On April 3 and 4, CGS will welcome a group of 40 member deans and graduate students to particiate in the 2019 CGS Advocay Hill Day. The two-day event will feature a training session in preparation for the Hill visits and meetings on Capitol Hill with their Congressional offices in both the House and Senate. This is an excellent opportunity for the community to advocate for the value of graduate education, science, and research. 

Alexandra Kralick, a doctoral student in anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, studies the growth and development of sex differences in great apes and humans. Kralick recently spent time examining orangutan bones in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History’s mammal collection to understand how orangutan growth and development differ from humans.

Kralick wrote an article published in The Atlantic last November, which has been featured in other online publications, including Pacific Standard and Slate. In her article, Is Gender Written Into Your Skeleton? Kralick argues that based on her research, our bodies are too complicated to fit a legal, binary definition of sex. “Skeletal studies, the field that I work in as a doctoral student in anthropology, and the history of this field show how assumptions about sex can lead to profound mistakes, and how acknowledging that things are not really as binary as they may seem can help resolve those errors.” She summarizes the recent history of the binary and outlines instances that have proven it does not exist.

Kralick is currently a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow. She received her bachelor’s degree in biological anthropology from George Washington University, where she investigated the dental development in Virunga mountain gorillas in Rwanda. To learn more about Alexandra’s work visit the University of Pennsylvania website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

Final Program

Meeting Dates and Location
December 5-8, 2018
Omni Shoreham Hotel
Washington, DC

With nearly 700 meeting registrants, this year's annual meeting was our most successful yet! Annual meeting participants explored varied and important issues in graduate education. Participants—graduate deans; associate and assistant deans; faculty and staff from colleges/universities; association, federal and state agency, and other education-related administrators; graduate students, and others interested in graduate education—enjoyed a unique forum where they met leaders in their field and exchanged ideas and information.

Selected PowerPoint presentations from the 2018 CGS 58th Annual Meeting are below. Presentations are in chronological order by each category. Presentations are offered as Adobe Acrobat PDF files.

Pre-Meeting Workshop Presentations

Legal Issues
Traevena Byrd and Peter McDonough

Master's Level Enrollment Management
Janet Delany, Andrea Golato, and Olivia Nash

Basics of Data Visualization and Analysis
Andrew Campbell, Laura Carlson, Marij Gajdardziska-Josfiovska, and Robin Garrell

Supporting First-Generation and Underrepresented Students
Karin Elliot, David H. Jackson, and Cari Moorehead

PhD Professional Development for Diverse Careers
Peter Harries, Lisa Tedesco, and Paula M. Wood-Adam

Individual Development Plans: Roadmaps for Student Success
Suzanne E. Barbour, Jean-Pierre Delplanque, and Pushpalatha Murthy

Mission-Driven Admissions: A Holistic Perspective
Stanley Dunn, Carol Genetti, and Ambika Mathur

Master's Education in a Changing International Landscape
Josephine Nalbantoglu, Mark J.T. Smith, and Jerry B. Weinberg

Supporting Innovation in Dissertations and Theses
Karen DePauw, William J. Karpus, and Susan Porter

Using Student and Alumni Success to Tell Your School's Story
Michael McGrade, Lori McMahon, Brandy Randall, and Tammi Vacha-Hasse

Promoting Graduate Student Mental Health
Frances Leslie, Nance Roy, and Lisa Young

Review of Graduate Programs: Master's and Doctoral
Benjamin Caldwell, Barbara Krauthamer, and Paula D. McCalin

Concurrent Sessions Presentations

Using Data to Support the Lifecycle of Graduate Student Success
Sponsored by Liaison International
Larry Boles, Julie Masterson, and Robert Ruiz

Understanding the Master's Admissions Landscape
Robert Augustine, James Marshall, and Sheryl Tucker

Defining and Implementing Graduate Learning Outcomes
Ann R. Hawkins, Alan Leshner, and Mark J.T. Smith

Professional Development for International Students
Jennifer Bonds Raacke, Jerome Kukor, and Janet Rutledge

Great Expectations: Understanding Humanities PhD Career Pathways
Maureen McCarthy, Graham Hammill and Mary Farmer Kaiser

Leadership Progression: Pathways into the Deanship
William R. Graves, Scott Herness, and Sarah C. Larsen

Recruiting and Supporting Indigenous Students
Linda Mason, Fahim Quadir, and Janet Sturman
Fahim Quadir

How Machine Learning Will Change Graduate Admissions
Sponsored by Kira Talent
Lisa Armistead, Emilie Cushman, and Jerry Weinberg

Navigating the Sea of Surveys
Barbara Knuth and Phillip Trella

Promoting Graduate Student Health and Wellness
Elizabeth Klonoff, Kim LaScola Needy, and Susan Porter

Preparing Future Faculty to Assess Student Learning
Thomas Jeitschko, James Wimbush, and Marjorie Zatz

Partnerships with Regional Stakeholders
Jasbir Dhaliwal, Scott Lanyon, and Aimée Surprenant

Lightning Round Sessions Presentations

Showcasing Your Graduate School
Sponsored by bepress
Pam Vitu

Is Online Professional Development the Next Wave for Graduate Education?: Research Results from a Four Year Study
Sponsored by DoctoralNet LTD
E. Alana James

Attract More International Students by Speaking Their Language!
Sponsored by Prodigy Finance
Joel Frisch

The Organization and Administration of Graduate Education has been revised and updated! This publication provides a picture of the structures, stakeholders, and challenges that define contemporary graduate education. The revised edition features expanded sections on program leadership and pressing issues; call-out boxes highlighting key insights; case studies from leading graduate programs addressing pressing issues; and guidance from CGS best practices projects.

You can purchase copies of the volume on the publications page. Free digital download of this volume is included as part of the CGS member benefits package. 

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.

Overview

Graduate education in the United States plays a critical role in the success of the U.S. workforce and economy.  The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that occupations requiring at least a master’s degree for entry will grow at a much faster rate than occupations that call for less education. To ensure graduate schools continue to respond to rapidly changing workforce demands, strong connections between graduate schools and employers are more important than ever. A recent National Academies report recommended groups like CGS “convene and lead discussions with graduate programs, employers, and other stakeholders and disseminate innovative approaches.”

To strengthen these connections, CGS has formed a small group of senior leaders representing employers of graduate degree holders in various fields and organizations serving higher education. This Employer Roundtable advises the CGS President on workforce issues and is the leading voice on graduate student workforce preparedness.

Goals

• Activate ways in which graduate schools and the private sector can work together to streamline career pathways for students.
• Identify successful collaborations between employers and graduate schools so that these examples can be shared.
• Develop and implement opportunities to replicate and scale these successful models.
• Formulate and disseminate actionable statements and recommendations for the communities represented.
• Provide a venue for Roundtable members to share information on emerging trends.
• Institutionalize and regularize communication channels that help graduate schools understand and anticipate the job skills that employers need now, and in the future.
• Ensure CGS programming and initiatives address the future of work. 

Activities

• Participate in two Roundtable meetings per year (one teleconference call and one in-person meeting in Washington, DC.)
• Provide strategic guidance on a CGS Annual Meeting session to showcase successful employer-higher education collaborations. 
• Participate as speakers or attendees at other CGS events and colloquies and contribute to CGS publications.
• Release a statement that summarizes the Roundtable’s key insights and recommendations for the future.
• Co-author, as appropriate, Op-eds, blogs and articles highlighting the importance of collaboration to ensure students are successful throughout their careers.

For more information, contact Adrienne Vincent, avincent@cgs.nche.edu. 

Megan Perkins, a doctoral candidate in neuroscience at the University of Vermont, received the 2018-2019 Rodney L. Parsons Anatomy and Neurobiology Award and plans to use the award for professional and career development opportunities. Perkins’ research examines a population of cells in the bladder called interstitial cells using biochemical processes to better understand “the role of interstitial cells in the sensitization of afferent nerves in bladder disorders, specifically interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.”

Perkins contributed to national Brain Awareness Week last March, participating in educational outreach to local elementary school students. In addition to her research, Perkins has served as the student coordinator for the Neuroscience Graduate Program (NGP) Student Journal Club, which provides graduate students the opportunity to gain experience with research presentations and critical reviews of literature in the neuroscience.

Perkins received her bachelor’s degree in psychology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, where she worked with a cognitive psychologist in the field of behavioral economics. After she completes her doctorate, she plans to pursue a postdoctoral fellowship and hopes to become more involved in scientific communication and advocacy. To learn more about Megan’s work visit the University of Vermont website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.

The Role of Research Integrity in Promoting Excellence: Tools for College and University Leaders

May 22-23, 2019 at Northwestern University in Chicago, IL

This conference seeks to engage university and college leaders in lively discussions about strategies, resources, and tools for promoting research integrity for current and future scientists, and scholars at institutions nationwide. It was co-organized by the Council of Graduate Schools, Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of Research Integrity, and Northwestern University. 

To learn more about this event, click here to visit the conference website. 

On Wednesday, February 13, CGS submitted comments in response to a solicitation from a group of senators around disparities faced by students of color when accessing and financing their postsecondary education. The letter underscores the need to continue to diversify graduate programs to address our changing population and the demands of the workforce, and reiterates CGS’s commitment to achieving this goal. Specifically, it highlights a proposal to allow graduate students who remain income-eligible to apply Pell Grants toward their graduate degree, as well as the need to support several current student aid programs that help students from underserved populations finance higher education.

View letter here. 

As members of the University of Missouri—Columbia Graduate Professional Council, Rachel Owen and Michael Hendricks recognized the impact of science policy on their doctoral research. Upon learning of a state science policy fellowships program in California, Owen (Ph.D. candidate, School of Natural Resources) and Hendricks (Ph.D. candidate, Department of Political Science) set out to start a similar program in Missouri. What developed are the Missouri Science & Technology (MOST) Policy Fellows, and Co-Directors Owen and Hendricks hope the program ensures legislators understand the benefits and consequences of their policies to the scientific community.

The proposed fellowship model will provide an opportunity for in-state doctoral graduate students who wish to work in science policy upon graduation to work in the state legislature in Jefferson City. Owen and Hendricks argue that retaining students within the state that invested in their training and education is in the state’s best interest. MOST is currently fundraising and hopes to have raised enough money to fund a fellowship for the 2021 legislative session.

“Just doing my science isn’t really enough,” Owen said. “That is enough for a lot of people, but I really want to be able to connect my science with society and make my science, or make other people’s science, more impactful.” To learn more about Rachel and Michael’s work visit the Missouri Science & Technology Policy Fellows website.

Visit the GradImpact Feature Gallery to learn more about the amazing, innovative research being done by graduate students and alumni across the world.