Best Practices for Enhancing the Quality of Doctoral Degrees Dr. Dorris R. Robinson-Gardner Dean, The Division of Graduate Studies and Professor of Higher Education Administration January 30 – 31, 2006 Updated 2009, 2010, 2014

Doctoral Education at Jackson State University  Jackson State University (JSU) was classified as a doctoral research intensive university by the Carnegie Commission in  This classification was based on doctoral production in 1998 (awarding 20+ doctoral degrees, per year, across three disciplines).  The Carnegie Commission reclassified JSU as “high research” in 2006 based on doctoral degree production and expenditures of federal research resources.

Purpose  To revisit best practices for doctoral education and specifically quality in dissertations as articulated by the Council of Graduate Schools.  To incorporate current best practices in departmental handbooks, guides and other university publications distributed to doctoral scholars.  To establish clarity regarding policies and procedures of quality doctoral education.  To disseminate current and accurate information to the doctoral community of scholars.  To increase the doctoral completion rate in a timely manner.

Awarding of Doctoral Degrees  The inaugural Ed. D was awarded in Early Childhood Education in  The first Ph. D. was awarded in Education, Administration and Supervision in  Other Ph.D.’s included environmental science in 1996; public administration in 1997; clinical psychology in 2001; business administration, chemistry and social work in 2003; urban and regional planning in 2004; and urban higher education in  The first Dr. P.H. was awarded Spring 2009.

Degree Types (3) Ed.D.Ph.D. Dr. P.H.

Doctoral Programs  Ed.D in Early Childhood Education  Ph.D. in Business Administration  Ph.D. in Chemistry  Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology  Ph.D. in Education Administration  Ph.D. in Environmental Science  Ph.D. in Public Administration  Ph.D. in Social Work  Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning  Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education  Ph.D. in Engineering  Ph.D. in Computational Data  Dr. P.H. in Public Health

Doctoral Programs by Colleges and Implementation Dates

College of Business Ph.D. in Business (1997)

College of Education and Human Development Ed. D. in Early Childhood Education (1978) Ph.D. in Education Administration (1989) Ph.D. in Urban Higher Education (2004)

College of Liberal Arts Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology (1992)

College of Public Service Ph.D. in Public Administration (1991) Ph.D. in Social Work (1997) Ph.D. in Urban and Regional Planning (2000) Dr.P.H. in Public Health (2005)

College of Science, Engineering and Technology Ph.D. in Chemistry (1991) Ph.D. in Environmental Science (1992) Ph.D. in Engineering (2014) Ph.D. in Computational Data (2014)

Graduate Faculty Approval  ALL FACULTY MEMBERS delivering graduate instruction, research or service must apply and be granted graduate faculty status.  Applications for graduate faculty status are available on the Graduate School website. The Graduate

Graduate Faculty Approval  Applications must be complete with requested information and appropriate recommendations from departmental chairpersons and academic school deans for review by the Graduate Faculty Status Committee of the Graduate Council. Incomplete applications are not considered for review purposes.  Applications must be submitted to the Division of Graduate Studies. The DGS forwards the applications to the chairperson of the Graduate Faculty Status Committee for a recommendation to the Graduate Council. The Graduate Council approves/disapproves the recommendation.  The Provost grants graduate faculty status with an official letter of appointment.

Graduate Faculty Approval  Approved applications are forwarded to the Provost for granting written approval to applicants with copies to department heads, academic deans and graduate school.  Applications not approved are returned to academic departments indicating reasons for denial.  Applications are reviewed during the academic year only.

Graduate Faculty  Graduate Faculty may teach graduate courses, supervise and serve on supervisory (dissertation/thesis) committees, vote on nominations for the Graduate Council and serve as members of the Graduate Council.  Associate Graduate Faculty may teach graduate courses, supervise masters’ theses, co- supervise doctoral dissertations, serve on supervisory committees vote on nominations for the Graduate Council and serve as members of the Graduate Council.

Assistant Graduate Faculty Assistant Graduate faculty may teach graduate courses,, serve on supervisory committees vote on nominations for the Graduate Council and serve as members of the Graduate Council.

Adjunct Graduate Faculty May TEACH graduate courses, and SERVE on dissertation and thesis committees ONLY.

Approved Graduate Faculty Faculty members with graduate faculty status are listed in the Graduate Catalog with updates listed on the Graduate School website. Faculty members with graduate faculty status are listed in the Graduate Catalog with updates listed on the Graduate School website.

Best Practices  Graduate Schools provide careful review of credentials of graduate faculty members.  Academic departments provide new and existing graduate faculty members with professional development training for their programs.  Graduate Schools provide university-wide professional development training for new/existing graduate faculty members.

 Dissertation/Thesis Handbooks inform both graduate faculty members and students of rights and responsibilities.  Graduate Schools advise graduate scholars to review credentials of faculty members before selecting them to chair dissertations.  Graduate schools give faculty members intellectual reaffirmation through awards and certificates for their contributions to graduate education.  Graduate schools evaluate graduate faculty members through a comprehensive five-year review process.

 Universities provide incentives for responsible dissertation supervision when they give more weight to dissertation advising in salary and promotion decisions.

Elements of Handbooks for Dissertation Advisers and Scholars  Detailed statements of major stages of the process including deadlines and time limits.  An updated list of previous dissertation topics with names of former dissertation chairpersons; research interest of faculty; and expected periods of absence and retirements of faculty members.  A guide on how to select a dissertation chairperson.

 Appropriate scope and nature of a dissertation.  University guidelines on IRB, IACAUC approval and other intellectual property rights.  Departmental expectations for faculty members reading, editing, evaluating and providing written feedback on research materials to scholars in a timely manner.  Departmental/external support for dissertations.

The Dissertation The Dissertation  The process of writing a dissertation fulfills two major purposes:  (1) it is an intensive, highly professional training experience; the successful completion of which demonstrates the scholar’s ability to address a major intellectual problem and arrive at a successful conclusion independently and at a high level of professional competence, and  (2) a dissertation constitutes an original contribution to knowledge in the field. (CGS, 2005) 

Quality Dissertation Results  The dissertation should  (1) reveal the student’s ability to analyze, interpret and synthesize research results;  (2) include a hypotheses; research methodology and procedures used;  (3) demonstrate relevant knowledge of the literature;  (4) present results in a sequential and logical manner;  (5) discuss fully and coherently the meaning of the results.

Evaluating the Dissertation  Dissertations must be defended in an announced, open public forum.  Committee members must be present (physical or electronic presence) for the defense, vote on the defense, and provide written and concise feedback to scholars immediately after the defense.  Identical evaluative instruments must be used to assess performance of each scholar.  A written copy of results, including concerns, request for additional research or modifications with timelines must be provided to the scholar, departmental chairperson and academic dean of the college or designee.

Ethical Issues  Graduate faculty and students must understand ethical issues involved in research as well as the consequences.  Consequences for unethical behavior apply to students, faculty, the institution and to scholarship for any erosion of integrity.  The highest standards of ethical conduct are expected by graduate faculty and students.

 The most important ones concern plagiarism; falsification of experimental data; improper use of human and animal subjects; ownership of research, disregard of health and safety standards; and conflict of interest involving industrial and private companies funding the research.

Sponsored, Classified or Proprietary Research  Research that is classified by a governmental agency or that is proprietary in nature and restricted with regard to publication is widely held by universities to be unsuitable for doctoral research. An essential aspect of dissertation research and scholarship is the free and full dissemination of research results.

Intellectual Property Rights  The university has developed clear, written policies about the ownership of intellectual property rights.  The doctoral scholar retains copyright over the dissertation.  The university typically retains ownership of any research products/produced during candidacy that result from the student’s use of university resources, facilities, and faculty supervision.

Patents  Doctoral scholars may be asked to sign institutional agreements regarding how authorship responsibilities for research results will be allocated; how patentable materials will be handled, and who will process the patent application and own royalties.  The Office of Research provides information on patents.

The Doctorate  The student who has satisfactorily completed all requirements is awarded the doctoral degree.  The degree is a recognition of the fact that the student has demonstrated mastery of a field, successfully completed and defended a dissertation, presented formally the results of the research and appreciates its significance in the context of the general field.