Report calls for more training, financial help for graduate students

Improving instructional training, developing centralized career services for graduate students, and creating a better campus climate for minority, international and special-needs students are among recommendations contained in a sweeping report on graduate education at Ohio State -- the first such study of its kind in the country.

The preliminary Graduate Quality of University Experience (G-QUE) report, presented to the University's Board of Trustees May 5, outlines eight basic recommendations designed to improve graduate students' academic and social life. But the report, based on several information-gathering efforts -- including a statistically analyzed survey of students -- also provides a comprehensive analysis of the graduate school experience and its importance to Ohio State.

"This is the first comprehensive study of the graduate experience at a single institution in the United States,"said Susan Huntington, dean of the Graduate School and vice provost for graduate studies. "What is also special about this project is that it is based on compelling data rather than anecdotal information."

G-QUE is a joint project of the Graduate School and the Council of Graduate Students. Inspired by the University's 1995 report from the Committee on the Undergraduate Experience (CUE), G-QUE was launched in the fall of 1997. Besides a survey of students, information was sought via surveys of graduate studies chairs, department chairs, deans and students who were accepted to but did not enroll at Ohio State, as well as through interviews and published materials.

Though the project primarily is designed to enhance the graduate student experience, Huntington asserted that pursuit of the report's proposals ultimately will advance Ohio State's reputation nationally.

"Ohio State must recruit the best students, give them the best experience while they're here, and help them obtain the best jobs -- in academe or elsewhere,"she said. "Having a positive impact on graduate education will help the University make major strides toward achieving its ambitious goal to become a premier educational institution."

Specifically, the University stands to benefit from enhanced graduate education in many ways: Better-trained graduate teaching associates (GTAs) will provide improved undergraduate education; research activities will improve; recruitment of top faculty will be easier; and rankings based on doctoral programs -- such as the National Research Council's ratings -- will improve.

"I really think that systematic implementation and evaluation of this project's proposals could place Ohio State as a national leader in graduate education reform,"Huntington said.

The report's proposals to improve professional development and training recommend aggressively enhancing training for GTAs, providing travel support to conferences, facilitating interdisciplinary training and helping students prepare for multiple career options. Along those lines, the report suggests the University establish a centralized career guidance and job placement service for graduate students, as well as a regular program of job preparation activities.

Other recommendations advanced in the report include:

• Address financial concerns that impede progress toward a degree and impair the quality of life by increasing the number and duration of fellowships, optimizing graduate assistant stipend levels and improving University-sponsored financial aid to graduate students.

• Expand the student health center, increase health insurance options, reduce the cost of health insurance and reduce the student share of health costs for GAs.

• Establish a campuswide mediation and conflict resolution service.

• Optimize oversight and management of graduate education by improving the support and reward structure for Graduate Studies Committee chairs and modifying the representation system of the Research and Graduate Council to better link with programs and colleges.

• Monitor progress by implementing an exit survey for all graduating students and using other surveys to assess quality of life.

The survey of enrolled graduate students, conducted during winter quarter 1998, received a 26.8 percent response rate, garnering 2,313 responses from the 8,650 questionnaires distributed. The census included 240 questions, spanning more than 20 themes, including the overall graduate student experience, satisfaction with academic programs, professional development, University services and the climate toward special populations.

Nearly all respondents reported a very positive or positive overall experience at Ohio State, with only 5.7 percent reporting a negative experience and 1 percent reporting a very negative experience. Similarly, nearly all respondents reported they were satisfied or very satisfied with their graduate programs.

The intellectual environmental on campus was rated positive overall, as were University services and facilities, such as the libraries, University Technology Services, BRUTUS registration and the COTA bus service. Some services, such as parking and residence halls, received less favorable ratings among respondents.

Responses from others surveyed underscore the importance of graduate education to Ohio State. For example, deans and department chairs consistently ranked graduate education among their most important priorities and most important to their national reputation.

However, supplemental surveys also demonstrated where some weaknesses lie: 53 percent of responding colleges have no work policies for GAs, 65 percent have no grievance procedures for graduate students, and 76 percent have no career services for graduate students. In addition, despite the recruitment, monitoring and professional development responsibilities assigned to Graduate Studies Committee chairs, 63 percent of responding chairs said their program provided no guidance for the role, 46 percent reported no course-load reduction, 91.5 percent reported they received no workload reduction at all, and 62 percent indicated they received no budget for student recruitment activities.

Huntington noted that an analysis of data comparing Ohio State's eight Selective Investment (SI) programs with the remaining respondents showed that SI departments outperformed others on availability and quality of mentoring and career guidance, scholarly and professional opportunities, teaching-oriented professional activities, student amenities and perception of positive program atmosphere. SI departments are: Chemistry, Electrical Engineering, History, Materials Science and Engineering, Neuroscience, Physics, Political Science and Psychology.

"The best practices component of the G-QUE study shows that we have excellent models to follow on our own campus,"Huntington said.

The G-QUE committee expects to approve and publish the final report for public distribution in June. The committee recommends campuswide discussion and the beginning of the first phase of implementation during the 2000-01 academic year, with continued implementation and the start of assessment over the next five years.

By Kevin Fitzsimons

President Kirwan addresses a question during the April 25 town meeting at Rhodes Hall, sponsored by the University Staff Advisory Committee.

Town meeting focuses on compensation, broadbanding, variety of benefits issues

President Kirwan shared his insights with staff on compensation, broadbanding and benefits at a town meeting held April 25 in Rhodes Hall.

"I think these kinds of sessions are enormously valuable,"Kirwan said. "The idea is really quite simple -- to have an informal setting with no holds barred for discussing issues and raising questions."

The meeting was the second sponsored by the University Staff Advisory Committee this year. The College of Law hosted one on Feb. 24.

"I do want to address two issues on everyone's mind. The first is compensation and the second is changes under way in the academic medical center in the hospital complex,"Kirwan said.

He discussed the Communications Workers of America contract negotiations that were then in progress, stating that the University was "listening very carefully and trying to be as responsive as possible to the issues that have been raised."

Kirwan commented on the salary recommendations made this year by the Faculty Compensation and Benefits Committee and the Staff Compensation and Benefits Committee, noting that the Board of Trustees would vote on salary guideline recommendations at the May 5 meeting (see story, page 1). "We need to do everything we can to make our salaries fair and equitable," he said.

On the subject of the hospitals, Kirwan referred to the budget difficulties the medical center is experiencing, and emphasized that many of the nation's teaching hospitals are in a similar situation.

"It's a complex array of things we have to do. The basic issue is to produce more revenue. We also have to be willing to make reductions in areas where we are losing money,"Kirwan said. "The objective is to get the hospital back on sound financial footing within a year, and I have every confidence that will occur."

Several questions to Kirwan centered on compensation issues. One question raised was why the hospitals and the University offer different pay structures. "The University sets up pay against similar peer groups,"Kirwan said. "We try to make hospital salaries comparable to benchmark salaries at other hospitals."

The difficulties of meeting marketplace salary averages in the technical and professional areas was raised by one audience member, who asked Kirwan what the University planned to do to address the inequalities.

Kirwan responded that the University needs to be more targeted in its allocations. "We expect managers to make differential allocations of salary increases based on merit and market competitiveness,"he said. "If we aren't able to move to a more strategic allocation, it will harm the University in the long run."

Several questions were raised regarding broadbanding. Kirwan and Associate Vice President for Human Resources Larry M. Lewellen announced that the University will continue work on broadbanding soon.

"Broadbanding did come to a halt when ARMS (Administrative Resource Management System) was introduced. It was just too much for departments to handle,"Lewellen said. "We have every intention of picking broadbanding back up during the next fiscal year."

The question of maternity leave also was raised. "This is a very important benefit that the University and institutions across the country have got to come to grips with,"Kirwan said.

"We have a task force working on it right now, looking at our options for improving the maternity leave process,"said Lewellen, stating that summer would be the earliest that any plans for changes would be announced.

COTA offers discount for faculty and staff on monthly passes

Faculty and staff will not have to reach quite as deeply into their pockets to ride a city bus now that the Central Ohio Transit Authority (COTA) has approved a discount on monthly passes for Ohio State employees. The discount went into effect April 18.

The plan gives faculty and staff members a $4 discount on monthly bus passes. With the discount, passes cost $33 for unlimited rides on local routes or $46 for express routes. That compares with $28.75 for the most expensive "A"parking permit at Ohio State.

After adding driving costs such as gas and vehicle maintenance, employees could save money on the bus, said Sarah Blouch, director of the Office of Transportation and Parking Services.

"I think any discount you can get is great. It offers people a choice," Blouch said.

The $4 discount is also available on the $50 express monthly pass.

Passes are available at Transportation and Parking Services, located in Bevis Hall, at the University Medical Center gift shop and at COTA's Customer Service Center, 177 S. High St.

Mitchell Finke, business development coordinator with COTA, said the shortage of parking generated "a great deal of interest on campus in an alternative to driving."

COTA initiated the discount with encouragement from the University Staff Advisory Committee and in partnership with the Office of Human Resources.

COTA officials said the discount will come directly from COTA, which is using it to boost ridership. It has been offering a similar discount since 1997 for Columbus city employees purchasing monthly passes through payroll deduction.

Also since 1997, Ohio State students have been able to ride any COTA bus for a $9 quarterly fee assessed to all students. Students initially voted for the fee, and last year voted to extend the program for five years.

Blouch said she sees no similar plan in the cards for University employees.

"I don't think it would ever be possible to mandate a fee for a COTA pass for faculty and staff,"she said.