In this time of unprecedented disruption for international graduate students, the need for English language assessment that is accessible, reliable, and secure has never been greater. Join representatives from Duolingo and Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) to learn how the online Duolingo English Test can help graduate programs address current trends in international recruitment and admissions and why the test is being used by hundreds of graduate programs around the country. Webinar attendees will also hear about impact, accessibility, and usability within the CMU Information Networking Institute (INI) applicant pool. Webinar sponsored by Duolingo.

In an attempt to combat the mental health crisis, many schools have implemented their own mental health awareness campaigns or task forcesin an attempt to combat this issue. The Council of Graduate Schools has also teamed up with a non-profit organization, the Jed Foundation, to start a 22-month initiative where they will create a foundation to support graduate student mental health and well-being, and provide an expert-guided action plan. Furthermore, many graduate students have volunteered their time to create online communities for helping fellow students with their mental health. 

After Increase in Application Rates, First-Time International Graduate Student Enrollment Takes a Big Hit in Fall 2020 (2/18/2021)

The Council of Graduate Schools (CGS) released new data showing that although international graduate application rates increased at U.S. universities for Fall 2020, first-time enrollment declined substantially. Final application counts from prospective international graduate students increased by 3% between Fall 2019 and Fall 2020, but first-time enrollment decreased by 39%. While the first-time enrollment at the master’s level declined (-43%) at a higher rate than at the doctoral level (-26%), the rate of decline was consistent across institutional types.

“The first-time international graduate student enrolment decreases are alarming, because they undermine the international diversity and vitality of US graduate programs,” said CGS president Suzanne Ortega. 

“Between the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly on health concerns and international travel, and the lack of consistent and timely direction from the Trump administration regarding international graduate student visa policy, we were prepared to see declines.” 

"CGS President Suzanne Ortega stated that the effects of COVID-19, especially the international travel restrictions and health concerns along with the lack of consistency and timely direction regarding the international graduate student visa policy by the Trump Administration, such sharp declines were expected."

For many universities, confronting the systemic racism begins with an excavation of the institution’s own history. In 2013, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) leaders began a project, Hopkins Retrospective, to explore and better understanding the institution’s history with a focus on its legacy of slavery. At the time, the university’s founder, Johns Hopkins, was known as a dedicated abolitionist and philanthropist. He bequeathed $7 million to establish the nation’s first research university and a hospital that would serve the poor “without regard to sex, age or color.” That established historical narrative of JHU’s founder is now in question.

Allison Seyler, a master’s recipient in history from the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), has helped uncover evidence that Hopkins did in fact own slaves. In her role as program manager for the Hopkins Retrospective project, Seyler and Dr. Martha Jones, professor of history at JHU, discovered U.S. Census records indicating that Hopkins had slaves in his household in both the 1840 and 1850 census. Jones and Seyler are now taking their research one step further: to better understand how the false history of Hopkins as a non-slave owning abolitionist came to be. 

Seyler’s work is a valuable example of graduate students’ contribution to essential research that helps us better understand the troubled history of race in higher education. When asked her reaction to uncovering the census records, Seyler said, “It was jarring. When you work at [Johns Hopkins] and learn the history of the university, and then find something so antithetical to what you’ve learned, it’s a bit shocking.” Jones’ and Seyler’s work has garnered significant attention, with features in The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. Visit the JHU website to learn more about the Hopkins Retrospective project and the university’s feature on Jones’ and Seyler’s archival research.

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

Photo Credit: Johns Hopkins University

CGS has created a summary of key provisions included in the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which President Biden signed into law on March 11, 2021. The legislation provides roughly $1.9 trillion in economic relief and $40 billion for colleges and universities. 

In 2020 CGS asked leading member deans, former deans, long-time staff, and higher education leaders to contribute a short video clip for CGS's 60th Anniversary. Thank you to everyone who contributed for celebrating our anniversary with us. To sixty more years supporting graduate education!