GradEdge | Winter 2024
In Memoriam: Orlando L. Taylor (1936-2024)
In January, the CGS community lost a tireless advocate for graduate education. Orlando L. Taylor, distinguished senior advisor to the president of Fielding Graduate University, passed away on January 16, 2024 after a life of service to his field, communication, and to higher education.
Dr. Taylor was known in the CGS community for many things: his warm smile, his encouragement of his colleagues, his important scholarship, and his commitment to supporting diversity, equity and inclusion. Over his lifetime, he mentored countless students of diverse backgrounds on their paths to and through master’s and doctoral degrees. These qualities and his passion for service made him an excellent leader as CGS board chairman in 2001, a board member from 1999-2002, and a member of several committees, leaving a lasting impact on our organization.
Dr. Taylor held a variety of leadership roles throughout his career. In addition to serving as president of the National Communication Association, he served as president of the DC campus of the Chicago School of Professional Psychology and held a variety of leadership roles at Howard University, including the position of graduate dean.
A longer tribute to Dr. Taylor’s life and career can be found on the Fielding University website. In the final year of his life, Dr. Taylor served as editor of Higher Education In a Changing World (Fielding University Press, 2023).
Letter from the President: The Cost of Graduate Education Task Force
The start of a new calendar year presents the perfect opportunity to reflect on what has been accomplished, what is on the horizon, and assess how best to prioritize our attention and activities. In graduate education, there are a myriad of issues that come to mind, but I believe the cost of graduate education is the most important issue we’re currently confronting.
Continue reading to learn more about CGS’s Cost of Graduate Education Task Force.
Coming Soon: CGS Webinar on Gainful Employment and Financial Value Transparency Regulations
On October 10, 2023, the U.S. Department of Education released its final regulations on Gainful Employment (GE) and the creation of the Financial Value Transparency (FVT) framework. These regulations require institutions of higher education to be more transparent and accountable by providing students with the cost of postsecondary programs and the financial outcomes they can expect upon the completion of their studies. All institutions of higher education that participate in Title IV, Higher Education Act federal student aid programs must comply with these GE and FVT regulations.
These regulations will go into effect on July 1, 2024.
CGS Action:
CGS has a created a webpage for members to access the final regulations, review the Institutional Reporting Requirements, view a timeline of critical dates and access resources to help prepare for the implementation of the regulations.
On March 19 at 2:00 p.m. EST, CGS will host a webinar on the GE/FVT regulations. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education and several CGS graduate deans will participate as webinar panelists. Registration for the GE/FVT webinar will be posted on the CGS website on Tuesday, February 20th.
For more information about GE and FVT regulations and other pending legislative and regulatory action, please be sure to sign-up for the bi-monthly Washington Insights & Highlights Newsletter.
Meet the New CGS Board Chair: Michael Cunningham on Using Communication for Student Success
CGS is proud to welcome new board chair Michael Cunningham, associate provost for graduate and postdoctoral studies and a Suzanne and Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow and professor in the Department of Psychology at Tulane University.
“I’m quite honored to chair the board for CGS. I think CGS and their staff are wonderful. Suzanne Ortega is a thought leader and to be a thought partner with her is a privilege. I look forward to learning more from her,” Cunningham said.
Continue reading to learn more about his ideas on positive interventions, effective communications and supporting diverse communities.
GradImpact: Aiymgul Kerimray and Taking a Leading Role in Science Communication
Since Aiymgul Kerimray finished her PhD in sustainable engineering from Nazarbayev University in the Republic of Kazakhstan, a CGS international member, she has become a champion for environmental scientists leading science communications.
She thinks they need to be proactive in effectively communicating their research to general public audiences in order to combat misinformation about air pollution and the costs of green energy. Read the full article.
Global Leaders Release Action Agenda for Ethical Internationalization
Last week, CGS released the principles and action agenda on internationalization in graduate education created by attendees at the Strategic Leaders Global Summit held last October.
The summit was co-hosted with the Australian Council of Graduate Research (ACGR) at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (RMIT) with financial support from ETS.
Summit participants discussed how to create a student-centered approach to increasing the flows of knowledge, people, and resources between nations. In doing so, they aim to improve knowledge production and increase transnational understanding. The ability for countries to be better collaborators in scholarly research will be crucial to helping solve global grand challenges like poverty and climate change. Read the full article.
First of Its Kind Report Captures Broad Outlines of Microcredentials in Graduate Education
In January, CGS released a new report, Microcredentials and Master’s Degrees: Understanding the National Landscape to Support Learners and the Workforce, that addresses a range of pressing questions about the impact of non-degree graduate credentials.
With funding support from ETS, the report sheds light on post-baccalaureate and non-degree credentials, known as microcredentials, and their evolving role in higher education over the past 20 years. Until now, little was known about how these credentials impact graduate education, particularly the master’s degree.
The two-year research project pulls together quantitative and qualitative data to examine this diverse and fast-changing field. Research methods included three surveys that targeted graduate deans, graduate program directors and employers; six focus groups with key stakeholders; and more than 20 interviews with graduate school administrators, employers, and researchers. Read the full article.
Updates from the IGE Hub
CGS hosts the IGE Hub, an NSF funded network that supports communication and collaboration across NSF’s Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) grants. The project also seeks to build bridges between this group and the broader STEM graduate education community.
Continue reading to learn more about NSF’s call for proposals for the IGE program, CGS’s upcoming meeting with IGE PIs and Dr. Shan Jiang, associate professor in the Materials Science and Engineering Department at Iowa State University, and his innovative work on the Graduate for Professional Skills (GAPS) program. Read the full article.
Call For Applications: 2024-2025 Dean-in-Residence
CGS is Now Accepting Applications for the 2024-2025 Dean-in-Residence. CGS established the Dean-in-Residence (DIR) Program in 1983 to provide an opportunity for graduate deans to spend an academic year in our Washington, D.C. office. Each year one dean is selected from a CGS member institution to participate in the DIR program to engage with staff and in current projects.
To apply for the DIR position, please send President Suzanne Ortega a letter of interest, including mention of a specific project or projects you intend to pursue, and a curriculum vitae. Applications are accepted throughout the year and may be submitted one year in advance of your intended sabbatical year. We encourage early submission to ensure your institution has adequate time to coordinate sabbatical and administrative leaves. The one-year position begins August 1-July 31.
CGS provides a monthly stipend to assist with relocation costs; benefits are not included. Funding for this position depends upon support through either sabbatical or administrative leave from the applicant’s institution. We ask that you provide a letter of interest and CV for consideration.
Applications/inquiries should be sent to:
Suzanne Ortega, President
Council of Graduate Schools
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 230
Washington, D.C. 20036-1146
president@cgs.nche.edu 202-461-3852
New CGS Leaders and Deans
- Alejandro Aballay, Dean, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
- Sarah Ades, Dean of the Graduate School and Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, The University of Texas at Austin
- Tara Beattie, Interim Vice Provost and Dean of Faculty of Graduate Studies, University of Calgary
- Michelle Bligh, Interim Executive Vice President and Provost, The Claremont Graduate School
- Edmund Buckner, Associate Provost for Research, Innovation, and Graduate Education, Alcorn State University
- Stephen Dilks, Interim Dean, School of Graduate Studies, University of Missouri, Kansas City
- Breeann Flesch, Interim Dean of Graduate Studies and Research, Western Oregon University
- Hillary Fouts, Dean of the Graduate School, University of Colorado, Colorado Springs
- Janet Guyden, Interim Dean of the Graduate School, Bowie State University
- Daniel Hammel, Acting Vice Provost for Graduate Affairs, The University of Toledo
- Paul Haught, Associate Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs and Professional Education, University of Dayton
- Dimitrios Karamichos, Interim Dean, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth
- Ranjit Koodali, Dean of the Graduate School and Associate Provost for International Affairs, New Mexico State University
- Carl Kumaradas, Interim Vice-Provost and Dean, Yeates School of Graduate Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University
- Carlton Long, Dean, Graduate School, Hampton University
- Linda Mayger, Interim Dean of Graduate and Continuing Education, The College of New Jersey
- Bob Mehalik, Interim Associate Provost and Graduate Dean, Pennsylvania Western University
- Sydney Murphy, Dean, School of Graduate Studies in the Health Sciences, University of Mississippi Medical Center
- Daisy Sahoo, Dean, MCW School of Graduate Studies, Medical College of Wisconsin
- Kamran Siddiqui, Vice-Provost, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, Western University
- Eric Swindell, Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Van Andel Institute Graduate School
- Lori Woeste, Associate Dean, Graduate Programs, American Public University
- Jeanne Zilliox, Associate Vice Provost, Graduate and Continuing Education, Merrimack College