Organization, Administration, and Improvement of

Graduate EducationDaniel Denecke, Ph.D.Program Director, Best Practices and PublicationsThe Council of Graduate Schools

NAGS Annual MeetingApril 10, 2008

www.cgsnet.org

The Council of Graduate Schools

Membership• 500 institutions of higher education in the

United States and Canada engaged in graduate education, research, and the preparation of candidates for advanced degrees.

• CGS members award 94% of the doctoral degrees and 80% of the master’s degrees in the United States.

Mission: “to improve and advance graduate education” through• Advocacy,• Research, and• Best Practices.

CGS 2004 Publication

Ch. 1 – The Role of the Graduate School in the

University Articulate a vision of excellence in scholarship and

education Provide quality control for all aspects of graduate

education Maintain equitable standards across academic

disciplines Define what graduate education is and what it is not Bring an institution-wide perspective to all

postbaccalaureate endeavors

Ch. 1 - The Role of the Graduate School in the

University (cont.) Provide an interdisciplinary perspective Enhance the intellectual community of scholars Serve as an advocate for graduate education Emphasize importance of preparing future scholars Develop ways to enhance undergraduate education Support graduate student services Serve as an advocate for issues and constituencies

critical to the success of graduate programs

Ch. 2 - Structural Elements of Graduate Education

Faculty units that supervise graduate study and recommend degrees: need not be departments

Chief Academic Officer responsible for graduate education: need not be a Dean

Degree-granting unit: Graduate School or decentralized

The Graduate Council, faculty governance Graduate student representation

Ch. 3 – Relationship to Research Administration

Sponsored research:• Facilitator, liaison, guidelines and policies

on RCR issues, grant and contract mgt., ensure compliance, and administer funds.

Two models for research administration:• (1) Combined duties (e.g. Vice Provost for

Research and Dean of Graduate Studies)• (2) Sole research duties (e.g. Vice

President, Vice Chancellor, or Vice Provost for Research)

Ch. 4 – A Compendium of Graduate School Activities

Program Content Students Faculty Administrative Support University-Wide Activities External Relations Research Administration

“Chapter 5” – Self-Reinvention

Best Practices Emerging Roles for the Graduate

School What’s Next

“Best Practices” Graduate degree completion Inclusiveness (pathways and pipelines) Professional development

• E.g. Professional Master’s Degrees• Preparing Future Faculty• Preparing Future Professionals

Research integrity • Responsible Conduct of Research

• Ethical Deliberation• Integration into the fabric of graduate education

(intercultural, interactive, interdisciplinary)

Emerging Roles for the Graduate School in the

University (1) Assess the role and responsibility of

the graduate school in the education of post-doctorates

Define the graduate school’s position on professional doctorates

Strengthen graduate school’s ties with the community and the public

Situate campus efforts in a national context

Emerging Roles for the Graduate School in the

University (2) Ground discussions in empirical data

• Enrollment management > completion management > alumni tracking

• External grants bring national visibility to campus efforts, can help garner support of senior administration (President, Chancellor), and can strengthen community.

Emerging Roles for the Graduate School in the

University (3) Provide a Global Context

• International Students• International Competition• Employability• Responsible Research and the Public

Good

What’s Next? Graduate Education in 2020?

• Who (or what) will fund our institutions and our students in the future? How will new structures of funding impact research and graduate education?

• How might the political climate impact the relative weight of (sometimes competing) domestic pathways and international student mobility priorities?

• Can innovation be taught? Are our pedagogies of innovation being emulated?

• Are we preparing future scholars and professionals for a global research community?