GRADUATE PROGRAMS REVIEW
CAMPUS CONVERSATIONS
ADMISSIONS NEWS
CAREER RESOURCES
GRADUATE STUDENT INFORMATION SYSTEM
GRADNEWS
A HIGHER DEGREE OF EXCELLENCE | GRADUATE SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
N OV E M B E R 2 0 1 2 | N O. 1
FROM THE DEAN
CONTENTS G R A D UAT E P R O G R A M S R E V I E W CA M P U S C O N V E RS AT I O N S A D M I S S I O N S N E WS CA R E E R R E S O U R C E S G S I S : G R A D UAT E S T U D E N T I N F O R M AT I O N SYS T E M TA K E YO U R P R O F E S S O R T O L U N C H
T H E G R A D UAT E S C H O O L :
Helping You Manage Today’s Challenges
www.utexas.edu/ogs/
Comments? Email John Dalton, Assistant Dean for External Relations at jdalton@austin.utexas.edu
Cover: Graduate School’s Catalog 1908-1911. Photo by Marsha Miller, UT Austin. Since the Board of Regents established the Graduate School in 1910, more than 125,000 men and women have earned their master’s or doctoral degree from The University of Texas at Austin.
Over the past couple of years there has been an increased demand on public universities to provide more information about how our institutions are run, why they cost what they do, and how our decisions impact the overall graduate student experience. These are valid questions that deserve a thoughtful response. Many of you have helped us respond to these questions by providing data about your students and programs, and I want to thank you for all you’ve done! However, the demand for data and transparency has never been higher. The Graduate School is committed to providing programs and resources that are responsive to today’s challenges and demands. Our staff works diligently to represent the graduate
community, both on and off the campus, by making every effort to provide you with the resources necessary to do your job, as well as provide opportunities for graduate students to have the best possible educational experience. This newsletter is designed to inform you about the programs and resources that are available through the Graduate School, as well as to introduce you to the staff that are working to help you manage the increasing demands of today’s challenging academic climate
Judith H. Langlois Vice Provost and Dean of Graduate Studies, ad interim
E F F I C I E N CY C E N T R A L
Graduate Programs Review
E
ach of the 94 doctoral and 134 master’s programs at The University of Texas at Austin is required to meet expectations set by the numerous governing and accrediting agencies to which the Graduate School is bound–the Graduate Assembly,
UT System, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) and the Southern Associaton of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Policies and procedures differ from agency to agency, and our graduate programs are forced to navigate this territory when undergoing reviews, changing degree inventories or responding to mandatory reporting requirements. An ongoing, up-to-date understanding of how these entities operate and what they require of our graduate programs must be maintained so that requests are reviewed and approved in the most timely manner possible. When these changes have the potential to affect not only university policy, but system-wide, statewide and regional-level policy, efficiency cannot be overstated. Assistant Dean Michelle Broadway’s mission is to ensure that these programs exceed those expectations. An inherent amount of detailed administrative procedure is required when operating within a state institution of UT’s size, influence and scope. Dean Broadway has developed an extensive understanding of the policies, procedures and information systems at each level of governance and accreditation, an understanding that is continually
informed and updated by her years of collective and collaborative experiences with UT Austin’s graduate programs. So that each program does not need to devote resources to developing high-level expertise for every submission to the various entities, Broadway provides each program with a personalized “road-map” to coordinate the successful navigation of these processes. In this way, the Graduate School and Assistant Dean Broadway provide a central source of expertise that brings an added measure of efficiency to all programs and ensure that our current goals and future successes are met.
Graduate Program Review Schedule & Instructions www.utexas.edu/ogs/adv-coor/
INTRODUCING
A New Lecture Series: Campus Conversations
C
ampus Conversations is a new lecture series sponsored by the Graduate School to enhance academic conversations in the UT Austin graduate community. The goal of the series is to bring to
campus experts who will share their insights and expertise with graduate students and, in some cases, the greater UT Austin community. The series will begin accepting proposals for the 2013-14 academic year in late November. CRITERIA
The guest lecturer must have an organized opportunity to talk with graduate students enrolled in graduate-level courses, programs or events with academic objectives relevant to the speaker’s expertise and background. Preference given to lectures promising cross-disciplinary appeal and interest to the greater academic community. Contact John Dalton, Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies, for more information. jdalton@austin.utexas.edu P R E V I O U S G R A D UAT E S C H O O L G U E S T L EC T U R E RS
In 2009-2011 the Graduate School hosted a series of alumni lectures that included Nobel Prize Laureates, performers, and visionaries. www.utexas.edu/ogs/alumni/events/
J. M. Coetzee ‘69 Nobel Prize Laureate
Barbara Conrad ‘59 Mezzo-soprano
Bob Taylor ‘64 Internet pioneer
T H E G R A D UAT E S C H O O L BY N U M B E RS
Admissions News
T
he Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) processes all applications for admission to
G R A D UAT E S T U D E N T E N R O L L M E N T | FA L L 2 0 1 1
from The University of Texas at Austin’s Statistical Handbook 2011-2012
graduate programs for UT Austin except for those applicants seeking admission to the 47.9%
52.1%
WOMEN
For the fall semester 2012, the Graduate & International Admissions Center processed 26,554 applications, which represented a 0.5% increase from fall 2011. For the same time frame, we realized a 3% increase in the number of students admitted, while total graduate enrollment decreased by 369 students. For more complete information about the individual graduate programs, visit our Web site at www.utexas.edu/ogs/prospective/stats/.
MEN
by GEND
ER
24%
INTERNATIONAL
44.6% TEXAS
E
31.4%
SI
DE
NC
OUT-OF-STATE
by STU D
EN
TR
E
2% UNKNOWN 0.2% AMERICAN INDIAN 3.1% AFRICAN AMERICAN 7.4% ASIAN AMERICAN
9.6% HISPANIC 24% INTERNATIONAL
>52% WHITE
CE
As applications come in for the fall 2013 semester, the Graduate and International Admissions Center (GIAC) is working to electronically organize the more than 27,000 applications for graduate study that will be received this year. GIAC works hard to keep abreast of the latest technological advances in processing in order to maintain that our graduate programs can make early offers of admission to the most sought-after candidates. In response to the overwhelming demand to make processing application materials more manageable, GIAC has led the country in introducing an electronic application for admission and imaging technology which allowed multi-user access to application documents.
RA
School of Law.
by ETH N
ICI
TY
/
INTRODUCING
Career Resources
T
oday’s global economy and rapidly advancing technologies have presented more career options than ever for graduate students. Although many doctoral students still enter Ph.D. programs intending to secure tenure-track faculty positions, a growing
number are interested in career options outside of the academy. Historically, career services at universities have focused on undergraduates, but the recent economic downturn has highlighted the need to offer more career counseling and assistance to our graduate students. The Graduate School is working with career services offices across the campus to meet this need. CA R E E R C O U N S E L O R
V E RS AT I L E P H D
In partnership with the Liberal Arts Career Services office, the Graduate School now offers to graduate students in all disciplines:
The Graduate School has subscribed to a new web-based resource to help demystify and uncover non-academic professions and career-paths that draw on the advanced skills developed in graduate school.
I N D I V I D UA L C OAC H I N G
Identify your strengths and design a strategic career path
Versatile PhD can be used anytime, from any computer, is FREE and confidential, and offers:
Learn to effectively present your story to an employer
A thriving, supportive community and network with PhDs outside the academy
RESUME CRITIQUES
Examples of successful resumes and cover letters
I N T E RV I E W P R E PA R AT I O N
Convert your vita to a resume S O C I A L M E D I A A N D N E T WO R K I N G DEVELOPMENT
Distinguish your online presence from the competition and boost your network Appointments can be scheduled at (512) 471-7900 or FAC 18 | links.utexas.edu/crqcotm
Detail-rich Panel Discussions www.utexas.edu/ogs/research/career/
TOOLS
GSIS: Graduate Student Information System The Provost’s Office has partnered with the Graduate School to build a comprehensive, integrated graduate student database and application interface, through which data about the students and the programs, with which they are affiliated can be reported.
In combination with the faculty and undergraduate portal systems, the graduate portal serves to allow administrators, at all levels of the institution to more readily report on key performance indicators, such as graduation rates and time to degree.
The purpose of this project is to track and compile, in one place a variety of data about graduate students, that ranges from recruitment to admissions along with financial support, degrees awarded, graduation rates, and job placement. The resulting portal application enables aggregate reporting as well as individual review of students and programs at the department, college, and institutional level.
The resulting software system will better position the University to respond to the demands of the evolving higher education landscape, and will offer increased transparency and accountability.
M E N T O RS H I P
Take your Professor to Lunch Photo by Callie Richmond
The recent Climate Study conducted by the Graduate School told us that the graduate student/faculty adviser relationship is one of the most influential factors in determining a student’s overall success. As a result, this month the Graduate School launched the Take Your Professor to Lunch program, to encourage currently registered students to engage with faculty by moving the dialogue away from the classroom and toward the lunch table. The Graduate School hopes this program will facilitate mentorships that will strengthen our mission to transform lives. This initiative is a joint program between The Graduate School and participating food vendors on and around campus. Funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. www.utexas.edu/ogs/current/take.html
110 Inner Campus Drive, G0400 | MAI 101 | Austin, Texas 78712 (512) 471-4511 | www.utexas.edu/ogs/ Š2012 The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School. The information herein is subject to change.