Dramatically Growing a Graduate Program: A Seed Investment

Abstract

her current role, Dr. Clobes collaborates to support existing programs and develops new initiatives in graduate student recruitment, training, education, and career and professional development. Dr. Clobes holds a B.S. in Biology from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Virginia. Her combined experience in STEM research and education, program development, and student advising are key to her dedication and success in creating opportunities for graduate students to achieve their education and career goals.

Work in Progress: A Holistic PhD Admissions Rubric--Design & Implementation

“…In order to stress best-practice approaches in holistic application review, a Holistic PhD Admissions Rubric was developed as a tool embedded in the central application system to help faculty reviewers seek out and use true indicators of graduate school success when evaluating PhD applications, and to reduce reliance on poor predictors. It should be noted that this rubric was one component of a multi-faceted effort to increase diversity and inclusion in the engineering school and was implemented along with a strategic marketing and communication program educating prospective students on the school's commitment to diversity and inclusion, targeted recruitment activities, application fee waivers, and a series of fellowships for incoming students [20].…”

“…It is critical to cultivate a diverse applicant pool that encompasses applicants from all backgrounds and situations. Building a robust, strategic, and comprehensive marketing and recruitment program to reach a wide audience is key [20]. However, once a diverse applicant pool has been developed, the admissions process itself must be fair, evidence-based, and as free from bias as possible.…”

Faculty Perception of the GRE as a Graduate Admission Requirement

“…Admissions Rubric--Design & Implementation," it is essential to use evidence-based best practices and a holistic graduate admissions rubric to broaden applicant pools and guarantee that all students have an equal chance to succeed, regardless of their background--the Holistic Ph.D. Admissions Rubric, which examines applications using better predictors of success like research potential, motivation, and leadership, is introduced by the authors after they point out the drawbacks of traditional quantitative admissions criteria like the GRE and GPA [11]. Prospective students should be informed of such a rubric's existence and program-specific evaluation procedures to increase their chances of being accepted and succeeding.…”