Reshaping the Graduate Education of Scientists and Engineers (1995) / Chapter Skim
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F CALL FOR COMMENTS: SUMMARY OF RESPONSES
F CALL FOR COMMENTS: SUMMARY OF RESPONSES
Pages 183-196
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From page 183... ...
EMPLOYER EVALUATION OF PHD TRAINING Overview Industry and academic administrators generally responded favorably to the current concept of PhD training. Most comments affirmed US superiority in graduate education, but with the observation that there is always room for improvement.
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From page 184... ...
Courses taught via recitation do not help students learn or graduate students teach. · It is wrong to assume that anyone working on a PhD is automatically able to teach.
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From page 185... ...
Master's versus PhD Degrees Expectations for those with master's degrees and PhDs are slightly different. Here is an · ~ ~ overview from a malor company: In the case of PhDs we are looking for high intelligence and creativity, the ability to originate and conduct independent research, a research background involving at least a solid thesis research experience, and the potential breadth of talent to move from one research field to another.
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From page 186... ...
Either the faculty in such institutions will have to carve out areas of research which don't rely on expensive equipment, or they will have to change their expectations of being significant players on the national and international science scene. It may be that there should be some effort devoted to training PhDs for research appropriate to those other institutions, either for enhancing their instructional roles or for providing them with realistic lines of research.
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From page 187... ...
will eventually be called upon to handle a wide range of problems that go far beyond the training received during the completion of the PhD. A vice president of an applied-research organization wrote, "Everything else being equal, individuals with graduate training cutting across areas of engineering, management and business will turn into better candidates for employment than more narrowly educated specialists." But one industry respondent warned, "It's a terrible idea to turn [PhDs]
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From page 188... ...
~ say no. A highly trained scientist and engineer cannot be very effective if she/he has no knowledge at all of how a company is organized and why, lacks understanding about the principal staff and operating functions, is ignorant of the rudiments of accounting and finance, is unaware of product liability issues that directly affect product development, etc., etc.
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From page 189... ...
, and substantial knowledge of the business environment/culture (including project management fundamentals, time/effort/budget deliverables, sensitivity to human resource concerns, safety, intellectual property, etc.~. Skill Expansion In general, employers do not fee!
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From page 190... ...
Limiting Enrollments Industry and administrators seemed to agreed that limiting enrollments was the job of market forces; professors disagreed. As a justification of limitations, they often cited an internal necessity, such as resource or space limitations, rather than a desire to affect the overall market.
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From page 191... ...
There does not seem to be a unifying technological endeavor or an idealized goal with technological underpinnings, to inspire our students and engender popular support." Conclusion In conclusion, the themes of the anecdotal information collected via the committee's call for comments indicates that although employers are generally pleased with the result of US graduate education, they have some specific concerns as to the breadth, versatility, and skill development in that education. Furthermore, they are concerned that the graduate education
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From page 192... ...
· Enrich the science and engineering curriculum to include training in interpersonal communication, technical writing, team skills, business-process management, accounting, and competitive assessment.
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From page 193... ...
Information Needs Universities should · Collect benchmarking data to monitor the quality of approved programs and to try to satisfy hiring patterns of employers who regularly draw from particular program. · Improve student counseling so that those planning PhD in the basic sciences understand, in advance, what the government gauges as appropriate for a PGYl PhD salary.
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From page 194... ...
· Improve teaching by establishing a policy that senior graduate students can apply for federal grants to supplement their support and in exchange teach graduate courses. The federal government should · Grant more fellowships directly to students, which would separate financial support from the research process.
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From page 195... ...
· Provide, with state governments, financial support for advanced graduate students to visit public universities and liberal-arts colleges for one semester as professorial interns. Industry should · Help to change the science and engineering culture by setting aside a small amount of R&D money for internships for graduate students.
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