1. 2008/2009 Surveys of Indiana University Graduate Students and Chairs/Directors of Graduate Studies 1

2. Summary of Findings Two surveys conducted in late fall 2008 to assess impact of funding and Student Academic Appointee (SAA) stipends on recruitment and retention of graduate students at IU Graduate Student Survey (n=803) and Chair/DGS survey (n=45) both indicate that funding and stipends compare unfavorably to other academic institutions and negatively affect the competitiveness of IU in recruiting and retaining top quality graduate students Graduate students ranked funding as highest priority in need of attention from university 2

3. Summary of Findings (cont.) DGS/Chairs point out importance of graduate students for quality of undergraduate education and research in their own departments DGS/Chairs indicate structural problem of declining resources to fund enrolled students and attract top recruits to ensure excellence in teaching and research Funding and stipends differ substantially by school; students without funding borrow large sums in student loans or work additional jobs, which risks impeding their research efforts 3

4. Survey Results: Sample Graduate Student Survey: 803 respondents from all major schools (10% of graduate student population); more than half seeking doctoral degree, completed 2-3 years at IU 51.2% receive SAA funding, 25% no funding, remaining students either tuition remission, health insurance, or stipend 4

5. Survey Results: Sample (cont.) Chair/DGS survey: 45 respondents total, 29 DGS, 16 Chairs: from seven different schools (majority in College of Arts and Sciences) Survey size limits possibility of quantitative interpretations, but important supplement to graduate student survey 5

6. Results: Graduate Student Recruitment Why Did Graduate Students Choose IU? Most Important: Reputation, Funding, Curriculum Important: Quality of Mentoring, Salary, Cost of Living 6

7. Results: Graduate Student Recruitment (cont.) How Does Each Program Compare? Favorably: Reputation, Cost of Living, Curriculum, Mentoring, Social Opportunities Unfavorably: Funding, Health Insurance, Location of IU, Workload, Stipends, Opportunities for Spouse/Partner 7

8. Results: Graduate Student Recruitment (cont.) What Factors Affect Recruitment? Support (in order): Reputation, Curriculum, Cost of Living, Mentoring, Funding, Social Opportunities, Health Insurance, Stipends Jacobs School of Music: Funding, Stipends, and Health Insurance clearly ranked as “not supporting recruitment efforts” 8

9. Results: Graduate Student Retention 49.7% of respondents state that fellow students have recently left IU (75-100% still enrolled in program) Higher in Jacobs School of Music (70.2%), high retention rate in Kelley School of Business and School of Law Reasons for leaving: Available Funding for Tuition (29.6%) Curriculum of the Program (27.5%) Quality of Faculty Mentoring (22.2%) Stipend for Living Expenses (20.1%) Least Mentioned: Cost of Living (2.8%) Did Not Know (29.6%) Why Did Graduate Students Leave IU? 9

10. Results: Graduate Student Funding and Stipends Impact of Stipends on Graduate Life and Education at IU? Average graduate student: monthly salary is $957, needs about $5000 in additional funds per year, has borrowed about $10,000-25,000 in loans so far. Half of graduate students work second job (10-20 hrs/week), almost 50% indicate this impedes their own research 10

11. Results: Graduate Student Funding and Stipends (cont.) Large differences between schools: College of Arts and Sciences: 80.7% SAA funding School of Library and Information Science: 55.9% receive no support; most work second jobs with longer hours than average across schools School of Law: 53.0% no financial support; most take higher student loans Kelley School of Business: 38.5% no financial support, most take higher student loans Jacobs School of Music: lowest salary ($605/month), also more likely to work second job 11

12. Results: Graduate Student Funding and Stipends (cont.) What Improvements would Graduate Students like to see? Financial Aid (28.3%) Stipends for SAAs (26.3%) Quality of Faculty Mentorship (only 10.7%) Open ended responses: high frustration, prioritized financial concerns (especially amount of funding or number of SAA positions) 12

13. Results: GGS/Chair Survey Recruitment: departments lose up to 50% of top recruits to more competitive offers from other academic institutions Most helpful factors for recruitment: reputation, curriculum, funding Funding also named as main constraint for recruiting top choice Limited resources devoted to graduate student recruitment Increasing number of admissions and relatively constant funding by university 13

14. Results: GGS/Chair Survey (cont.) Graduate Stipends have major impact on undergraduate education through graduate teaching Stipends also have major impact on research in departments Compensation of graduate students was ranked as “below average” by high number of respondents External funding is either not available or low -> departments pay low salaries to meet teaching and research needs 14

15. Conclusion Funding, health insurance, stipends, and workload all compare unfavorably to other academic institution Availability of financial aid is single highest priority for graduate students Results supported by DGS/Chair survey: lost top recruits to better financial offers, stipends are below average, but graduate student work is crucial for undergraduate education and research Quality and reputation of IU’s graduate departments and faculty were consistently ranked very high in both surveys -> effect of stipends on recruitment and retention even more important to secure academic reputation 15