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12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School1 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF PROGRAMMATIC CHANGE: Ph.D. COMPLETION AT DUKE UNIVERSITY CGS Annual Meeting.

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Presentation on theme: "12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School1 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF PROGRAMMATIC CHANGE: Ph.D. COMPLETION AT DUKE UNIVERSITY CGS Annual Meeting."— Presentation transcript:

1 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School1 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL AS AN AGENT OF PROGRAMMATIC CHANGE: Ph.D. COMPLETION AT DUKE UNIVERSITY CGS Annual Meeting 2007

2 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School2 Duke University Graduate School in the early 1990s: Duke University had made major investments in strengthening faculty in the humanities and biological sciences in the 1980s in order to become a major national research university In order to attract and retain that faculty, the university committed to improve the quality of its Ph.D. programs in order to attract students who would match the strength of its faculty. In the early 1990s, Duke was basing the size of its Ph.D. programs primarily on the need of faculty for teaching and research assistants – students were a source of inexpensive labor and often taught 2 or 3 sections per semester until graduation. Fellowships were rare and services were few. In selecting students, most Ph.D. programs gave heavy emphasis to standardized test scores (GRE) and undergraduate GPAs. In large departments, applications with scores below a certain number were simply not read.

3 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School3 The Graduate School was given new leadership and funding resources in 1991 and a mandate to markedly improve the quality of its Ph.D. students and programs.

4 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School4 Faculty consensus on Graduate School goals and policies in early 1990s: Duke departments and programs should admit Ph.D. students based on their potential for highest quality scholarship rather than primarily to meet service needs of departments or faculty. Duke should provide adequate funding and minimize service requirements so that Ph.D. students can have time to be students and complete the degree in a reasonable period of time.

5 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School5 Faculty consensus on Graduate School goals and policies in early 1990s: All aspects of the Graduate School should be as transparent as possible to faculty and students. The Graduate School should be a major reservoir of information to permit administration, faculty, and students to assess the relative quality of departments and programs over time. The Graduate School should collect and publish data on student quality, progress to degree, job placements. The Graduate School should base allocation of funds to departments on rational criteria that provide incentives for improvements in quality of graduate programs.

6 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School6 How does one assess Ph.D. program quality? Faculty reputation rankings External reviews by respected scholars Program selectivity and yield Input measures for students: Undergraduate institution, GPA, GRE Ability to win competitive merit fellowships Quality of Ph.D. placements High completion rates; low time to degree Research productivity: publications, citations

7 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School7 THE GRADUATE SCHOOL COLLECTS DATA -- A STUDY OF Ph.D. COMPLETION AT DUKE: Ph.D. cohorts from Fall 1991 through Fall 1995 were examined for each Duke degree granting program for % Completion (as of Fall 2004) Patterns of withdrawal from Ph.D. program Median Time to Degree Effect of Variables such as GRE scores, GPA, Race, Gender, and Merit Fellowship selection

8 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School8 EFFECT OF GPA/GRE SCORES, J.B. DUKE FELLOWSHIP SELECTION, RACE, AND GENDER ON Ph.D. COMPLETION RATES (1991-95 Cohorts )

9 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School9 SOME FACTORS BELIEVED TO INFLUENCE SUCCESS IN GRADUATE STUDY Ability to Reason & Think Critically* Knowledge of Subject Matter** Creativity Motivation Persistence Ability to learn and function independently understanding difference between undergraduate and graduate education Research ability Interpersonal & Communication (*) Skills Financial Support Family & Personal Circumstances Perceived Opportunities for Employment Features of Graduate Experience (e.g., fit with faculty interests and program expectations, mentoring, integration into discipline and program)

10 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School10 CONCLUSIONS (1): High GRE (V and Q) and high GPAs do not correlate well with Ph.D. completion in any field. ---This conclusion should not have been surprising (but it was to many faculty) because the ability to complete the long course of Ph.D. study obviously involves many factors.

11 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School11 CONCLUSIONS (2): Duke faculty CAN pick students who are more likely to complete than the general population based on a close and critical reading of all application materials. In all fields, J.B.Duke fellowship awardees complete significantly more than others with similar high GRE scores and GPAs.

12 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School12 CONCLUSIONS (3): CAREFUL SELECTION, TARGETED FELLOWSHIP SUPPORT AND GOOD MENTORING DO WORK: Dukes African-American Ph.D. students complete the degree at higher rates than the general population (and even the JB Duke scholars) in all fields except the Physical Sciences and Engineering (where the numbers are very low).

13 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School13 INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE Ph.D. COMPLETION RATE AT DUKE AFTER 1995: BETTER INFORMED SELECTION BY FACULTY Reduce emphasis on GRE scores and GPAs – data show poor correlation with completion as Duke uses them Carefully read entire application: Emphasize demonstrated research experience Interview students before admitting them – campus visits and/or by telephone with international students

14 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School14 INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE Ph.D. COMPLETION RATE AT DUKE AFTER 1995: BETTER INFORMED SELECTION BY STUDENTS (and FACULTY) Exchange information to learn fit rather than just sell program Transparency: Put on Web all Duke data on placement, time to degree, completion rates in each program – student should know what (s)he is getting into before undertaking Ph.D. study at Duke

15 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School15 INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE Ph.D. COMPLETION RATE AT DUKE AFTER 1995: IMPROVED PROGRAMS Require structured teaching experiences for graduate TAs where career-appropriate Graduate school workshops in pedagogy and uses of instructional technology; expanded PFF program; Pathways to the Professoriate Field-specific symposia to introduce career options to Ph.D. students

16 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School16 INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE Ph.D. COMPLETION RATE AT DUKE AFTER 1995: IMPROVED STUDENT FUNDING MECHANISMS Instituted 5-6 year funding guarantee in all A&S units; generally support to degree in sciences Sharply reduced student teaching loads; more fellowship in early years – Lab Science departments brought closer to Biomedical Sciences funding model Competitive summer research support introduced Changed the way funds for Ph.D. student support are allocated to A&S departments

17 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School17 Allocation Formula for A&S Depts FTE are allocated to departments according to a set of criteria which provide positive incentives to improve graduate education in that department

18 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School18 Allocation Formula for A&S Depts Departments compete for a fixed pool of FTEs available in each division Factors used to determine FTE allocation: Number of graduate faculty in dept Number of faculty supervising Ph.D.s Relative Ph.D. completion rate Student quality: number of competitive merit fellowship recipients Number of Ph.D. students in years 1-5 (or 6) supported on external funds

19 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School19 EFFECT OF INTERVENTIONS ON COMPLETION

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27 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School27 HUMANITIES Ph.D. COMPLETION: DUKE vs. CGS DATA

28 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School28 HUMANITIES Ph.D. ATTRITION: DUKE vs. CGS DATA

29 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School29 Increased Completion, Reduced Attrition in Humanities

30 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School30 Increased Completion, Reduced Attrition in Social Sciences ECONOMICS UNCHANGED

31 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School31 Relatively Little Change in STEM Fields ENV and EOS Get Worse

32 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School32 7 Year Completion Rate Increases for Graduate School

33 12/5/2007Duke University Graduate School33 Data Can Lead to Change: Based on the results from Dukes completion data project, Engineering agreed that allocations for its departmental Ph.D. programs would be based on A&S factors and students given 1 st year fellowships. Attrition has been reduced markedly. Reallocation of funds seen as fair by departments and programs – even when funding reduced. Graduate School accepted as honest broker and catalyst for programmatic improvement: orientation, best practices, teacher training, research ethics, faculty mentoring, diversity, etc. Now I realize why we need a Graduate School!

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