for the Faculty and Staff of Washington State
University
from Provost Robert C. Bates
Number 7, Part 1
October 2005
We've received the very good news that President Rawlins' ankle surgery at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle went very well yesterday. Mary Jo Rawlins called this morning to let us know and to tell us that she expects him to be released from the hospital on Saturday. I wanted to get that word to all of you right away.
Those who would like to send well-wishes to President Rawlins during his recovery can send them to RawlinsWishes@wsu.edu.
As you know, I use these email reports to provide you with briefings on key developments in Washington State University academic and program areas, especially those in our strategic plan. This first fall 2005 report will focus on graduate education, with subsequent reports examining aspects of our work to improve undergraduate education at WSU, academic realignment and other topics.
These reports parallel the presentations made at the recent Provost's Dialogue by Howard Grimes, dean of the Graduate School; Mary Wack, dean of the Honors College and interim director of the Office of Undergraduate Education; and Fran McSweeney, vice provost for faculty affairs. You may view the videostream version of those presentations at http://experience.wsu.edu/
Graduate education, especially at the Ph.D. level, is perhaps one of the greatest challenges and opportunities facing WSU in the next decade. Achieving new heights in this arena is critical in defining our future and taking our institution to the next level. Three independent, but related, activities will help us define that future.
First, Lane Rawlins and I co-commissioned a panel of faculty leaders and charged them with articulating a vision for significantly enhancing the quality of our graduate programs over the next few years. This Graduate Education Commission is now drafting a report that will focus this discussion and provide a "road map" to further our graduate programs.
This draft report will be circulated soon to various faculty groups for broad input prior to completion of a final report in December or early January. The Graduate Education Commission is committed to delivering an action-oriented, compelling report that will greatly stimulate efforts central to our success as a research university.
Second, an external consultancy firm, the Yardley Research Group, was hired by the Graduate School to critically examine barriers and opportunities for us in graduate education. This firm has a unique vantage in that they work with graduate schools across the nation and can provide a consistent, unbiased, comparative perspective. In their exit interview, they identified several issues also noted by the Graduate Education Commission. This is beneficial as it validates both reports and serves to strengthen each of them as action plans.
The YRG report is also expected in December or early January. An additional rationale for engaging YRG at this time is to help us position ourselves for the upcoming National Research Council evaluation of graduate programs across the U.S. We have already learned much about this NRC process when the YRG was on our campus a few weeks ago and we will continue to address this matter as it develops.
Third, the Woodrow Wilson Foundation has just released a national study of graduate programs across the country. This study does not focus on a specific institution, or set of institutions, but rather identifies key areas needing attention by all doctoral-granting institutions. Many of their suggestions are aligned with the types of recommendations that appear to be coming from the Graduate Education Commission and YRG.
Howard Grimes and I will review these reports with our deans and faculty as we develop a specific plan to enhance WSU graduate programs. One thing, however, we can count on now: there will be long-term, strategic focus on enhancing our graduate programs at WSU.
Howard Grimes and the Graduate School have already announced three new programs. These are the Graduate School RA program; the university-wide McNair recruitment visit program to enhance our efforts to recruit outstanding diverse graduate students into our Ph.D. programs; and the university-wide summer research/internship program to introduce students to our faculty in a face-to-face manner while attracting them into our Ph.D. programs. There will be more to come after these internal and external reports are developed.
Both Howard and I welcome your thinking on these matters.
Robert C. Bates
Provost and Executive Vice President
bates@wsu.edu
Bob Bates
Online resources:
Office of the Provost
Archive of Past Provost's Dialogues
Robert C. Bates is Provost and Academic Vice President at WSU.