 2007.

Thesis expectations…. Graduate School – Colorado State University 11

Critical Challenges to Success  Time is the Enemy  Inexperienced students & time management  Perfectionism (student and faculty)  Distractions (student and faculty)  Faculty funding  Poor relationship  Early Research is Key  REU or UG research experiences – incoming students  Develop research habits early (lab/research/practicum courses)  Reading literature – critical reading and thinking  Independent research – opportunities to fail and recover  Attending departmental seminars – communication skills  Boot camp for graduate school 12 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Graduate School – Colorado State University

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 Perfectionism  Early timetables  Setting and understanding expectations  Avoiding the “just one more experiment” trap  Faculty  Establish and enforce timelines early  Write up what has been achieved  Identifying what are the next steps/holes in data  Regular reports feed annual reports to funding agencies  Encourage weekly updates and oral reporting 14 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Critical Challenges to Success Graduate School – Colorado State University

 Distraction and Diversion  Students or faculty “hooked” on a new technique or idea  Tangents into “interesting observations”  Advisor needs to tie these together for students sometimes  Faculty Funding and Accessibility  Funding is fluid in research – share the understanding of how funding works.  A “half-time” appointment doesn’t mean you only need to work 20 hours a week on the project.  Understanding departmental policies on funding for students  Communication with students is critical  Rotations provide a “honeymoon” period  Understanding expectations is critical to relationship 15 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Critical Challenges to Success Graduate School – Colorado State University

Different stages of the relationship… Graduate School – Colorado State University 16

Tips for Successful Advising  Access  Regular meetings with students  Limit or focus time away from campus  Communication is critical  Freedom  Encourage collaboration, broad coursework, seminars, workshops, international research opportunities  Collaboration  Involve postdocs, committee in advising  Encourage interdisciplinary thinking, teamwork  Exposure  Students should present orally as often as possible  Take or send students to professional meetings  Use internships or summer workshops 17 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Graduate School – Colorado State University

Tips for Advising - Continued  Setting expectations for BOTH the advisor and student  Timelines and components of graduate program parameters:  Choosing a graduate committee, lab activity, funding- teaching/research assistantships, prelims, etc.  Goals  How?  Formal or informal orientation courses or department meetings  Individual advisor/student meetings  Peer mentoring as a function of department infrastructure Graduate School – Colorado State University 18

The Framework of the Program – Discussion: what do you have?  Framework provides a shared understanding of the critical elements for success in the program  Structure and time in formal coursework  Assessing coursework in relation to the program – the core competencies  Requirements for rotations/selecting a mentor  Expectations for financial support  Clear description of exam(s) to candidacy – critical thinking  Timetable for submitting written work such as original proposals  Timetable and expectations for oral presentations  Expected timeline for degree and its components above 19 “Research Student & Supervisor,” L. DeNeef, M. King, D. Denecke, CGS,2009. Graduate School – Colorado State University

Additional Resources     Graduate Advisors association     pdf Graduate School – Colorado State University 20