Questions for Departmental Self-Assessment of Graduate Programs

January 25, 2000
Sherry F. Queener, Ph.D.
Associate Dean and Director of the Graduate Office

Recruitment: Supply the following data for each year since the last review of this program.

Numbers of graduate students applied, accepted, and matriculated
Undergraduate GPA of accepted students (mean and range)
GRE (MCAT, GMAT, LSAT) of accepted students (mean and range)
Yearly budget for recruitment
Describe recruitment activities
Describe how admission judgments are made and implemented
Describe how your first year students are supported in the program
What schools do you compete with in recruiting students?
Describe any special programs to recruit and retain and graduate minority students?
What could be done to improve your recruitment?

Academic credentials of matriculated students : Give the following data for each year since last review.

Undergraduate GPA of students accepted and those who matriculated (mean and range)
GRE (MCAT, GMAT, LSAT) of accepted and matriculated students (mean and range)
TOEFL scores of international students accepted and those who matriculated (mean and range)
First year graduate GPA for full time students in the program (mean and range)
Students on academic probation, with dates
Attrition rates for each matriculation year, with cause of leaving program
For students who have advanced to candidacy since the last review, what has been the time (mean and range) between matriculation and candidacy?
For students who have graduated since the last review, what has been the time (mean and range) between matriculation and graduation for each type of degree offered?

Placement:

List graduates of your program by current position, title and employing institution; also identify mentor for graduate work.
How many of your graduates worked full time while pursuing their graduate degree? Part time?
Did these students receive tuition assistance from their employer?
How are students advised for placement?
How typical of your field is your placement record?
How could your placement be improved?

Advising and mentoring:

For the time since the last review, list research mentors, numbers of students trained, grant support of mentors, and outside trainee fellowships or training grants.
How and when are advisory committees selected or assigned?
Do you have special programs to advise international students?
When do your international students take additional English courses that may be recommended following the ESL test?
Do you have mechanisms to help graduate students learn to teach?
When do your international students take additional English courses that may be recommended following the ESL test?
Do you have mechanisms to help graduate students learn to teach?
How and when are research advisors selected?
Describe how students advance to candidacy for the Ph.D.
How and when do students select a thesis committee?
How does the department monitor each student's progress?
What opportunities are there for students and faculty to meet to discuss their research either formally or informally?
How do you encourage your students to attend national/international research meetings?
How could your advising systems be improved?

Financial resources:

Provide amount and source for fellowships and fee scholarships for students since last review.
Do you fund students from teaching assistantship resources?
How do you select students to be teaching assistants?
How do you encourage students and mentors to apply for outside funding?
Has your department organized or participated in an outside training grant?
How do you provide travel funds for students to attend and make presentations at national or international research meetings?
How could you improve resources for fellowships and fee scholarships?

Curriculum:

Since the last review, list core (required) courses and elective courses taught by faculty within your department. For each course give the dates they were offered and the numbers of students enrolled. Please show the percentage of students who were from outside the department in each of these classes.
What are the requirements for minors taken by graduate students in your department?
What is the philosophy that has driven the establishment of your core, elective, and minor (i.e., minors your offer for students in other departments) curricula?
How has your departmental curriculum responded to new directions in your discipline?
What interdisciplinary programs does your program participate with?
If your graduate curriculum is related to a professional curriculum that exists separately (e.g. the M.D. curriculum) describe the relationship.
How could your curriculum be improved?

National reputation of the graduate program:

Supply graduate student evaluations of the program or courses.
Estimate national ranking of program based upon numbers of graduates, level of support or other criteria appropriate to the discipline.
List awards or honors received by trainees (e.g., travel awards from national societies, awards for presentations at meetings).
List research awards to graduate students in the program
List publications of students in the program or graduating since the last review.
What plans do you have in place to improve the national ranking of your program?

Planning & Institutional Improvement