December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 1 Ph.D. Completion Project: Tools and Templates 46 th CGS Annual Meeting Technical Workshop December 9, 2006 Daniel Denecke, Director, Ph.D. Completion Project Helen Frasier, Program Manager, CGS Best Practices Kenneth Redd, Director, Research and Policy Analysis

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 2 Ph.D. Completion Project Data Templates Completion Data Attrition Data Factor Assessments Exit Survey Templates Standard Short-form Online Aggregate Demographic Completion Data

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December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 5 Completion Template - Data Definitions By cohort, we mean students entering a doctoral program during a given academic year (summer, fall/winter, spring). By candidacy, we mean the successful completion of coursework and qualifying examinations. A. Successful completion of preliminary exams and/or defense of the dissertation prospectus B. Award of the master's degree signifies admission to doctoral candidacy C. Candidacy is not defined or granted by the institution D. Other

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 6 Completion Template - Data Questions Does your doctoral program require a master's degree prior to admission? Does your doctoral program have a continuous enrollment policy? If so, when is this policy effective? for all entering students? for students admitted to candidacy? Does your program or institution distinguish between those seeking a master's and those seeking a Ph.D.?

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 7 Completion Template - Data Entry

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 8 Completion & Attrition Data - Data Verification The "Attrition Check" columns include continuing students. These columns indicate the numbers of students who must be accounted for on the Attrition Template. For accurate attrition data, please see the Attrition Template

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 9 Attrition Template - Data Definitions Years 1-4: Without MA = Withdrawal without receiving a master's degree from the program (within first 4 years following initial enrollment) With MA - without C = Withdrawal with completed master's degree without candidacy (within first 4 years following initial enrollment) With Candidacy = Withdrawal after achieving candidacy, with or without a master's degree (within first 4 years following initial enrollment)

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 10 Attrition Template - Data Definitions Years 5-10: Withdrew = Left Ph.D. program after year 4 (with or without master's degree) Transfer Out = Left program to continue Ph.D. in another program / institution (e.g., to accompany advisor to another program or institution) Stopout = Temporary leave from Ph.D. program (for personal, family, financial, … reasons; intending to return) Ph.D. Degree = Ph.D. degree completed and conferred within the year indicated Continuing = Enrolled in Ph.D. program and continuing work toward the degree Info Unknown = Not enrolled, but no further information about status in Ph.D. program

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 11 Attrition Template - Data Entry

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 12 Attrition Template - Data Entry

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 13 Completion & Attrition Data - Data Readiness Data Readiness Challenges of the Completion and Attrition Templates Student Degree Objective Mastering out With vs. Without Candidacy Transfers and Stop-outs

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 14 Factor Assessment Templates - Institution and Program The Factor Assessment tools are designed to collect baseline information about: The duration of existing policies, practices, and programs Those activities proposed for implementation in the Ph.D. Completion Project. (If your institution and programs submitted Pre-Project Assessments during Phase I, you are encouraged, but not required, to submit Factor Assessment Templates.)

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 15 Factor Assessment Templates - Areas of Interventions Admissions Advising, Mentoring, and Research Financial Support and Funding Structures Program Environment Administrative Processes and Procedures Not all policies, practices, and programs are recommended or advisable for every program or every institution. While many of the policies, practices, and programs listed on the Factor Assessment Templates may be conducive to Ph.D. completion in many programs, it is not intended as a prescriptive list for every institution.

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 16 Factor Assessment Templates - Data Entry

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 17 Factor Assessment Templates - Data Entry

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 18 Student Exit Surveys - Demographic Information

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 19 Student Exit Surveys - Areas of Interventions General Questions Selection/Admissions Advising & Mentoring Financial Support Curricular Processes & Procedures Program Environment Research Experience Career Placement & Professional Development

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 20 Student Exit Surveys - Areas of Interventions Final (Qualitative) Questions What was the most positive aspect of your graduate program? What was the least positive aspect of your graduate program? What would you recommend your program and/or university do to attract, retain and graduate more and better students?

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 21 CGS Online Exit Surveys: Sample Survey Links Standard length survey: Short-form survey:

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 22 Aggregate Demographic Completion Template - Data Definitions By cohort, we mean students entering a doctoral program during a given academic year (summer, fall/winter, spring). By candidacy, we mean the successful completion of coursework and qualifying examinations. A. Successful completion of preliminary exams and/or defense of the dissertation prospectus B. Award of the master's degree signifies admission to doctoral candidacy C. Candidacy is not defined or granted by the institution D. Other

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 23 Aggregate Demographic Completion Templates – Fields & Groups Engineering Life Sciences Mathematics Physical Sciences Social Sciences Humanities Male Female American Indian/AK Native Asian American Black Hispanic White Other International

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools 24 Demographic Completion Data Forthcoming changes in Demographic Data Collection

December 9, 2006 Council of Graduate Schools Daniel Denecke Helen Frasier Kenneth Redd