PhD Program Annual Assessment Procedures
The purpose of the assessment procedure document is to provide guidelines for PhD coordinators and other administrators as to what criteria are used to judge the success of a departmental PhD program. Such judgment is used to allocate PhD stipends and other resources. The philosophy is one of using measures of output to judge success thus allowing department coordinators the maximum flexibility in terms of the process or inputs that are used to achieve agreed upon goals. Even given the emphasis on outputs as the only measure of success, discussions on inputs and processes in the context of the Terry PhD program will often be presented so as to communicate and to provide information about shared views on the way to achieve success.
The Terry College also wants to encourage departments and professors to acquire grants and other awards that may assist in financing the PhD student. This includes a close and possible revenue sharing arrangements with the centers and institute. Thus departments that do supplement PhD stipends and fund additional stipends will not face a zero sum game and in fact will receive if possible additional stipends for such activity.
Output Measures of Success in Order of Importance
Placement
The primary measure of success of a PhD program is the quality of university that the PhD is placed. Programs that consistently place their students at the higher ranked schools will be allocated more resources such as additional stipends. Placement in non-academic and government positions provides a positive alternative for some candidates.
Research
Departments that use or involve PhD students in achieving exceptional publications during or shortly after the students' time in the program are considered, even given placements, for some additional support. The same is true for departments in which faculty with national reputations serve as major professors. Also, consideration in the allocation process is give n to those departments that have professors participating in joint publications with PhD students.
Teaching
The development of teaching skills is an element of a quality PhD program and is assumed, i.e. PhD students are expected to teach. Some limited recognition of the short-run resource benefits of using PhD students in the classroom is accepted as a criterion for allocation, but long-term goals should seek to limit PhD students to a maximum of one class per semester. In addition, departme ntal teaching obligations are not a long-run acceptable justification for additional or any PhD stipends.
Starting with academic year 2002-2003 stipend allocations are based on the above three criteria.
