CHAPTER 5: Accomplishment of Purposes

Graduate Education

Providing outstanding graduate education is a high priority for the University of Colorado at Boulder. Much of CU-Boulder’s reputation for excellence rests with its superiority in research —and with the graduate students that it trains as future faculty members, researchers, and professionals. Recognition of this pivotal role led Chancellor Richard L. Byyny in 1999 to charge a task force with recommending ways of enhancing the "robust intellectual graduate learning environment" on campus.

Profile

In 1998-99, CU-Boulder’s graduate student population totaled 4,530, with 82 percent enrolled in the Graduate School, 6 percent enrolled in Business (M.B.A.), 11 percent enrolled in the Law School, and 1 percent concurrent or nondegree students. Graduate students constitute about 18.6 percent of the Boulder campus student enrollment, a figure lower than the campus community would like. CU-Boulder has established a goal of increasing graduate enrollment to 20 percent within five years. Many peer institutions are experiencing a decline in the number of graduate students applying and enrolling each year. The Boulder campus is no exception, with a 10 percent decline in graduate enrollment between 1991 and 1999.

Goals

In 1996, an enrollment management plan for graduate and professional students was developed by a committee established by the campus Enrollment Management Team. Many of the recommendations already have been implemented, although too recently to influence current graduate enrollment statistics. Among the recommendations were:

• Monitor national and campus trends in enrollment and employment;

• Implement new initiatives that will improve the quality and attractiveness of graduate education, such as the Bachelor's/Master's Program, professional master’s programs, and certificate programs (discussed earlier);

• Use the research enterprise to enhance the educational experience;

• Direct financial resources toward enrollment increases;

• Enhance efforts to increase diversity in the Graduate School population.

Training Future Faculty

The Graduate Teacher Program (GTP) was initiated by the Graduate School in 1984 as a means of helping teaching assistants to improve their teaching skills and to become informed about issues in college teaching. GTP provides instruction, training, evaluations, and information to the 1,200 graduate students who teach undergraduate classes, recitations, and laboratory sessions on the Boulder campus. For additional information on GTP, visit www.colorado.edu/gtp.

In 1997, the GTP received a grant from the Preparing Future Faculty Program, a national initiative funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts, to develop ways to better prepare graduate students to teach at the college level. PFF fellows at CU-Boulder take part in off-campus teaching internships, visits with faculty from partner institutions, and on-campus activities such as courses in teaching at the post-secondary level, workshops on professional portfolio development, and pedagogical and professional development workshops.

Journalism Master's Programs Expand Offerings

Master's programs in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication have experienced significant growth since their introduction in 1964. In 1992, the programs were substantially overhauled and refocused to offer three distinct tracks: professional newsgathering for both broadcast and print, integrated marketing communication, and mass communication research.

In 1994, the master's tracks in newsgathering and research added sub-specialties in environmental journalism, in conjunction with the campus-wide certificate program in environmental studies and the Center for Environmental Journalism established in 1992.

Graduate Student Feedback

The Graduate School encourages feedback from graduate students through two forums. The United Government of Graduate Students (UGGS), the student government body that represents all graduate and professional students on campus, becomes involved in such issues as graduate employment, health insurance, and student fees. Two representatives of the Graduate School — the coordinator for student services and the associate dean for minority affairs — attend UGGS meetings. Several years ago, UGGS was instrumental in securing paid health benefits for teaching and research assistants. The Graduate School also gathers feedback from students through its Assessment of Graduate Students Survey, administered to all exiting graduate students. The survey provides feedback on the individual student’s educational experience, including faculty mentoring, research opportunities, and financial support.

Administration

Although many aspects of graduate programs are handled by individual academic departments, the Graduate School coordinates campuswide issues and keeps departments informed of changes in policies and procedures. The school oversees the master’s and doctoral education of about 3,700 graduate students in 42 departments across all schools and colleges at CU-Boulder, except the Law School and M.B.A. programs. For a listing of degree programs, see www.colorado.edu/GraduateSchool/degrees.html.

Many of the policies governing the various graduate degrees (including such matters as total hours, dissertation hours, some examination procedures, and time allowed to degree) are set by the Graduate School. Other responsibilities of the school include evaluating graduate curricula, coordinating the development of new programs and degrees, and assessing graduate educational outcomes. The Graduate School also provides services such as degree advising, awarding of financial aid, and teacher training for graduate students who teach undergraduate courses. In addition, the school advocates for diversity in the graduate student population and creates interdisciplinary educational opportunities for graduate students.

In addition to these general policies, however, each graduate program within the departments establishes its own set of requirements appropriate for the individual discipline, including such considerations as course requirements, examination structures, and the nature of the dissertation. Much of the financial support for graduate students, in the form of teaching and research assistantships, comes from the schools and colleges.

All graduate programs expect students to engage in independent research or creative work. This activity may take various forms, depending on the discipline, from work in the laboratories to an exhibition of original art to archival exploration. The quality of graduate education at the University of Colorado at Boulder is attested by the 1999 U.S. News & World Report rankings, which list eight of CU-Boulder's graduate programs among the top 25 in the nation.

Graduate School Helps Faculty Improve Grant-writing Skills

The Graduate School offers a series of workshops designed to help faculty improve their grant-getting skills. Six to eight workshops are offered each semester on topics ranging from writing successful proposals, to complying with new accounting standards, to finding resources for humanities and arts projects.