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    2019 Press Releases

    Sally Pratt of University of Southern California to Serve as Chair of CGS Board (12/11/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) Board of Directors has announced its officers for the 2020 term. CGS is governed by a 12-member Board of Directors drawn from member institutions. Board members serve for set terms. Dr. Sally Pratt, vice provost for graduate programs at the University of Southern California, was announced as the 2020 Board Chair at the conclusion of the 2019 CGS Annual Meeting.

     

    Barbara A. Knuth Receives Debra W. Stewart Award for Outstanding Leadership in Graduate Education (12/05/2019)

    The Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has announced that Dr. Barbara A. Knuth, dean of The Graduate School at Cornell University, is the 2019 recipient of the Debra W. Stewart Award for Outstanding Leadership in Graduate Education. Knuth received the honor at an awards ceremony held during the CGS 59th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.

     

    Judith Stoddart Wins Assistant and Associate Deans Leadership Award (12/05/2019)

    The Board of Directors of the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has announced that Dr. Judith Stoddart, senior associate dean, The Graduate School at Michigan State University (MSU), is the 2019 Winner of the Assistant and Associate Deans Leadership Award. The awards ceremony was held during the CGS 59th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.

     

    Wayne State University Receives ETS/CGS Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education (12/05/2019)

    Today the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) and Educational Testing Service (ETS) presented Wayne State University (WSU) with the 2019 ETS/CGS Award for Innovation in Promoting Success in Graduate Education: From Admission through Completion. Dr. Ingrid Guerra-López, dean of the Graduate School, accepted the co-sponsored award on Wayne State’s behalf during the award ceremony at CGS’s 59th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.

     

    Nasser Mufti Receives 2019 Arlt Award in the Humanities (12/05/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has awarded the 2019 Gustave O. Arlt Award in the Humanities to Dr. Nasser Mufti, associate professor of English at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The awards ceremony was held during the CGS 59th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN.

     

    Winners of 2019 CGS/ProQuest® Distinguished Dissertation Awards Announced (12/05/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools / ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards, the nation’s most prestigious honors for doctoral dissertations, were presented to Kishauna E. Soljour and Brian M. Sweis during the Council’s award ceremony at the 59th Annual Meeting in Nashville, TN. Dr. Soljour received her PhD in May 2019 at Syracuse University in history, and Dr. Sweis completed his PhD in 2018 from the University of Minnesota – Twin Cities in neuroscience.

     

    CGS Announces Additional Funding to Continue Work on Career Pathways of Humanities PhDs (11/19/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) announced grant funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation for The Humanities Coalition, a new effort that will expand CGS’s work to understand and support the careers of PhDs. This latest endeavor seeks to further enhance our understanding of humanities PhDs and their careers and to refine humanities-specific strategies for curricular change and program improvement. One component of the new initiative is additional research to better understand the nature of early career transitions for humanists.

     

    Employers and Graduate School Leaders Convene to Examine the Future of the Global Workforce (10/09/2019)

    On October 4, the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) convened the inaugural meeting of the CGS Employer Roundtable, a group of senior leaders representing employers of graduate degree holders in various fields and other higher education stakeholders.  The Employer Roundtable will advise CGS leadership on workforce issues and serve as the leading voice on graduate student workforce preparedness.

     

    Graduate Application & First-Time Enrollment Counts on the Rise at U.S. Colleges and Universities (10/08/2019)

    Today the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reported that graduate applications (2.2%) and first-time graduate enrollment (2.1%) increased overall and across all institution types (Doctoral Highest, Higher, and Moderate Research Institutions and Master’s Colleges and Universities) for Fall 2018. While the overall numbers are on the rise, first-time graduate enrollment of international students continues to decline (-1.3%). The data are part of the latest CGS/GRE Graduate Enrollment & Degrees: 2008-2018 report.

     

    AERA and CGS Awarded NSF Grant to Advance Academic Support for Open Science (09/27/2019)

    The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) have received a collaborative grant from the National Science Foundation to convene higher education leaders, education researchers, and related scientists to advance academic support for open science.  

     

    University Leaders Issue Statement of Principles and Practical Actions to Promote Graduate Student Mental Health and Wellbeing (09/17/2019)

    Leaders of graduate institutions from 16 countries across six continents recently agreed on a set of principles and practical actions supporting graduate student mental health and wellbeing.

     

    New Initiative to Support Graduate Student Mental Health and Wellness (08/20/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools, (CGS) an association of universities that grant master’s and doctoral degrees, and The Jed Foundation (JED), a non-profit that exists to protect emotional health and prevent suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults, today announced a new initiative to support the mental health and wellness of master’s and doctoral students.

     

    CGS Supports Legislation Expanding Access to Graduate Education (06/20/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools applauds the bipartisan introduction of the Expanding Access to Graduate Education Act (H.R. 3334), introduced by Representatives Ann McLane Kuster (D-NH), Fred Upton (R-MI), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Tim Burchett (R-TN), and Harley Rouda (D-CA). H.R. 3334 would provide graduate students who received Pell Grant support as undergraduates and who remain income-eligible the ability to apply remaining semesters of Pell support towards a graduate degree.

     

    Charles Ambler Named 2019-2020 CGS Dean-in-Residence (03/18/2019)

    The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) has announced that Charles Ambler, currently associate provost and dean of the Graduate School at The University of Texas at El Paso, has been named the CGS Dean-in-Residence for 2019-2020.

     

    International Graduate Applications and Enrollments Continue to Decline at U.S. Institutions (02/07/2019)

    New data from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) reveal that for the second consecutive year, international graduate application and first-time enrollment rates declined at U.S. universities.

     

    CGS is the leading source of information, data analysis, and trends in graduate education. Our benchmarking data help member institutions to assess performance in key areas, make informed decisions, and develop plans that are suited to their goals.
    CGS Best Practice initiatives address common challenges in graduate education by supporting institutional innovations and sharing effective practices with the graduate community. Our programs have provided millions of dollars of support for improvement and innovation projects at member institutions.
    As the national voice for graduate education, CGS serves as a resource on issues regarding graduate education, research, and scholarship. CGS collaborates with other national stakeholders to advance the graduate education community in the policy and advocacy arenas.  
    CGS is an authority on global trends in graduate education and a leader in the international graduate community. Our resources and meetings on global issues help members internationalize their campuses, develop sustainable collaborations, and prepare their students for a global future.