1. Prioritizing the Terminal Degree:
PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR BUSY, WORKING PROFESSIONALS CONSIDERING THE DOCTORATE

2. PRESENTERS Ph.D. 2017 Higher Education & Student Affairs Leadership
Kimberly
Introduce self and current role & institution
Ph.D. 2017
Higher Education & Student Affairs Leadership
University of Northern Colorado
Ph.D. 2014
Community Health
University of Illinois
Ed.D. 2017
Executive Doctorate
Higher Education Mgt.
University of Pennsylvania

3. Kimberly
Renique, Bobby, and I all met when we worked together at North Central College back in Bobby and I were working residence life and Renique was working in student success and retention at the time.
This may or may not be an old photo of the three of us.

4. LEARNING OUTCOMES
Gain clarity about your own professional and educational goals.
Become familiar with at least three pathways to the doctorate for busy, working professionals.
Consider ways to approach obstacles to pursuing doctoral work, including different approaches to financing a program.
Kimberly

5. FORMAT Partner Pair-Up Pathways Common Obstacles and Strategies
Questions and Conversation
Kimberly

6. PARTNER PAIR-UP Introduce yourselves What are your professional goals?
Are you actively considering pursuing a doctorate?
Why or why not?
If you are considering the doctorate, what obstacles or concerns are you facing?
Renique
Over many decades, research has shown that students who place more importance on the connection between doctoral degree attainment and achievement of personal and professional goals are more likely to persist in their doctoral education (Brien, 1992; Hoskins & Goldberg, 2005; Lemp, 1980). Let’s use the next few minutes to get warmed up (as this is a heavily participatory program), to get to know each other, and to try to make that link for ourselves.
If time permits, after this exercise ask folks to share a few of the reasons they are considering pursuing a doctorate.

7. PATHWAYS to the DOCTORATE for working professionals
1. Full-time at your home institution 2. Part-time at a neighboring institution 3. Executive Program 4. Low-Residency Programs 5. Online Program 6. Part-time at your home institution
Bobby
Focus on 1-3/4, with some long-distance doctorate
Brief description from each panelist about why, when, where, and how they pursued their doctoral degree including potential benefits and drawbacks of their chosen pathway (10 minutes)

8. CONSIDERATIONS
Program Format (online, low residency, in person, cohort or not)
Academic Discipline
Program Content Focus
Time to Completion (and completion rates)
Program and/or Institutional Reputation
Cost (including hidden costs)
Diversity of colleagues & faculty
Faculty Expertise
Dissertation or Not
Opportunities for Professional Networking
Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D., etc.
Bobby
The pathway that you choose may be determined by a variety of factors. Here’s a few that we thought pertinent to mention.
Each presenter spend a minute highlighting what ended up being most important for us…
As folks to share other considerations that are influencing their own decision-making processes.

9. COMMON OBSTACLES
Even once you’ve decided on a program or programs that might be the right fit, there are many common obstacles that get in the way of applying, accepting an offer and starting, and/or of persisting through a program.

10. TIME POTENTIAL STRATEGIES Negotiate flexibility at work
Use vacation time
Reorganize personal priorities & household responsibilities
Budget to outsource (house cleaning, groceries, transcribing, editing…)
Short-term pain, long-term gain
Be realistic with your expectations of yourself
Renique
NOTE: Mention the extra challenges of balancing motherhood, fatherhood, parent-care, partner relationships in this section.

11. MONEY POTENTIAL STRATEGIES Tuition remission
Scholarships, Grants, Fellowships
Loans & Loan Forgiveness Programs
Institutional Support
Friends, Family, Organization (e.g. support)
Credit Card Rewards
Tax Deductions
Renique
Highlight a few key components of asking for institutional support (in exchange for staying, dissertation as consultancy)

12. FEAR of FAILURE POTENTIAL STRATEGIES
Acknowledge it and work through it
Find a cheerleader/support team
Establish a cohort/posse
Develop accountability mechanisms
Work with a dissertation coach
Make it about something (someone) bigger than yourself
Stay focused on the end-goal
Renique
NOTE: Imposter Syndrome is REAL and Renique to share her Leadershape story

13. Questions & Conversation
Kimberly

14. CONTACT INFORMATION
Renique Kersh
Bobby Kuntsman
Kimberly Sluis

15. Thank you for joining us today!
Please remember to complete your online evaluation following the conference.
See you in Los Angeles in 2019!