Institutionalizing Success for Underrepresented Graduate Students:

Weaving PROMISE into the Fabric of the University

Renetta G. Tull, Ph.D.

IGERT-IBP, Nobleboro, Maine March 13, 2007

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

20+ Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate UMBC (Lead)

– Former commuter school, now “An Honors University in Maryland”– Meyerhoff Scholars/Fellows– A Balanced Approach to Graduate Education

UM College Park, UM Baltimore 2003

PROMISE: Our Efforts

Recruitment & Retention Professional Development Transition to the Professoriate

PROMISE: Our Strategy

Create a culture of

involvement

PROMISE: Involvement = Weaving

RESEARCH & GRANT PARTNERING:– NSF-ERC: UMBC, Princeton, Johns Hopkins, CCNY, Rice; IGERT; Career

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT:– For ALL graduate students– Involves faculty and staff

CAMPUS COMMUNITY:– Administration, Faculty, Staff, Students

PROMISE: Recruitment Involves Faculty

Graduate Horizons– Lab Tours– Presentations to students

Faculty Partnerships– MSI institutions

Conferences – ABRCMS, NSBE, AISES, SACNAS

PROMISE: Retention Involves Faculty

Community Building Retreat & The Dissertation House

Faculty:

Engineering Social Sciences

Humanities

Active Involvement

Graduate Dean

Assoc. & Assist. Deans from 3 campuses, GPCs,

University Staff (Counseling Center)

PROMISE: RetentionInvolves Students

Involve non-STEM, majority, and inter-national students to

strengthen retention of underrepresented STEM students.

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentInvolves PROMISE Ph.D. Alumni

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentInvolves other Ph.D.s of Color

Images of Possibility– Drs. Randal Pinkett, Calvin Mackie,

Maria Mercedes Franco, Juan Gilbert, Eloy Rodrigues

PURPOSE Institute– Dr. Christine Grant, NC State, Meetings

at NSBE Conferences, PROMISE SSI

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentInvolves Faculty

Success Seminars– “How to Publish in Peer-Reviewed

Journals”– “How to Exceed Your Advisor’s

Expectations”– Dissertation Roundtables

PROMISE: Training for the Professoriate

Involves Faculty & Staff Professors-in-Training (PROF-it)

– UMBC Faculty Development Center– UMCP Center for Teaching Excellence– Howard University ECE Department– McNair Scholars Research Methods Course

CCBC-UMBC Fellows– Basic Training: Fall– Teaching with Technology: Spring

Interesting Trend: Faculty attend! For their OWN development

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentExample of Faculty Involvement in Professional Development

When Faculty Say ‘x’,

They Really Mean ‘y’

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentWhen Faculty Say ‘x’, They Mean ‘y’

1. How do you know when a faculty member is pleased with your work? Will they ever just tell you if you're not doing well or if you're doing a great job?

2. What are the non-verbal actions or pattern of interactions that give clues as to how seriously a professor takes you or your work? What are the warning signs that it may be time to have a heart-to-heart?

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentWhen Faculty Say ‘x’, They Mean ‘y’

Answer:

Good signs: Gives you more responsibility, puts you in charge of projects/lab/undergrads, new cohorts, recommends you for awards, meetings, etc.

Warning signs: Non-response. Lack of content in their advice, comments on projects, lack of verbal communication. Advisors often want to avoid confrontation at all costs.

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentWhen Faculty Say ‘x’, They Mean ‘y’

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentWhen Faculty Say ‘x’, They Mean ‘y’

3. When a professor says he or she wants a DRAFT what does that REALLY mean?

PROMISE: Professional DevelopmentWhen Faculty Say ‘x’, They Mean ‘y’

Answer:

The draft that goes to the professor

should be your 4th or 5th draft.

PROMISE: Involvement InfluenceState Budget & Grad Education Policy

State Budget – PROMISE Graduate Student Professional Development– State funded: Ph.D. Completion initiative

Education Policy – Chair NAGS Mentoring Comm., Board Member– New SBE AGEP Director = Asst. Dean of BSOS

PROMISE: Our Best Practice Institutional Involvement

Involvement of:– Administration, Faculty, Staff, Students

Involvement in:– Campus-wide programs– Research and Grant Partnering

Renetta G. Tull, Ph.D.

PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP

Contact: rtull@umbc.edu,

Office: 410-455-2930; Text Msg: 443-610-2552

IM: rg_tull (yahoo)

Visitors section: http://www.umbc.edu/promise/forum

Creating a Culture of Involvement