Abstract
One of the responses to the demands of graduate education in the United States has been the development of faculty directors of graduate programs within academic departments. The title for this position varies widely, but it is most commonly called Graduate Program Director (GPD). The GPD serves at the departmental level and is key in the administration of graduate programs in the U.S. and in a number of other countries. However, little scholarly attention has been brought to examination of these positions although there has been acknowledgement that the faculty members holding them play key roles in student recruitment, socialization, retention, and program completion. This article is the first presentation of multi-institutional survey data on faculty members serving in this role. The survey found that the role is only partially formalized. About half of the survey respondents reported that there were written job descriptions and university-wide policies related to this role. Survey respondents reported a wide range of responsibilities, but rather limited resources to assist them in this role.
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Graduate Program Directors (GPDs) play a central role in the administration and success of graduate education in U.S. higher education institutions. They are the faculty members within an academic unit who are responsible for various activities that support the recruitment, admission, and retention of graduate students and attend to the continuing programs of graduate education. The authors of this article are former graduate deans, who have interacted with graduate program directors and have studied their roles at various universities.
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Wiener, W.R., Peterson, J.C. Strengthening the Role of Graduate Program Directors. Innov High Educ 44, 437–451 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-09480-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-019-09480-y