Dear Carolina community,
I’m pleased to share an update on the progress of the Graduate Student Experience Initiative (GSEI) during the Fall 2024 semester.
The GSEII is a campus-wide effort, led by The Graduate School, to assess and enhance the overall experience of Carolina graduate and professional students. Launched in October 2023 and charged by Provost J. Christopher Clemens, the GSEI aims to ensure that the University’s policies and practices support excellence in academic training, student success and well-being for graduate and professional students. The GSEI recommendations that are approved by the provost will be considered best practices for graduate and professional education at Carolina.
The organizational structure of the GSEII includes a steering committee, an advisory board, and four working groups, all comprising more than 120 faculty, staff and graduate students from across the University.
Recognizing the importance of competitive stipends for graduate students, the GSEI steering committee adopted a statement in support of increasing student stipends. Read the full statement of support here.
The four GSEI working groups are focused on improving graduate students’ experiences across key areas. Here’s a quick review of the working groups’ ongoing activities:
- Student Life and Wellness working group
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- Exploring standardized processes for requesting embedded counselors in schools and units
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- Developing strategies to promote CAPS services and preventative tools such as Stress First Aid
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- Identifying ways to defray the costs of long-term counseling for students
- Faculty Mentor Training working group
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- Developing an implementation plan for training in mentorship for faculty members, to be supported by Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and mentor agreements for graduate students
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- Finalizing core competencies for faculty mentor training, including expectation alignment, communication and professional development
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- Preparing a pilot program for IDPs to begin in Spring 2025, allowing select programs to test implementation strategies for IDPs as an essential part of mentoring relationships
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- Exploring strategies for broader culture change to prioritize and recognize excellence in mentoring through training, awards and community-building initiatives
- Teaching Assistant (TA) Training working group
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- Developing an implementation plan for TA training for graduate students serving as TAs
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- Finalizing key competencies for TA training, such as inclusive teaching practices, effective grading and classroom management strategies
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- Reviewing existing training resources and identifying gaps to ensure TAs receive the skills and tools needed for success in their roles
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- Proposing a TA training roadmap with clear milestones for students and programs
- Graduate Student Working Conditions working group
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- Developing recommendations for policy to prevent students from being asked to conduct personal work for faculty outside of academic responsibilities
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- Developing recommendations for policy for well-being days and sick leave for graduate students, ensuring they receive necessary time off for health and recovery
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- Initiating processes for the creation of workload policies at the school level similar to the existing faculty workload policy, to provide clarity and prevent conflicts
The GSEI also partnered with Abacus Evaluation to conduct a survey of doctoral student working conditions. 1,252 students participated in the survey, yielding a 35% response rate. Preliminary results confirmed the need for clarity regarding sick leave, well-being days and vacation time for graduate students. These matters will be addressed by the graduate student working conditions working group in Spring 2025.
Thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we work together to enhance the graduate student experience. If you have questions or wish to engage further with these efforts, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Sincerely,
Beth Mayer-Davis
Dean, The Graduate School