1 CU-Boulder Doctoral Programs and the NRC Study Lou McClelland Planning, Budget, and Analysis February

2 NRC: National Research Council Study of research doctorate programs Previous studies issued 1983, study funded by federal agencies, foundations, and institutional fees Results 2007 or later

3 Goals of the NRC study Goals Comparisons – Improve quality through benchmarking Guidebook info for prospective students Enhance US research capabilities Major changes from 1993 No reputational ratings (probably) More info for prospective students

4 UCB is definitely participating Steering group Stein Sture, graduate dean, NRC coordinator John Stevenson, AVC graduate ed Carol Lynch, NRC special assignment Lou McClelland, Planning, Budget, & Analysis Today Timeline and basic process Role of chairs, depts Role of steering and central data

5 UCB approach Do everything possible with central data But invite programs to review and augment everything Keep central records of all data going to NRC Make some decisions at Steering Group level for consistency for strategic reasons

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7 1: Taxonomy Developed by NRC committee Research doctorates only, PhD’s only 500 degrees in the US in 5 years or grandfathered from 1995 ~58 fields, some with descriptive subfields Final expected March 2006 Pretty good fit to UCB departments and programs – But not perfect and no education Carol Lynch on committee

8 2: List programs in fields We list programs for NRC April-May 2006 Steering will draft Unclear right now If we place programs in fields Criteria for minimum number of degrees and who applies them. NRC draft: 5 PhD’s in 5 years at the institution

9 3: List faculty in each program We list faculty for NRC, Aug-Sept 2006 Criteria (NRC draft) Affiliated with the program ‘05-06 On/chaired PhD committee(s) in the past 5 years Or hired fall 04 through spring 06 An individual may be listed in multiple programs

10 3: List faculty – UCB approach Goals: Identify all individuals “intellectually accessible” to students including institute, federal lab, and others PBA use PeopleSoft, FIS, SIS, Graduate School files, and maybe other sources to create initial lists Departments cull, add to lists with Steering guidelines

11 3: List faculty – UCB approach Criteria for inclusion on initial lists Tenured/tenure-track faculty or Taught any graduate course to or On the graduate faculty or Any PeopleSoft HR affiliation in a faculty position above PRA, including unpaid, or Others with any scrap of evidence of affiliation with a graduate program Link to programs via tenure dept(s), roster dept(s), course subject(s), grad faculty dept(s), other evidence List all evidence for each individual

12 4: Get info from faculty NRC surveys faculty Sept-Oct ’06 Each individual will get only one survey even if in multiple fields/programs Content (NRC draft) Programs, fields, interdisciplinary areas Current and past positions Grants and publications Service on dissertation committees Demographics and educational background

13 4: Get info from faculty – UCB approach Much to be determined Survey instrument, topics Use of responses by NRC Role of responses in determining allocation of activities (publications, citations, etc.) into programs/fields Collection mechanism Conceivable – A dry run before August

14 5: Get info about each faculty member NRC will probably use info from the faculty surveys(?) and faculty lists(?) to collect data on Books, articles, citations Grants Honors/awards in each field Unclear how work is assigned to fields All details very sketchy

15 Get info on students in programs Topics – all due August-Sept ’06 Counts of admits, matrics, enrolled, degrees; student TA activity; post-docs, other PhD researchers Completion rates and time to degree Policies and programs supporting students Financial support Other PBA will do all possible centrally and facilitate department/program review CGS PhD completion project was practice

16 Get student views From PhD candidates in five specified programs only We will send lists of students NRC will survey those students Programs (tentative): Physics, chemical engineering, English, economics, some life science

17 6, 7: Analyze to characterize and compare fields at institutions Displays of results and analysis methods unclear Will compare programs(?) or fields(?) by name to other participating institutions NRC intends to update periodically

18 UCB Steering Group now Monitor NRC developments Draft map between programs and taxonomy Prepare draft faculty lists Prepare to generate other centrally-provided data on programs, including completion rates Revise NRC/UCB website

19 UCB deans, chairs now Prepare to name an NRC coordinator Will require action over the summer Will be pivotal in coordinating review of central data and program responses Might require revision after the taxonomy/program map is final Alert faculty

20 UCB considering purchase of data on PhD programs from Academic Analytics Private company Covers all PhD programs including NRC exclusions Uses public data, not surveys, to get program lists and faculty lists Links activities to programs via faculty/affiliate names Combines publications, books, citations, grants, and honors/awards to “Faculty Scholarly Productivity Index” – specific to a program in a year Fast but expensive and somewhat suspect, unproven – Would have to check all steps