Responsibilities of Various Entities at Tufts University Relating to Graduate Education

Responsibilities of Various Entities at Tufts University Relating to Graduate Education

Prologue: The following document was developed through a series of meetings of the University Council on Graduate Education during the 2002-2003 academic year. The purpose of the document is to establish with absolute clarity what are the responsibilities of the various constituents at the university and to ensure that these responsibilities are fulfilled. The Council’s mission is to identify barriers and to suggest operational changes in the institution that will facilitate a strengthening of the graduate programs throughout the university. With this goal in mind, the Council found it necessary to identify and state explicitly the responsibilities of each and every entity at the university and further to identify where we are strong and where we fall short.

This document is intended to be a discussion document for the university. Many of the responsibilities are deliberately pointed and will require serious reflection for they indicate changes which will improve the Tufts of today.

Responsibilities of Various Entities at Tufts University Relating to Graduate Education

The University is responsible for:

• Setting clear, overarching goals for graduate education and research;
• Enhancing graduate education by proper management, which is operationally effective, economically efficient and environmentally sound;
• Creating and maintaining a climate conducive to advanced and intellectual activities;
• Supporting and furthering faculty research;
• Ensuring appropriate economic support for students and faculty (e.g., access to housing, health insurance, salaries and stipends);
• Providing a first-class learning environment, consisting of suitable libraries, laboratories, classrooms, study spaces, offices, electronic facilities and similar resources;
• Encouraging and rewarding cross-disciplinary, intradepartmental and trans-school collaborative activities of faculty and students;
• Recognizing the achievements of advanced study through salary increments, awards, promotions, research leaves and similar perquisites;
• Raising funds for graduate scholarships, fellowships and endowed chairs, while building constituencies to aid in the support of graduate education;
• Attracting and nurturing the highest caliber of graduate student, while pursuing diversity;
• Attracting and nurturing the highest caliber of faculty member, while pursuing diversity;
• Appointing pro-active deans and executives to carry out these tasks and provide intellectual leadership for advanced studies;
• Maintaining a reliable and up-to-date data base of alumni, on which departments and programs can draw;
• Seeking opportunities to host scholarly congresses, offering facilities for gatherings initiated by others; and vigorously promoting such events;
• Bolstering collegiality by fostering opportunities to communicate new research and educational incentives, not only within the University but through liaisons with foundations and other educational institutions;
• Enhancing the reputation of Tufts University by publicizing research findings, publications and program innovations;
• Seeking National and International recognition for its faculty and their research accomplishments.

The School is responsible for:

• Fostering an environment for scholarly activity and intellectual pursuit at the graduate (post-baccalaureate) level;
• Establishing and administering graduate program policies, requirements and procedures that support scholarly activity and intellectual pursuit and that are congruent with other graduate programs within the University;
• Supporting matriculation of the best qualified graduate student applicants by allocating appropriate funds in order to competitively recruit within the discipline at the national/international level through fellowships, scholarships, teaching assistantships and other sources of student support;
• Attracting, recruiting and nurturing the highest caliber of graduate students and graduate faculty while endorsing and pursuing diversity;
• Acknowledging, supporting, and rewarding graduate faculty participation by providing equitable allocation of faculty responsibilities including adequate time and opportunities (e.g. graduate teaching, journal club, grant/manuscript writing) to mentor effectively and pursue scholarly activities;
• Providing adequate mentoring resources (e.g. funds for seminars, travel/participation in scientific meetings, graduate teaching/training);
• Hiring and promoting faculty whose research expertise and accomplishments complement, enhance, and raise the level of existing areas of strength in graduate education;
• Allocating and supporting laboratory facilities/ resources for graduate student teaching and research within departmental degrees/programs, as well as providing appropriate venues for student interaction;
• Ensuring laboratory environments that are safe for personal and environmental health and welfare, including appropriate personal safety equipment and training in its proper use, and the proper handling and disposal of hazardous waste materials;
• Encouraging and rewarding the establishment of inter-departmental and cross-school activities of faculty and graduate students in the broad context of the University’s primary mission of “excellence in higher education”.

The Department/Program is responsible for:

• Establishing and supporting intellectually challenging curricula and experiences, including coursework, seminars, teaching assistantships, and research mentorship;
• Providing clear and cohesive programmatic structures including entrance and degree requirements, progress toward fulfilling degree requirements and satisfactory/unsatisfactory completion of degrees;
• Establishing an environment that is open to building bridges between departments, and encouraging and rewarding programs and schools that provide interdisciplinary educational opportunities;
• Maintaining connections with alumni through regular networking, newsletters, reunions and related activities;
• Recruiting and supporting faculty that provide a critical mass for specific degrees/programs, which are committed to teaching and research excellence, that function with the highest level of ethical behavior, and that support a broader research and educational vision involving building bridges among faculty, departments and programs;
• Crediting effort for doctoral research supervision as a contribution to the advising and teaching missions of the department/program;
• Establishing and implementing procedures for faculty and student mentoring;
• Engaging appropriate entities at the university in fund raising in support of student needs (i.e., fellowships);
• Recruiting graduate students of the highest possible intellectual excellence while endorsing diverse backgrounds and interests;
• Allocating and supporting laboratory facilities/resources for teaching and research within departmental degrees/programs;
• Implementing procedures to establish a laboratory environment that is safe for personal and environmental health and welfare, including proper handling and disposal of hazardous wastes and personal safety equipment.

Individual Faculty Members are responsible for:

• Maintaining the highest standards of ethical behavior;

Teaching and advising

• Preparing and teaching classes as needed by the graduate programs, including up to date material, and using methods that engage students;
• Providing thorough and timely feedback to students on their academic work;
• Providing information on courses reasonably in advance of the course being offered (e.g. syllabus);
• Being available/responsive to students needing questions answered or other assistance;
• Working with individual students on research or directed study projects;
• Treating students in a collegial and respectful way;
• Being available to students as mentor and advisor on professional and academic issues and on issues that bridge the personal and professional;
• Staying up to date on policies, procedures, and requirements in the academic program, so as to provide accurate guidance to students;
• Assist students in making professional contacts for internships and employment, and providing letters of reference;
• Involving students in professional and research activities and providing opportunities for students to engage in professional and research activities on their own;
• Serving on qualifying exam committees and serving on thesis committees as member or chair, as appropriate to the needs of the school.

Research and Scholarship

• Staying up to date on developments in the field;
• Contributing to new knowledge and new thinking in the field through research and scholarship, and ensuring dissemination of research and scholarship through publication in journals, books, reports, and through presentations at conferences and professional meetings.
• Seeking opportunities to build collaborative research/scholarship efforts within the department and school, and across the university;
• Seeking and securing external support to fund research and scholarly activities including student support, travel, supplies, salary release, and indirect cost.

Service

• Serving on standing or ad hoc committees, and on university-wide committees as relevant to graduate education;
• Responding to requests from the administration (school or university) for information;
• Meeting with or otherwise communicating with prospective students seeking information about the academic program;
• Enhancing the reputation of the university through publicizing research findings, publications, and programmatic innovations;
• Engaging in relevant professional activities (e.g., participate in professional societies; provide technical assistance to appropriate organizations)

The Student is responsible for:

• Maintaining the highest standards of ethical behavior;
• Being motivated and collegial;
• Exercising an inquiring mind and a critical intelligence;
• Engaging and contributing to the intellectual environment of the program;
• Maintaining good academic standing by meeting programmatic guidelines and deadlines;
• Complying with the policies and procedures of the University and their department or program;
• Working within the structure of the mentor’s expertise, but towards greater autonomy and self-direction;
• Taking responsibility for one’s own career development (e.g. writing and speaking skills, leadership, teamwork, teaching and mentoring);
• Communicating with the administration when help is required;
• Maintaining at all times the kind of classroom decorum and collegial atmosphere which ensures that the process of teaching and learning can take place;
• Documenting their research in a timely manner; and
• Adhering to environmental health and safety regulations.

In addition to responsibilities, the Student is entitled to expect:

• An environment conducive to instruction, research and service;
• Guidelines that balance academic freedom and necessary order;
• Clearly defined channels and procedures for the appeal and review of misconduct;
• Governance by educationally justifiable academic regulations and professional standards;
• That they will be treated without prejudice;
• Accurate, timely, and clearly stated information concerning general academic requirements for establishing and maintaining an acceptable academic standing;
• The best advice the unit can provide concerning program planning, research, professional expectations, selection of courses and professors, and general degree requirements;
• Scholarly relationships with faculty based on mutual trust and civility;
• A graduate mentor who is an expert and productive in their field;
• Clear definition of their obligations to their program, department and mentor;
• Clearly defined and realistic goals for completing training in a time frame achievable within the standards of the field;
• Appropriate stipend and benefit levels, and clear information as to the nature, source and duration of financial support;
• Career guidance;
• Respect as persons, as scholars of merit, and as junior colleagues of the faculty;
• Appropriate recognition for their contributions to research and publications;
• Opportunities to attend and present their scholarly work in professional meetings; and
• Appropriate training in environmental health and safety issues.