<font>Dear colleagues,<br><br>I apologize in advance for this long email. I am writing to ask you to <font>please help me understand faculty pers<font>pectives</font></font> on a major question facing our graduate program.<br>
<br>Please read the text below and submit your perspective using the link at the bottom of the page. <br><br>With thanks,<br>Betsy<br><br><br>---<br><br><span style="font-family:Arial">Over the
period since our last Academic Program Review, our graduate program (consisting
of the Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology graduate majors) has decreased in
enrollment from >50 students (fall 2004) to <20 students (projection for
end of fall 2013). This reflects the challenges we are facing with regard to
supporting graduate students (limited institutional support, high ERE,
dwindling grant funds). <b>The current situation places our graduate program at
risk because of low numbers. </b></span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></font>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">Our
faculty-approved Strategic Plan for the School states that we wish to enhance
our graduate enrollment, indicating that graduate training is important to a
large proportion of our faculty. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">Several
long-term solutions are being explored by your SPLS Graduate Program Committee:
seeking private/industry support, changing institutional culture with regard to
RA/TA/ERE, clarifying and solidifying College support for TAships in SPLS,
applying for training grants, linking with other graduate programs, developing
joint graduate programs with international partners, enhancing courses to draw
in students, cultivating new connections with undergraduates and undergraduate
majors on campus, working with STEM recruitment efforts through research experiences for undergrads from regional institutions, etc. However,
if successful, each will only be implemented over a period of years, not in the
very near term. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"><span> </span></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">For fall
2013 we received over 65 applications for our graduate program. A total of 20
applicants has been deemed acceptable, and some are truly excellent. However, polls
of faculty indicated only a very small number (3-4) have the funds on hand to
support student stipends for even one semester: many have funds for research,
but not for the 'full package' that includes ERE for one semester or more.
Because of opacity regarding availability of TAships we can't guarantee TA
support with certainty (although we are trying). </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">The
tradition in SPLS has been that we link admission with at least some statement
of financial support for the student (stipend amount, RA plans, fellowship
information). On the surface, this reads as though we 'only accept students with
funding.' However, the reality of the situation is that SPLS students very rarely have a guarantee of support through more than one year:
even with grant funds or traineeships, we are not in the position to offer more
than a semester or two of guaranteed. We generally state in the letter of
admission that an incoming student will work with a given faculty member; that
s/he will be supported with certainty for X semesters; and that s/he will be
considered for TAships and faculty support after that, <b><i>as available</i></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial"> -- and let the student decide if
s/he wishes to accept the offer.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"><b><i> </i></b></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"><b><i>Here,
I am writing to ask for your perspective on the following: should we<font>, </font>in <u>highly selective</u> cases, and only in
consultation with potential mentors, admit chosen students without any guarantee
of financial support? </i></b></span><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">To make
this somewhat philosophical question more tractable, please consider the
following practical situation:</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">A qualified
applicant has applied to work with a faculty member who has a strong history of
positive mentorship. The applicant interviews well and is a good match for the
mentor. The faculty member has a project in which the student is interested and
it's a good fit all around. The faculty member can cover research expenses but
can't guarantee RA support for even one semester. TA support may or may not be
available.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">Would you suggest that we:</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">A. Accept
the student by offering admission with no financial commitment (other than,
say, a research budget). In this scenario the student might be self-supporting,
work an outside job, and/or work with the mentor to seek support. The student
would be considered for TAships and RAships if available, but no guarantee
could be made (and older students would have first dibs). The mentor would do
his/her best to find funding with/for the student if needed. </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">B. Accept
the student exactly as above, but also stipulate in the letter of admission the
exact costs per semester, expected number of hours per week that must be dedicated
to classes and research, leave of absence policies, and the fact that a degree
is not guaranteed at the end of any given period or given any number of hours
-- with the goal being to provide the applicant with all information needed to
make a highly informed decision.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">C. Deny
admission.</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">A fourth opt<font>ion (accept with the plan that the student will TA, and ensure that we have TA support) is perhaps most appealing to some, and is in line with other units on campus (e.g., College of Science) -- but is not yet practical<font> in CALS/SPLS</font>. Thus it is not included here, although it is pote<font>ntially highly desirable.</font><br>
</font></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br><font><span style="font-family:Arial"></span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">We have
followed C in the past. </span></font>In the context of the many actions we are taking to try
to enhance and maintain our graduate program, it time to cautiously and
thoughtfully explore A or B, or a combination of them,<font> in <font>very </font>specific cases? </font><br></span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">Please vote
and offer your thoughts on this issue (up to 500 characters<font><font>;</font> contact me directly i<font>f that's not enough</font>)</font>:</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p><p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"><a href="https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M72NHVV"><font>https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/M72NHVV</font></a><br>
</span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>Thank you very much.<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial"> </span></font></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><font><span style="font-family:Arial">Betsy</span></font></p>
<font><br><br><br clear="all"><br>-- <br>---------------------------------<br>A. Elizabeth (Betsy) Arnold<br>School of Plant Sciences<br>The University of Arizona<br>Tucson, AZ 85721<br><br><a href="http://arnoldlab.net" target="_blank">http://arnoldlab.net</a><br>
<a href="mailto:arnold@ag.arizona.edu" target="_blank">arnold@ag.arizona.edu</a><br><br></font>