Enhancing Graduate Education at Texas Tech University: The Path Forward

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Enhancing Graduate Education at Texas Tech
University The Path Forward

• President M. Duane Nellis
• Meeting of the Board of Regents
• August 7, 2015

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Restructuring TTU graduate education since 2013
Where weve been and where we are

• Vice provost-level position created to enable
  greater coordination across campus. Dr. Mark
  Sheridan hired fall 2013
• Graduate marketing director and recruiter added
  in 2014
• Strategic enrollment management plan developed in
  fall 2013 and implemented
• Transition to new, fully-electronic application
  platform initiated in fall 2013
• Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Fellowships
  created to facilitate submission of external
  fellowship applications
• Graduate Center created to serve as nexus for
  professional career development activities and
  graduate-specific student services

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More recent achievements since July 2014
Where weve been and where we are

• Applications up 32 for fall 2014 and 5.2 for
  spring 2015
• Record enrollments for fall 2014 (5,882, up 8.4)
  and spring 2015 (5,661, up 5.7)
• International graduate enrollment up 19 (to
  1,569) for fall 2014 and up 17 (to 1,538) for
  spring 2015
• Number of international sponsored graduate
  students increased by over 50
• Record masters (up 8.5) and doctoral degrees (up
  2.5) awarded
• Two students awarded prestigious NSF Graduate
  Research Fellowships

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TTU historical growth in the national context
Where weve been and where we are

• National enrollment trends since 2008
• Between 2008 and 2011, nation-wide graduate
  enrollment increased approx. 1 per year
• More recently, between fall 2012 and fall 2013
  nation-wide graduate enrollment decreased 0.2
  following a 2.3 decline the previous year
• TTU graduate enrollment growth from fall 2008 to
  fall 2013 was up 16.2 (representing a rate of
  increase THIRTY TWO times the national average).
  And this growth has accelerated the last two
  years.

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TTU current national rankings
Where weve been and where we are

• Graduate enrollment ranked 77th in the nation
  (top 14) (ahead of all Big 12
  peers except UT, ISU, Kansas)
• Doctoral enrollment in STEM fields ranked 74th
  nationally (top 18) (ahead of all Big 12 peers
  except UT, Oklahoma, ISU, Kansas)
• Number of doctoral degrees awarded is ranked 64th
  nationally (top 16 )(ahead of all Big 12 peers
  except UT, ISU, Kansas)

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TTU current national rankingscontd
Where weve been and where we are

• 15 graduate programs were ranked in the last
  National Research Council Study 8 of these were
  in the top-half of their field
• 18 graduate programs were ranked in the last US
  News and World Report survey (RCOBA and WCOE were
  in the top 100 6 engineering programs were in
  the top 100) three on-line graduate programs
  were top ranked (2 in WCOE, 1 in Education)
• Many programs have top rankings by accrediting
  bodies or independent discipline-specific
  reviewing boards/journals (e.g., Agricultural
  Communication, Clinical Psychology, Creative
  Writing, Rawls College of Business, Personal
  Financial Planning)

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Where weve been and where we are

• Where TTU needs to improve in graduate education
  as we move forward as a premier national
  research university
• Percent of graduate students in student
  population (16 vs 20)
• Percent of graduate students funded (27 vs 40)
• Graduate student stipends (lag behind on average
  4000/year)

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The path forward

• Enhancing the graduate enterprise of TTU revolves
  around four themes
• Elevate academic identity
• Enhance professionalization
• Expand globalization
• Increase diversity and inclusion

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Summary of Goals

• Increase the number of high-quality graduate
  programs that align with the nations workforce
  demands and the priorities of TTU by making
  strategic investments
• Increase graduate enrollment to 8000 by 2020
• Increase the quality of applicants (measured by
  standardized tests, e.g., GRE)
• Increase the number of students supported by
  prestigious national fellowships (e.g., NSF GRF,
  Fulbright, etc.)
• Increase retention, reduce time to degree, and
  increase success of graduates in the workforce

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The path forward
US lag in Ph.D. production threatens competitive
advantage
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Enhancing Graduate Education at Texas Tech
University The Path Forward

• President M. Duane Nellis
• Meeting of the Board of Regents
• August 7, 2015