Pathways beyond the PhD: Enhancing Skills & Careers at U.S. Graduate Institutions Julia Kent Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) TRANS-DOC Closing Seminar Brussels, October 15, 2012
Council of Graduate Schools Member organization with over 500 members (U.S. and Canada) and 25 international members U.S. members award 92% of U.S. PhDs, and 81% of master s degrees Primary representatives are graduate deans or their equivalent about 60% of deans share oversight for both research and graduate education Activities: Advocacy, Research and Best Practices
Presentation Overview I. Global Collaboration on Transferable Skills for PhDs II. III. Defining Needs in the U.S. The Pathways Project Learning Outcomes for Research Training Ethics Education in Science & Engineering (EESE)
I. Global Collaboration on Transferable Skills for PhDs
CGS Global Summit on Graduate Education Annual since 2007, often co-convened with international partner Participants: Graduate deans (or equivalent) from 29 countries in 6-year history Designed to share, compare best practices in graduate education globally Special focus on graduate education & research in a global context
2012 Global Summit - Germany
Global Summit and PhD Skills Research & Scholarly Integrity (2008) Italy International Collaborations (2009) - U.S. Measuring Quality (2010) Australia Partners: Group of Eight & Deans & Directors of Graduate Studies in Australia Career Pathways (2011) Hong Kong Partner: University of Hong Kong Brain Circulation and Global Skills (2012) Partner: Technische Universität Munchen
Summit Consensus Points Measuring Quality (2010) Quality assessment must go beyond the assessment of research quality to address topics such as: Admission criteria and recruitment Student Learning Outcomes, including transferable skills Mentoring and supervising structures Infrastructure for (post)-graduate training Quality of student experience Measures of completion and attrition Career placement both inside and outside academe
Summit Consensus Points Career Outcomes (2011) (Post)graduate institutions and faculty require a solid understanding of the conceptual and personal skills needed to lead and contribute to the global knowledge community. These skills must be deep (within skills and fields of research) as well as broad (transferable to a range of professional activities).
Summit Consensus Points Brain Circulation (2012) It is important for universities & graduate schools to: Identify specific global competencies within and across degree programs. Prepare students and faculty to use emerging technologies to advance and share knowledge globally.
II. Defining Needs in the U.S.
Pathways through Graduate School and into Careers A Joint Commission of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS) 2012 Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19054
The Approach Little was known about how the work lives of graduate degree holders develop and how well they are prepared for the careers they pursue The commission s work examined the views of three groups students, universities, and employers that directly observe and experience graduate career pathways Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19170
Recommendations for Universities Broaden the focus of graduate education to include professional skills: Working in a team environment Creating and delivering presentations Business knowledge Project management Communicating technical issues to a nontechnical audience Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19170
Recommendations for Universities Make career counseling services available to graduate students Professional skills development Guidance in preparing for a variety of career options Connect graduate students with alumni Enhance collaboration with industry and government Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19170
Recommendations for Universities Track beyond initial employment following graduate school Provide this information to faculty Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19170
Recommendations for Employers Enhance and expand collaborative relationships with graduate education Make strategic investments in graduate education programs Provide support for employees pursuing graduate studies while employed Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19170
Recommendations for Policymakers Establish a Professional Plus Program Increase federal government support for graduate education COMPETES doctoral traineeship program New Integrative Graduate Humanities Education and Research Training program Create an advisory commission to support workforce priorities Copyright 2012 by Educational Testing Service. All rights reserved. 19170
III. Learning Outcomes for Research Training
Modeling Effective Research Ethics Education in Graduate International Collaborations: A Learning Outcomes Approach
Project Overview Funded by NSF s Ethics Education in Science and Engineering (EESE) program through the Office of International Science and Engineering (OISE) Goal: to advance the integration of research ethics education into graduate international collaborations in STEM fields and to enhance the preparation of graduate students for the ethical issues that arise in international STEM research.
Objectives 1. To identify general and field-specific research ethics skills needed for successful international collaboration and 2. To contribute to our understanding of how best to teach those skills at the graduate level.
University Activities Develop, integrate, and/or enhance research ethics education in graduate international collaborations Develop and test learning outcomes for research ethics education in international collaborations that address multiple aspects of learning in three core areas: cultural contexts, research practice, and ethical values and frameworks.
Project Values for Learning Outcomes Learning outcomes should reflect the diversity of learning objectives in fieldspecific knowledge characteristic of graduate education, and Faculty take a lead position in the definition of appropriate outcomes based on those objectives.
Development of Templates 1. Sample Templates based on synthesis research Preliminary categories focused on priority areas of RCR Previous EESE projects- desired learning outcomes 2. Advisory Committee Meeting- first review and workshop Graduate Deans, broad STEM representation STEM Researchers on NSF-funded int l collaborations Experts in Learning Outcomes Assessment Experts in International Research Integrity Education 3. Coding and Regrouping of Sample Outcomes 4. Final Review by Experts
Sample Learning Outcomes Cultural Contexts: Prioritize the importance of research integrity issues in the context of an international collaboration and identify areas where compromise is or is not possible. Research Practices: Analyze ethical and practical challenges of sharing data and resources among international research partners. Ethical Frameworks: Formulate and analyze alternative ways to solve an ethical problem in international research.
Thank You For more information about the Pathways Project or the CGS Global Summit, please contact: Julia Kent Director, Global Communications & Best Practices Council of Graduate Schools jkent@cgs.nche.edu For more information about the EESE Project, please contact: Daniel Denecke, ddenecke@cgs.nche.edu (PI) Julia Kent, jkent@cgs.nche.edu (co-pi)