N.C. State is in the process of finding a new dean for its Graduate School. Currently, the University is considering four candidates and is hosting public hearings for each candidate this month.
The second of these candidates spoke on Monday at the Erdahl-Cloyd Auditorium. Professor Henning Schroeder, the current vice provost and dean of graduate education at the University of Minnesota, addressed issues about graduate degree programs in the United States and methods to improve current programs. Schroeder is the second of four candidates to speak to University audiences about the position.
According to Matthew Melillo, president of the N.C. State University Graduate Student Association, the candidates for the position had to go through airport interviews where they were questioned by the search committee for the new position.
“We select four finalist candidates from the airport interviews to come to N.C. State, and now they’re doing multi-day interview processes at N.C. State,” Melillo said.
Schroeder said there are two main problems with graduate programs in the United States.
“We are expensive, and the question is how we can address that, and two it takes a very long time to go through a graduate program,” Schroeder said.
According to Schroeder, one of the main things that companies look for when hiring graduate students is autonomy and whether or not the students are able to work independently.
Additionally, Schroeder said current Ph.D. programs are comprised of two main elements: coursework followed by independent research, which is done by students.
“Thirty to 40 percent of graduate students in the U.S. — based on a study that was done in 2006 — said that the courses do not really prepare them for the research they have to do,” Schroeder said.
Schroeder said he believes that a research aspect of the program should be implemented early on in order to help students transition into working independently.
“I think the research experience in a program is something that can’t be diminished for a number of reasons,” Schroeder said. “For the development of students to foster autonomy and so faculty members can not only mentor, but also have someone join in their research.”
According to Schroeder, all the graduate programs at N.C. State have specific, explicit outlines that help students understand exactly what their degrees are designed to do.
Schroeder said that ideally, a graduate program will allow for professional development where the students participate in internships that are connected to their respective research topics.
Schroeder also said he feels that an ideal graduate program should incorporate diversity, which will help foster a close connection among people and improve the overall quality of the academic program.
“It’s important not only to have a diverse student body but a diverse faculty as well so that the environment becomes attractive to graduate students,” Schroeder said.
Melillo said he agreed with Schroeder’s opinion that it is important for graduate students to be able to explore problems without assistance.
“For graduate students to be successful, they need to have a certain degree of exploring problems without very little guidance, and you don’t have someone telling you what you need to do to solve the problem,” Melillo said.
Schroeder said he believes that N.C. State has the potential to become a model for education not only in the U.S., but also in the world.
“I strongly believe from what I’ve seen and experienced, N.C. State should strive to be a global model because it has all the potential,” Schroeder said.
N.C. State is currently considering four finalists for the position, including Schroeder, Karen Burg, the interim vice provost and dean of the Graduate School at Clemson University, Maureen Grasso, the dean of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia, and an unannounced fourth candidate. The University will host two more open forums for the remaining two candidates in the Erdahl-Cloyd Auditorium, one on Wednesday and again on Nov. 18.
