Sara Dolan
Associate Dean for Professional Development
The Graduate School provides comprehensive support for our graduate students through a variety of initiatives, including professional development workshops, programs that speak to the integration of faith and scholarship, and mentor training workshops for our graduate faculty.
Mentoring Graduate Students
Relationships between students and faculty are critical for graduate student success. Especially in doctoral programs, the mentor-mentee relationship is a cornerstone of academic and professional development because the faculty mentor provides apprenticeship style research training. Students develop knowledge and skills and complete independent scholarship in their discipline by working closely with this faculty member. Over the last year, the Graduate School has invested in our faculty mentors, and it has paid off. As you read in Dr. Rios’s article, our graduation rates are improving. Our graduates are getting prestigious jobs: we count among our graduates senior data scientists, CEOs, academic administrators, and faculty at colleges and universities. This year, 55% of our graduates who are in faculty positions are at R1 institutions, up from 41% just 5 years ago.
The Graduate School’s mentor training workshops are designed to equip faculty and graduate students with the skills needed to effectively guide their students. Faculty from over 25 programs across all colleges and schools have participated in these workshops. This year, we have our first graduate student cohort of trainees, giving our Baylor graduate students the same set of skills preparing them to mentor the Baylor undergraduate researchers they work closely with, as well as to start their own careers as successful graduate faculty members. Every PhD student is now required to complete a Mentoring Agreement, which clearly outlines expectations and responsibilities, ensuring a structured and supportive mentoring relationship. Each PhD program also has developed and implemented specific plans to enhance mentoring and foster a strong intellectual community. Additionally, we have collated and shared general and field-specific best practices for enhancing mentoring and intellectual community to ensure consistency and excellence across all departments.
In Fall 2023, we deployed a PhD Student Satisfaction Survey to gather baseline data across all programs. This survey helps us identify areas for improvement and will be administered each year to track progress and provide targeted support to programs with lower scores. Our Fall 2024 data demonstrate that our mentoring efforts have had a positive impact: in just one year, we have seen improvement in our satisfaction survey items. Overall, students report better relationships with faculty, stronger intellectual community, and students are more likely to recommend their program to future applicants. The mean scores for 70% of our research doctoral programs improved.
Community and Support
We continue to provide support at the student level. Recognizing the unique challenges faced by women in academia, we continue to offer the Women in the Academy Mentoring Program. This program offers tailored mentoring and networking opportunities, providing a supportive environment for women to thrive in their academic careers. This Fall, the Graduate Student Association began a McNair Scholars Alumni organization, which provides community for our growing population of students who completed the McNair Scholars program at their undergraduate institutions.
For students in online and hybrid programs, we ensure that they receive the same level of support and engagement as their on-campus peers. Virtual mentoring, online workshops, and digital resources are readily available, creating a seamless and enriching educational experience regardless of location. We are also meeting with cohorts in these programs when they are on campus, to reinforce the availability of our student support resources.
Fostering Spiritual Growth: Nurturing the Whole Person
At Baylor, we recognize the importance of spiritual growth as an integral part of personal development. This year, in partnership with the Office of Spiritual Life, we have two embedded graduate student chaplains, and one of those positions is dedicated to students in our online/hybrid programs. Baylor University Graduate School offers several specialized programs to support graduate students in integrating their faith with their academic pursuits. The Ramm Scholars program is designed for seminary students and students in STEM PhD programs to discuss issues of faith and science. The Conyers Scholars is a community of scholars dedicated to exploring the intersection of faith and learning. The BCU Scholars program prepares students from Baptist colleges and universities for careers at faith-based institutions. These programs collectively enhance the graduate student experience by providing tailored support, fostering community, and encouraging the integration of faith and scholarship.
Strengthening Bonds: Graduate School and Graduate Student Association
The Graduate School’s partnership with the Graduate Student Association (GSA) exemplifies our commitment to creating a vibrant and supportive community in collaboration with our graduate student body. Together, we organize a variety of events and activities that enrich the graduate student experience. Highlights include the annual Graduate Student Appreciation Week, which celebrates the hard work and achievements of our students. New Graduate Student Orientation each August and Homecoming activities promote a sense of belonging and school spirit. One of our most successful collaborative efforts over the last year was to secure the faculty/staff on-campus dining discount for all graduate students, which is an indicator of our commitment to ensuring our students’ basic needs are met so they can thrive academically.
Conclusion
Baylor University Graduate School is dedicated to fostering an environment where graduate students can thrive academically, professionally, and personally. Through high quality mentoring, strong partnerships with the Graduate Student Association and all of our programs, and a focus on holistic wellbeing that includes opportunities for spiritual growth, we strive to create a nurturing and inclusive community that empowers our students to achieve their fullest potential.
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