WSCUC Interim Report - Pardee RAND Graduate School panel of the WSCUC Interim Report ... • Receive...
Transcript of WSCUC Interim Report - Pardee RAND Graduate School panel of the WSCUC Interim Report ... • Receive...
WSCUCInterimReportINSTRUCTIONSInterimReportsarelimitedinscope,notcomprehensiveevaluationsoftheinstitution.ThereportinformstheInterimReportCommitteeabouttheprogressmadebytheinstitutioninaddressingissuesidentifiedbytheCommission.TheInterimReportconsistsoftwosections:
• InterimReportFormandAppendices• AdditionalRequiredData(asspecifiedontheAdditionalRequiredDataform)
Pleaserespondcompletelytoeachquestiononthefollowingpagesanddonotdeletethequestions.AppendicesandAdditionalRequiredDatawillbeuploadedasseparateattachments.WSCUCisnolongerusingLiveTextforreceivingInterimReports.InstitutionswilluseafreeBox.comaccounttouploadthereport.InstructionsforcreatingtheBox.comaccountanduploadingthereportwillbeprovidedbyemail.REPORTGUIDELINESANDWORDLIMITSBecausethenumberofissuesreportedonvariesamonginstitutions(theaverageisfourtosixissues),thelengthofareportwillvary.However,atypicalinterimreportrangesfrom20to60pages,notincludingappendices.Narrativeessaysrespondingtoeachissueshouldbenomorethanfivepageseach.Thetotalnumberofpagesofappendicessupportingthereportshouldbenomorethan200pagesunlessagreeduponinadvancewiththeinstitution’sstaffliaison.Besurethatallattachmentsfollowaconsistentnamingconventionandarereferencedthesamewayatappropriateplaceswithinthenarrative.Pleasenamethemsothatitisclearwhattheyareandwhatsectiontheyreferto,withcrossreferencinginthenarrative.Forexample,“Attachment2-1:MissionStatement”,wouldbeusedforCriterion2.AttachmentsarepreferredasPDFs.Institutionsthatprovideexcessiveinformationintheirreportwillbeaskedtoresubmit.Youmaywishtoconsultwithyourstaffliaisonasyouprepareyourreport.Sometipsforprovidingevidencetosupportyourfindings:
• Putyourselfintheplaceofareviewer:whatisthestorythatyouneedtotell?Whatevidencesupportsyourstory?Whatisextraneousandcanbeleftout?
• Providearepresentativesampleofevidenceonanissue,ratherthanALLoftheevidence.
• Considerincludinganexecutivesummaryorthemostrelevantpointsofsupportingevidence,
ratherthantheentiredocument.
• Ifyouarereferringtoaspecificpageorsetofpagesinadocument,includeonlythosepages,nottheentiredocument.
• Ifyouareprovidinganexcerptofadocument,includethetitleofthedocument,andatableof
contentsand/orabriefnarrativetoputtheexcerptincontext.
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• Ifyouprovideahyperlinktoawebpage,makesurethelinktakestheviewerdirectlytotherelevantinformationonthepage.Donotmakeyourreviewersearchforit.
REVIEWPROCESSApaneloftheWSCUCInterimReportCommittee(IRC)willreviewthereport,typicallywithin90daysofreceipt.Representativesofyourinstitutionwillbeinvitedtoparticipateintheconferencecallreviewtorespondtoquestionsfromthepanel.YourWSCUCstaffliaisonwillcontactyouafterthecallwiththeoutcomeofthereview,whichwillalsobedocumentedinaformalactionletter.OUTCOMESOFTHEREVIEWAfterthereview,thepanelwilltakeoneofthefollowingactions.
• ReceivetheInterimReportwithrecommendationsandcommendations—Nofollowuprequired.
• Deferactionpendingreceiptoffollow-upinformation—Thepanelhasidentifiedlimitedinformationthatmaybesubmittedinashortperiodoftime,suchasauditedfinancialstatementsortheoutcomeofanupcomingmeetingoftheboard.ThepanelmayauthorizetheWSCUCstaffliaisontoreviewthesematerialswithoutthefullpanelbeingbroughttogetheragain,dependingonthenatureofthesupplementalinformation.
• RequestanadditionalInterimReport—Issuesreportedonwerenotadequatelyresolvedorneedcontinuedmonitoring.
• RequestaProgressReport—AprogressreportislessformalthananInterimReportandisreviewedonlybytheWSCUCstaffliaison.Aprogressreportmayberequestedwheninstitutionalfollow-upononeortworelativelyminorareasisdesired.
• ReceivetheInterimReportwitharecommendationthattheCommissionsendsasitevisitevaluationteam—Serious,ongoingissuesinvolvingpotentialnon-compliancewithWSCUC’sStandardsandCriteriaforReviewmayrequirefollow-upintheformofaSpecialVisit.NotethattheIRCpanelmakesarecommendationforavisit,andtheExecutiveCommitteeoftheCommissionorthefullCommissiondecidesonwhetherornottorequirethevisit.
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InterimReportFormPleaserespondtoeachquestion.Donotdeletethequestions.Insertadditionalpagesasneeded.NameofInstitution:PardeeRANDGraduateSchoolPersonSubmittingtheReport:RachelM.Swanger,AssociateDeanReportSubmissionDate:March1,2016StatementonReportPreparationBrieflydescribeinnarrativeformtheprocessofreportpreparation,providingthenamesandtitlesofthoseinvolved.BecauseofthefocusednatureofanInterimReport,thewidespreadandcomprehensiveinvolvementofallinstitutionalconstituenciesisnotnormallyrequired.Faculty,administrativestaff,andothersshouldbeinvolvedasappropriatetothetopicsbeingaddressedinthepreparationofthereport.Campusconstituencies,suchasfacultyleadershipand,whereappropriate,thegoverningboard,shouldreviewthereportbeforeitissubmittedtoWSCUC,andsuchreviewsshouldbeindicatedinthisstatement.ThepreparationofthisreportwascoordinatedbyRachelSwanger,AssociateDeanandAccreditationLiaisonOfficer(ALO),atthePardeeRANDGraduateSchool.Shesolicitedinputfromavarietyoffacultyandstaffdirectlyorindirectlyengagedintheimplementationofthethreeaspectsoftheprogramaddressedinthisreport.Theyincluded:
• SusanL.Marquis,Dean• GeryRyan,AssistantDeanforAcademicAffairs• StefanieHoward,AssistantDeanforAdmissionsandStrategicProjects• KristinaWallace,ProgramCoordinator• MaryParker,Registrar
Atvariousstagesofthedraftingofthisreport,itwasreviewedbythefollowingindividualsandgroups:
• FacultyCommitteeonCurriculumandAppointments• MembersofRAND’sDiversityCommitteeincludingstudentsandstaff• DanielBorgstadt,RANDHumanResources• MichaelRich,PresidentandCEO,RANDCorporation
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ListofTopicsAddressedinthisReportPleaselistthetopicsidentifiedintheactionletter(s)andthatareaddressedinthisreport.RefiningandConductingProgramReview.Asnotedbytheteam,“PRGShasnotconductedaformalprogramevaluationforoveradecade”andhasnotintegratedexternalreviewersorresultsofassessmentofstudentlearningintoitsprogramreviewprocess.WhilethePRGSfacultyandacademicleadersengageregularlyinastrategicalignmentbetweencurrentRANDactivitiesandtheacademicoutcomesofthePhDprogram,theneedforawell-designedandregularlyscheduledprogramreviewprocessremainscritical.Thereviewshouldbesufficientlycomprehensivetoincludetheon-the-jobtrainingcomponentthatiscentraltothestudents’experience.BuildingonthefoundationalworkalreadyaccomplishedforrefiningtheOJTexperience,PRGSwillneedtobeinnovativeinmoreexplicitlyconsideringtheresultsofassessmentintheprogramreviewprocess.Comprehensiveprogramreviewshouldalsoencompassanexaminationoftheeffectivenessofrecentqualityinitiativesrelatedtothedissertation.Giventheimportanceofperiodicprogramreviewasamajorqualityassuranceprocess,theCommissionurgesPRGStorefineitsprogramreviewprocessimmediatelyandtocompletethisreviewbeforethenextiterationwithWASC(CFRs2.7,4.1,4.3,4.4)ImprovingDegreeCompletion.WhilePRGS’sfive-andten-yearoverallcompletionrates(40and75percentrespectively)arewellabovenationalaveragesforsimilardoctoralprograms,theseratesrevealasubstantialnumberofstudentsthatdonotearntheirdegreedespiteamajorinvestmentoftimeandresources.Thoughgraduationrateshaveimprovedinrecentyears,theCommissionurgestheinstitutiontoengageinastudytoidentifyfactorsthatmightinhibitdegreeachievement.Areviewofdisaggregateddatarevealsachievementgapsforwomenandstudentsfromunderrepresentedminoritygroups,whichshouldbestudiedandaddressed.Linkagestoadmissioncriteriaandprocesses,aswellasstudentsupportservices,shouldbecreatedinordertofacilitatedata-supportedreflectionandimprovement.(CFRs2.10,2.11,4.3,4.5)ServingtheUnderrepresented.AsnotedbytheEERteam,“thelackofunderrepresentedminorities(domestic)amongthestudentsandfacultyhasbeenalong-standingconcernofvisitingWASCteams.”TheCommissioncommendstheSchool’sNextGenerationInitiative,whichseekstocreateapipelineforstudentsfromdomesticunderrepresentedgroups.Itnotesthatthisinitiativeholdspromiseforaddressingtheteam’sstatedconcernandrecommendsthatthiscreativeoutreachshouldremainintheforefrontofPRGSplanningincomingyears,combinedwiththoughtfulmeanstoassessandimproveitseffectiveness.(CFRs1.5,4.5)
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InstitutionalContextVerybrieflydescribetheinstitution'sbackground;mission;history,includingthefoundingdateandyearfirstaccredited;geographiclocations;andotherpertinentinformationsothattheInterimReportCommitteepanelhasthecontexttounderstandtheissuesdiscussedinthereport.ThePardeeRANDGraduateSchoolisauniqueandexceptionalinstitution.Establishedasoneoftheoriginalschoolsofpublicpolicyin1970,PardeeRANDistheonlyoneoftheeighttobelocatedatapublicpolicyresearchorganization,theRANDCorporationheadquarteredinSantaMonica,California,andtheonlyonetofocussolelyonthePhD.Fromitsinception,PardeeRANDhasofferedadistinctiveprogramfeaturingacurriculumweightedheavilytowardsteachingthetoolsofpolicyanalysiscombinedwithhands-onapplicationofthosetoolsthroughsupervisedworkonRANDresearchprojects.Allstudentsmustcompleteaminimumof300daysofOn-the-Job-Training(OJT)inordertoearntheirdoctoraldegree.Weawardedourfirstdoctoratein1974andreceivedaccreditationfromtheWesternAssociationofSchoolsandCollegesin1975.AccreditationfromWASChasbeenreaffirmedin1985,1990,2000and2011.Todate,PardeeRANDhasgrantedover350doctoratesinpolicyanalysis.Weadmit21-25newPhDcandidateseachfallandhaveastudentbodyof100studentsmakingusthelargestpublicpolicyPhDprograminthenation.CharlesWolfJr.wasthefoundingdean,servingfor28yearsuntil1998.RobertKlitgaardsucceededhim,servingfrom1998-2005.DuringDeanKlitgaard’stenuretheschoolreceivedanaminggiftfromFrederickS.Pardee,aformerRANDresearcherandphilanthropist,whichsignificantlyincreasedtheschool’sendowmentand,alongwiththegrowthoftheRANDCorporation,enabledanexpansionofenrollment,anincreaseinprofessionalstaff,andarevampingoftheacademicprogram.In2004,PardeeRANDandtheRANDCorporationrelocatedtoastate-of-the-artLEEDGoldcertifiedbuildingjustsouthoftheoriginalbuilding.Thismoveexpandedthefootprintofthegraduateschoolandcreatedadedicatedspaceforbothstudentsandclassrooms.JohnGrahamservedasdeanfrom2006-2008.Duringthistime,heconsolidatedmostofthecorecurriculumintothefirstyearandshiftedthequalifyingexamsfromtheendofthesecondyeartotheendofthefirstyear.Earlyinhertenure,whichstartedJanuary1,2009,ourcurrentdean,SusanL.Marquis,setforthavisionfortheschooltobethepremierpolicyPhDprograminthenation.Recognizingthatachievementofthisvisionrequirednotjustasuperiorfacultyandcapablestudentbodybutalsoafirmfinancialfoundationonwhichtobuild,shelaunchedamajorfundraisingcampaignfortheSchoolwithagoalofraising$15millionbyMay2016.AsofFebruary2016,thecampaignraisednearly$30millioninnewfunding.ThesefundshaveenabledPardeeRANDtoofferfulltuitionscholarshipstoallfirstyearstudentsforthefirsttimeandpartialtuitionscholarshipstoallsecondyearstudents,tooffermorefinancialsupportfordissertations,providemorementoringforstudents,expandourengagementwithRANDresearchstaff;andextendandimproveourstudentsupportservicesincludingadvancedcomputing,libraryanddataaccess,andcareerservices.ThroughthePardeeInitiative,theCazierInitiative,andtheBrownFacultyFellows,thesefundshaveenhancedstudentlearningandprovidedopportunitiesformorefacultyengagement.
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ResponsetoIssuesIdentifiedbytheCommissionThismainsectionofthereportshouldaddresstheissuesidentifiedbytheCommissioninitsactionletter(s)astopicsfortheInterimReport.EachtopicidentifiedintheCommission’sactionlettershouldbeaddressed.Theteamreport(onwhichtheactionletterisbased)mayprovideadditionalcontextandbackgroundfortheinstitution’sunderstandingofissues.Provideafulldescriptionofeachissue,theactionstakenbytheinstitutionthataddressthisissue,andananalysisoftheeffectivenessoftheseactionstodate.Havetheactionstakenbeensuccessfulinresolvingtheproblem?Whatistheevidencesupportingprogress?Whatfurtherproblemsorissuesremain?Howwilltheseconcernsbeaddressed,bywhom,andunderwhattimetable?Howwilltheinstitutionknowwhentheissuehasbeenfullyaddressed?Pleaseincludeatimelinethatoutlinesplannedadditionalstepswithmilestonesandexpectedoutcomes.Responsesshouldbenolongerthanfivepagesperissue
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Issue1:RefiningandConductingProgramReviewIntheCommission’sletter,wewereaskedtodesignandconductaformalreviewofouracademicprogram.WewereadvisedthatthisprogramreviewshouldpayattentiontothenewmeasureswehadinstitutedtotrackstudentlearningthroughOn-the-Job-Training(OJT)andtoassessdissertationquality.Inthissection,wedescribetheprocessofourProgramReview,reportonthefindingsprovidedbyourtwooutsidereviewers,layoutwhatwehavedoneinresponseandwhatadditionalchangeswehaveplannedforthefuture.WewillalsoprovideanupdateonournewtrackingmechanismsforOJTlearninganddissertationqualityassurance.ThefirststepinourProgramReviewprocesswastoconductaSelf-Studyexaminingallaspectsofouracademicprogram.[SeeAppendixA].This33-pagedocument,completedinAugust2014,includedanalysisoftheresultsto-dateofourrecentlyinstitutedsystemformeasuringstudentlearningthroughOJTandprovidedanin-depthdescriptionofourexpandedprocessformonitoringstudentprogressthroughthedissertationphaseofourprogramandcommunicatingwithfacultyandstudentsourexpectationsfordissertationquality.
OJTLearningAssessmentSinceDecember2009,PardeeRANDstudentshavebeencompletinganonlineOJTlearningassessmenttoolannuallytomeasureattheindividualandtheprogramlevelthetypesoflearningstudentsareconsistentlyexposedto,thetypesoflearningthatareatlowerlevelsthandesired,howmuchlearningstudentsarereportingandhowwelllearningopportunitiesaredistributedacrossthestudentbody.Ourresultshavebeenconsistentattheprogramlevelwithstudentsreportingoverallhighlevelsoflearning.Theyreportthehighestlevelsofexposureandlearninginwritingandcollaborationandlowestlevelsofexposureandlearningonproposalsandclientrelationsacrossallyearsofthesurvey.TableIbelowreportsonactionswehavetakeninresponsetothisdataandtherecommendationsfromourProgramReviewers.Formoredetailsonourresultsandanalysisseepp.13-23ofourSelf-Study[AppendixA]andthe2015OJTLearningCharts[AppendixD].
DissertationQualityAssuranceInourSelf-Study,weidentifiedthreeprimaryleversforimprovingdissertationquality:1)providemoretimeforstudentsbygettingthemstartedearlyandkeepingthemontrack;2)providemorementoringforstudentsbycreatingstructuresforperiodiccheck-insandengagingtheircommitteemembersintheprocess;and3)providingmorefundingtoenablemorecreativedissertationsbeyondtheconstraintsofclient-fundedwork.TableIbelowreportsonactionswehavetakeninresponsetothisdataandtherecommendationsfromourProgramReviewers.Formoredetailsonourresultsandanalysisseepp.25-34ofourSelf-Study[AppendixA].
ProgramReviewGivenourgoaltotrainfuturepolicyleaders,wesoughtreviewerswhohadexemplaryacademiccredentialsandhadservedinprominentleadershippositionsinpublicpolicy.Thetworeviewersweselectedwere:AlanB.Krueger,BendheimProfessorofEconomicsandPublic
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AffairsatPrincetonUniversity,whoservedasthechairoftheCouncilofEconomicAdvisorsintheObamaadministration,andJamesB.Steinberg,Dean,MaxwellSchoolofCitizenshipandPublicAffairsatSyracuseUniversity,whosemostrecentpostwasasDeputySecretaryofStateintheObamaadministration.DeanSteinberghadearlierserviceonCapitolHillandintheClintonAdministration.TheyeachreadourSelf-StudyreportandvisitedPardeeRANDtomeetwithstudents,faculty,alumniandstaffinAugustandSeptember2014.Attheculminationoftheirvisits,theymetwithDeanMarquisand,inthecaseofDeanSteinberg,withRANDPresidentandCEOMichaelRich,aswell,todiscusstheirinitialimpressions.Subsequently,eachofthemsubmittedawrittenreport[AppendicesBandC]andparticipatedinajointconferencecallwithDeanMarquisandAssociateDeanSwanger.TheresultsoftheProgramReviewweresharedwidelywithourstudents,faculty,andboardofgovernors,andtheyareavailableonourwebsite.http://www.prgs.edu/degree-program/accreditation.htmlWhileeachreviewerprovidedanindependentreport,theysharedtheirfindingswitheachotherandconfirmedtheiragreementwitheachother’sobservationsandrecommendations.Giventhisconsensus,wewillpresenttheirfindingstogetherbelow.Theprogramreviewersdidnotcommentdirectlyonthemechanismsformeasurementandmonitoringwehadcreated,buttheydidfindthemausefulsourceofinformationabouttheprogramandthisisreflectedintheircomments.
CourseworkOverall,ourreviewersfoundthatourcourseworkdeliveredthetypeofacademiccontenttheyexpectedinahigh-qualitypublicpolicyPhDprogram.Theyalsomadethefollowingobservationsandrecommendationsforchanges.
• ComparedwithotherPublicPolicyprograms,theynotedourrelativelackofcoursesinMacroEconomicsandsuggestedweconsideraddingadditionalelectivecourses
• Theysuggestedaddingmoresurveyresearchskillsintothecurriculum• Theywereintriguedbyourattempttoconductafully,multi-disciplinarycourseinSocial
andBehavioralSciences,butfoundthatinitsinitialiterationitwasnotfullydeliveringonitspromise
• Theyrecommendedthattobuildmoreofasenseofcommunityweconsidercreating“softtracks”or“clusters”togroupstudentsaroundpolicyareas
• TheyencouragedustoexpandourprograminEconomicDevelopmenttoincludemorefieldworkandrealexperiments
On-the-JobTrainingTheynotedtheOJTportionoftheRANDprogramisanaspectofgraduatetrainingatRANDthatisnotavailableelsewhereandthatthe“uniquestrength”providesstudentswithawindowintohowresearchisconductedandusedbypolicymakers.Theyalsomadethefollowingobservations
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• LookingattheresultsofourOJTlearningsurveysandnotingthefivelowestrankedtasksforlearningincludedmanyrelatedtoleadership,theysuggestedweaugmentourOJTwithsimulationstoenableeverystudenttohavetheabilitytolead
• Relatedtothis,theyalsosawtheneedformore“protectedspace”forfacultyandstudentengagementbeyondthatprovidedbytheenvironmentofprojectworkforRANDclients
• TheypointedoutthatstudentsreportednotalwaysreceivingadequatefeedbackontheirperformanceonOJTandencouragedustofindwaystoincentivizemoredirectmentoring
• TheynotedalackofcoordinationbetweenOJTandcourseworkandsuggestedtheclassroomexperiencecouldbeenrichedifstudentsinfusedtheirstudieswithexamplesfromOJT
DissertationsTheynotedthatthegreatesttensionintheprogramisstudentstryingtoworkontheirdissertationswhilealsodoingworkonclient-basedprojects.
• Theyencouragedustocontinuetofindfundingtoenablestudentsandfacultytopursuetopicsoutsideofthosethatarethesubjectofexternally-commissionedRANDresearchprojects.
• Theyrecommendedwecreatemoreopportunitiesforstudentstopresenttheirworktopeersespeciallywhenondissertationstatus.
TableIbelowshowsourcurrentandplannedresponsestotherecommendationsofourreviewers.
TableI.ProgramReviewRecommendationsandResponses
IssueArea Recommendation Responseto-date FuturePlansCoursework MoreMacroeconomics • Revisedprocessforproposing
electivecoursestoincreasenewofferingsandrespondtostudentdemand
• Continuetoallowstudentstoproposetutorialstosupplementregularofferings
• Institutedapass/failoptionfor2coursestoencouragestudentstoexplorenewareas
Whilewedonotenvisionmovingtothe50-50balanceofmicroandmacrofoundinotherpolicyprograms,overthenext5years,wewillcontinuetomonitorourofferingstoensurestudentswhoaspiretoleadershippositionsingovernmenthaveexposuretomacroconceptsandtools
MoreSurveyResearch • Linedupanewcoursetobe Goingforward,SurveyResearchwillbe
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offeredin2016-17 offeredregularly ImproveIntegrated
Social&BehavioralScienceCourse(SBSI)
• Wehavereworkedthiscoursein2016aroundcasestudiesofrealworldproblemssuchasFerguson,obesity,terrorinParisanddroughtinCalifornia-de-emphasizingdisciplinaryownershipofthekeyconceptualandmethodologicalconceptsthatarebeingapplied.
• Strongeremphasishasbeenplacedonlearningtoapplytheconceptstoreal-worldpolicyissuesandlinkitmoredirectlytoSBSII–ResearchDesign
Wewillcontinuetorefinethiscourseasitwillserveasamodelforanewtypeofproblem-focusedlearningcoursewewillbedevelopingoverthenextfewyears.
Createpolicyclusters • Whileweagreewiththeneedtofostersmallerintellectualcommunities,webelievethesearebestformedattheRANDlevelratherthantheSchoollevel.StudentsasmembersofRAND’sresearchcommunitycanjointopicalinterestgroupssuchasthosesetupbyRANDHealth,attendBrownBagseminarsintheirpolicyfieldandengagewiththeMethodsCenters.
WewillcontinuetoencouragestudentstoengageasresearchprofessionalsinalltheopportunitiesRANDaffordsthem.ButwedonotwantthemtolimitthemselvestoonepolicyissueastherichnessatRANDcomesfrominter-disciplinaryandcross-policyissueinteractions.
BuildonRAND’sstrengthstoexpandofferingsinEconomicDevelopment
• ThePardeeInitiativeinGlobalHumanProgresshasprovidedopportunitiesformoreexperimentalprojectsandfieldworkforstudentsandfaculty,especiallyinAfrica.
Webelieveitisvitallyimportantforstudentswhowishtodeviseandimplementprojectsonthegroundtohavefieldworkexperiencesotheyunderstandthecontextofproblems.Findingwaystoincreasestudentopportunitiesisoneofourprioritiesinthenext5years.
OJT Simulations&ProtectedSpace
• WehaveacoursethatlinksteamsofstudentswithlocalNGOswithpolicyproblemsandprovidesthemthe“protectedspace”toleadapolicyanalysisfromstarttofinishinthespace
Whilethereisvalueinhavingstudentsworkingonrealratherthansimulatedpolicyproblems,werecognizethatsimulationsalso
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of10weeks. contributetolearning.Weexpecttoaddoneormorecoursesthatusesimulationsoverthenextfewyears.
Morefeedbackonperformance
• Inadditiontothefirstyearreview,wehaveaddedasecondyearreviewthatincludeswrittenfeedbackfromOJTsupervisors.
• Asseekingfeedbackispartofbeingaprofessional,wearealsoexploringwaystotrainbothstudentsandmentorsintheartofprovidingconstructivefeedback.
WewilladdaformalOJTperformanceassessmentforthethird/fourthyearreviewbeginninginacademicyear2017.
MorecoordinationbetweenOJTandclassroom
• Weweresurprisedbythisrecommendation,butitledtothediscoverythatsomestudentshadthemistakenideathattheycouldnotuseRANDresearchintheclassroom.
Wearemoreexplicitaboutencouragingthisforbothstudentsandfaculty.
Dissertations MorefundingforresearchtopicsoutsidethosefundedbyRANDclients
• Wehaveconsistentlyprovided$350,000indissertationfundingeachyearwithanemphasisonareaswhereRANDclientsdonotprovidefundingreliablyincludingonissuesrelatedtoEnergy&EnvironmentandInternationalDevelopment.
• RANDandRANDresearchunitsalsoprovidefundingfromtheirdiscretionaryresources.
Thishasbeenoneoftheprioritiesofourfundraisingcampaignandwillcontinuetobesofortheforeseeablefuture.Wenowhave5endoweddissertationawards(upfrom2in2010)providingover$150Kinfundingeachyear.
Moreopportunitiesforstudentstopresenttheirdissertationresearch
• In2015-16weincreasedtheamountoftravelfundingprovidedforstudentstopresentatconferencesto$20Kperyear.
• WearealsoencouragingstudentstopresenttoeachotherandatotherbrownbagssponsoredbyRANDresearchunits.
Weagreethatlearningtopresentisacriticalskillforresearchprofessionals.Wetrackthisandwillmonitortoseeifthenumbersofstudentstakingadvantageoftheseopportunitiesexpandsovertime.[AppendixE]
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Issue2:ImprovingDegreeCompletion.
WhenwesubmittedourEducationalEffectivenessReporttoWASCinDecember2010our10-yeargraduationratesindicatedthatcertainsub-populationswithinourstudentbodydidnotseemtodoaswellasothersub-populationsorastheaverage.Inparticular,10-yeargraduationratesforwomenwereabout68%,wellbelowthatformenat81%,andconsistentlybelowourhighoverallgraduationratesof76%.Thoughthiswasanimprovementoverthe10-yeargraduationratesfor1995-2005of30%forwomencomparedwith76%formenand60%overall,thegapwasstillnoticeableandrequiredaction.
Likewise,our10-yeargraduation“rates”forunderrepresentedminoritieswerenoticeablylowandshouldprobablynotbeexpressedasratesatall.In2010wegraduated2of4AfricanAmericanstudentsand1of3studentsclassifiedasHispanic,LatinoorPuertoRican.These“rates”werebasedonexceedinglysmallnumbersandsaidmoreaboutourlackofsuccessinrecruitingminoritiesthantheyreflectedourabilitytoprovideasupportiveenvironmentoncethesestudentsmatriculated.However,werecognizethattheproblemsarelinkedandthatimprovingretentionandgraduationratescouldcomplementandreinforceoureffortstorecruitmorestudentsfromtheseunderrepresentedpopulations.
Since2010wehaveidentifiedfivemaincategoriesofreasonsforwhystudents,ingeneral,donotpersistintheprogram.Wehavetakenseveralstepstoprovideallstudentswithmoresupporttoensurethatifastudentwishestograduate,wehavetheinfrastructureinplacetosupportandenablethemtodoso.Theissues,ourremedies,andpreliminaryresultsarecapturedinTable2below.
Table2.DepartureReasons,Remedies,andPreliminaryResultsforAcademicPersistence
DepartureReason StudentAction OurRemedy ResultsNottherightfit Transferordropout Doabetterjobduringthe
admissionsprocessdescribingtheprogramandselectingthosewhoseekaquantitative,tools-based,appliedmulti-disciplinaryprogramratherthanatraditionalacademicprogramineconomics,internationalrelationsorhealthpolicy.
Attritionbetweenthefirstandsecondyearhasdroppedfromahighof2-4eachyearbetween2004-2010tooneperyearbetween2011-2014.
PersonalIssues LeaveofAbsence(LOA)duetofamily,health,mentalhealth,issues
• Clarifythatallstudentsareeligibleformedicalleaveofuptoonequarterforphysicalormentalhealthissueswithoutlossofstudentstatus.
• Providemorecounselingandmentalhealthsupport
Westartedin2015andearlyindicationsarethatstudentswhomightotherwisehavetakenaformalleaveareremaininginthe
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programfornowFinancialIssues TakeLOAordropoutto
pursueemploymentIncreasefundingforscholarshipsanddissertationawardsandraisebasepayfrom$16,500toover$20,000.
Morestudentsaregraduatingbythebeginningoftheirfifthyearandtotalfinancialaidrequestshavedroppedfrom$229Kperyearin2009to$89Kin2015.
StymiedbyDissertationProcess
Stayenrolledforlongerthan5yearsand/ortakeLOAordropouttopursueemployment
• Standardizedprogramexpectationsandcreateda“stop-lightchart”timelinefordissertationprocess.
• Putinplaceregularquarterlymonitoringofallstudentsondissertationstatus.
• CreatedmorestructureinYear2withexpectationthatstudentswillselectachairandsubmitapreliminaryoutlineoftheirdissertationproposalbyyearend.
• Tiedinternalfundingtodissertationprogress.
• Deansaremoreregularlyengagedwithstudentsthroughformalreviewandinformalcheck-ins.
• StudentsmustpetitiontheDeanforaYear6andsubmitaplanforcompletion.
StudentsreportthattheyusethestoplightchartstokeepthemselvesontrackandmoststudentsarenowmeetingrequirementsbeginninginYear2.Tyingdissertationfundingtoprogressalsoseemstobemovingstudentsalong.
FindEmploymentBeforeCompletion
RemainenrolledortakeLOAwhilehopingtofinish
Wediscouragestudentsfromlookingforworktooearlyandremindthemthatthejobswillbetherewhenthey’redonegivenournearly100%employmentrecordIncreasedinvestmentinCareerServices,anactivealumninetworkandbetterpipelinestoemployershavealleasedanxietysomewhat.
Comparedwith5yearsago,thisproblemhasreceded.Wehaveonly1studentenrolledandworkingfulltime.ThreeothersareonleavebutplanningtofinishbyJune2016.
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Wecanseesomeindicationsthatthesepoliciesarehavingsomeofthedesiredeffects.Mostdramatically,from2005-201510-yeargraduationratesforwomenhaveincreasedto80%surpassingtheratesformen,74%,andthemean10-yeargraduationratesof77%.[AppendixF]However,wehavenotseensimilarprogresswithourunderrepresentedgroups.Between2000and2010,wegraduated2of4AfricanAmericanstudentsinourPhDprogram(50%)and1of3Hispanicstudents(33%).Lookingatourdatafrom2005-2015,wecanseewherepercentageshavegoneupbutthisisonlybecausethetotalnumbersarelower.ForAfricanAmericanstudentswesawnochangegraduating2of4studentswhoenrolled(50%)andforHispanicstudentswegraduated1of2(50%).Thisclearlydoesnotrepresentprogress.
Onfurtherinvestigation,wecanseetheproblemoriginatesattheadmissionsstage.Wearenotenticingsufficientnumbersofminoritycandidatestoapply.Ourapplicantpoolsfrom2011-15indicatethoughwehaveonly1-3AfricanAmericanapplicantsperyear,theyareofveryhighcaliberassince2013wehavebeenadmitting100%oftheseapplicants.(Ouroveralladmissionrateforallapplicantsrangesbetween25-30%).However,wehavebeensomewhatlesssuccessfulattranslatingoffersofadmissionintoenrollment.Table3belowshowsthatoverthe4-yearperiodbetween2012and2015wehaveexperiencedarangeofoutcomes.Twowereadmittedin2012andonewasadmittedin2013andbothyearswehave100%acceptance.Twowereadmittedin2014andbothdeclinedouroffer.Twowereadmittedin2015andoneacceptedandonedeclinedouroffer.Unfortunately,ourapplicantpoolfor2016includednostudentswhoidentifiedasAfricanAmerican.
Table3.Applied,Admitted,andAcceptedAfricanAmericanApplicants,2011-2016
AfricanAmerican
2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016
Applied 1 3 1 2 2 0Admitted 0 2 1 2 2 0Accepted 0 2 1 0 1 0AscanbeobservedinTable4below,wehavedonesomewhatbetteratattractingHispanicapplicantsalthoughthesehighernumbersinourapplicantpoolhavenotyettranslatedintosignificantlymorestudentsintheprogram.Ourapplicantpoolfor2016includednineprospectivestudentswhoidentifiedasHispanic,andweadmittedfive.
Table4.Applied,Admitted,andAcceptedHispanicApplicants,2011-2016
Hispanic 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016Applied 7 6 7 5 2 9Admitted 2 2 4 3 0 5Accepted 2 0 2 2 0 ?Ourlackofsuccessisnotbecauseoflackofeffort.Aswillbedescribedinmoredetailinthenextsectionwhichaddressesdiversity,wetakeseriouslyourcommitmenttohelpingensurethatthenextgenerationofpolicymakersreflectsthepopulationstheywillserve.Andata
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minimum,wewouldatleastlikeourstudentbodytoreflecttheaveragefiguresforunderrepresentedminoritiesinthegraduatestudentpopulation.DatafromtheSurveyofEarnedDoctorates2014showthepopulationthatearneddoctoratesfrom2002-2012averaged6%AfricanAmericanand6%Hispanic.Usingthisasabenchmarkmeansforastudentbodyofapproximately100studentsPardeeRANDshouldaimtohave,ataminimum,6AfricanAmericanand6Hispanicstudentsenrolledatanygiventimeandtograduatebetween1-2peryear.Table5belowlaysouttheintentionalactionswehavetakenoverthepastfiveyearstomoveinthatdirection.
Table5.EffortstoIncreaseRecruitmentandRetentionofUnderrepresentedMinorityStudents
Area ActivityAdmissions DiversityScholarship:Twoyeartuitionscholarship.Createdto
highlightourcommitmenttodiversity,promotedonourwebsite,andstudentscanapplyaspartofourapplication.Studentsareadvisedwearelookingforacommitmenttoandexperiencewithdiversecommunities.
Website:Wehaveapageonourexternalsitedescribingourcommitmenttodiversity.(www.prgs.edu/admissions/diversity.html)TheRANDCorporationwebsitehasasimilarpage:(www.rand.org/diversity.html)Ourphotos,videosandotheractivitiesallaimtoreflectweareaninstitutionwhichvaluesdiversity.
Application:Startingwiththe2016application,weaskedstudents,“Howdidwhereorhowyougrewupinfluenceyourinterestinpublicpolicy?”Thiswastoenableustoidentifyapplicantswhoseformativeexperienceshavepreparedthemforserviceindiversecommunities.
RecruitingandOutreach
PublicPolicyandInternationalAffairs(PPIA):Fordecades,PPIAhasbeentheprimaryvehicleforpreparingunderrepresentedminoritystudentsinundergraduateprogramsforgraduateworkinpublicpolicyandforcareersinpublicservice.PardeeRANDtapsintotheextensivePPIAalumninetworkforrecruiting.WealsowaiveouradmissionsfeeforPPIAalumni.
McNairScholars:ThegoaloftheMcNairScholarsProgramistoincreasegraduatedegreeawardsforstudentsfromunderrepresentedsegmentsofsociety.WesendoutreachemailstofacultyleadsofMcNairScholarsprogramsaskingthemtoencouragepromisingscholarstoapply.
CaliforniaDiversityForuminGraduateEducation:Infall2015,PardeeRANDparticipatedinthisgradforumforhighly-regardedandmotivateddiverseundergraduatesinCalifornia.
GRESearchService:Wehavedoneemailoutreachtoagroupofpotentialapplicantsselectedfortheirqualificationsanddiversebackgroundwhohaveindicatedtheywouldbereceptivetocontact.
FacultyLeadershipProgram:Anefforttobuildalargerpipelineofdiversestudents.DescribedinmoredetailinourresponsetoIssue3.
Engagementwith PPIAMarketingandOutreachCommittee:OurAssistantDeanjoined
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ProfessionalGroups thiscommitteein2014asaninstitutionalrepresentative.Thisenablesustocollaboratewithandlearnfromotherinstitutions.
APPAMDiversityCommittee:OurAssociateDeanservedfortwoyears(2014-15)ontheDiversityCommitteefortheAssociationofPublicPolicyAnalysisandManagement.
InternalDiversity DiversityCommitteeatRAND:Ourstaff,professorsandstudentsparticipatewithRANDresearchersonthisRAND-widecommitteewhichmeetsmonthlytoplanandexecuteactivitieswhichcontributetothediversificationofstaff,shareresearchandgenerateconversationsonissuesofdiversity.
ClimateSurvey:RANDandPardeeRANDarediscussingpartneringonaclimatesurveytobeadministerednextfiscal/academicyeartoaddressissuesrelatedtotheworkenvironmentincludingthoserelatedtohowopenandwelcomingRANDistounder-representedminorities.
Werecognizetheneedtobeevenmorecreativeandintentionalinreachingouttounder-representedgroups.Threenewactionsweareplanningforournextrecruitmentcycleare:
n “PursuingYourPhD”WebinarforPPIAparticipantsandalumni:PPIAalumniareexposedtomaster’slevelgraduateprogramsthroughwebinarssponsoredbyPPIA.WeareplanningtoofferasimilarwebinartoPPIAalumnifocusedonPhDprograms.APardeeRANDandPPIAalumnawillparticipatealongsideotherPPIAalumniwithPhDsfromotherprograms.TheideaistodemystifythePhDanddescribetheexpandedcareertrajectoriesaPhDcanopenup.PardeeRANDwill“host”thisintheSeptember/October2016timeframe.ByexposingPPIAalumniearlyontothepossibilityofaPhDwehopetoraisethevisibilityofthePardeeRANDPhDaswell.
n OutreachthroughExistingDiversityNetworks:WecontinuetoinvestigateandresearchstrongnetworksforengagingfacultyandstudentsatdiverseinstitutionsorfromdiversegroupstohelpuspromotePardeeRAND.Amainavenueforthismaybethroughsocialmediaandexistingonline(orother)groups.ExamplesincludetheNationalConferenceforRaceandEthnicity(NCORE)whichhasdifferentcaucuses,e.g.,HispanicCaucusandaFacebookgroupofparticipatingfaculty.TherearealsoprofessionalassociationssuchastheHispanicAssociationofCollegesandUniversities(HACU)thatwewillreachouttoaspartofourrecruitingfortheclassof2017.
n IncreasingDiversityScholarshipAmount:WhenweintroducedfulltuitionscholarshipsforallstudentsthevalueoftheexistingDiversityScholarshipwasdiminishedbecauseitwasnolongerunique.WhiletheDiversityScholarshipdoesprovideabout$2000moreinthesecondyear,thisisnotwellpublicizedandtheadditionalamountmaynotbesufficientlyattractive.Therefore,forthenextrecruitingcycleweplantoincreasethevalueofthisscholarshipsoitonceagainisattractiveandunique.
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Issue3:ServingtheUnderrepresented:TheNextGenerationInitiativeWefirmlybelievethatthosewhounderstandthecontextinwhichproblemsarisearebestpositionedtofindsolutions.Fromthebeginningofhertenure,DeanMarquissetthegoalofincreasingthediversityofPardeeRAND’sstudentbodyasoneofherkeyobjectives.Inconversationswithdeansatotherpublicpolicyschools,DeanMarquisdiscoveredthattheseprogramsalsostruggledwiththesamelackofminorityrepresentation.AndinherconversationswithfacultyatinstitutionsacrossthesouthernUnitedStateswhereRANDhasestablishedasatelliteoffice,shediscoveredthatmanyfacultymembersatundergraduateinstitutionslackedacomprehensiveunderstandingofthefieldofpublicpolicyandthevalueofacademictraininginthisfield.OutofthesediscoveriesemergedanideathatwecalltheNextGenerationInitiative(NGI).
WhenweconceptualizedtheNGIin2010itwasdesignednotjusttobuildawarenessofthePardeeRANDPhDprograminpolicyanalysisanddiversifyourpipelineofapplicants,buttoexpandawarenessofthefieldofpublicpolicyingeneral,especiallyinregionsofthecountrywheregraduateprogramsinpublicpolicyarenotaswidespread.Weenvisionedthreeinterconnectedphases:
• PhaseI:OutreachtoHistoricallyBlackCollegesandUniversities(HBCUs),HispanicServingInstitutions(HSIs)andregionalcollegesanduniversitieswithdiversestudentbodieswithafocusonU.S.GulfStates,CaliforniaandtheSouthwest
• PhaseII:SummerWorkshopsforfacultyfromthetargetedinstitutionsemphasizingprofessionaldevelopmentincurrentanalytictoolsandmethodologiesusedinpolicyanalysis,encouragingongoingpolicyresearch,andrelationshipbuildingbetweenfacultyandRANDresearchers.
• PhaseIII:TheNextGenerationofPolicyLeadersNationalConferenceforfacultyandadministratorsfromthetargetedinstitutions,majorpublicpolicygraduateprograms,andfoundationscommittedtodiversityinhighereducation
Outreacheffortsbeganimmediately,butweneededfundingtoexecutePhasesIIandIII.Throughout2011and2012weapproachedanumberoffoundationsandobtainedexpressionsofinterestfromanumberoflocalandnationalfoundationsincludingKellogg,whoaskedusforaproposal.Ultimately,theyalldeclinedtosupportthiseffortsayingthatitwasoutsidetheircurrentfundingprioritiesincludingKelloggwhosestrategicprioritiesshiftedsuddenly.Notwillingtoabandontheideawhichwebelievedhadmerit,MichaelRich,presidentandCEO,RANDCorporation,providedRANDinvestmentfundstolaunchapiloteffortoftheSummerWorkshopforfacultyinJuly2013.Whenthisworkshopshowedpromise,wesoughtfundingtocontinuetheprogramfromadonorinterestedinhelpingunderservedpopulations.Thefundsweresufficienttoexecutethesummerprogram,nowknownastheFacultyLeadersProgram,twomoretimes.WeareinthemidstofplanningthefourthsessiontobeheldinJuly2016.
WenowareinapositiontoevaluatetheeffectsoftheFacultyWorkshopsandtomakesomedecisionsabouthowweintendtomoveforward.Wecanevaluateoureffortsto-dateonthreelevels:RecruitmentandAdmissions;ProgramContent;andPost-ProgramEffects.Andweplan
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toreachouttofoundationsagaininfall2016totrytore-engagethemgivenoursuccessesto-date.
RecruitmentandAdmissionsTable6belowprovidessomeinsightintohoweffectivewehavebeenatgettingthewordoutaboutourprogram.Italsoenablesustobegintoassesswhetherornotweareattractingthetypesofapplicantswearemostdesirousofengaging.
Table6.FacultyLeadershipProgramParticipants2013-15
Participants 2013 2014 2015 Totals**Number 12 12 12 36NumberofSchools 7 9 11* 19*
• HBCUs 3 4 1 6• HSIs 1 1 2 2
NumberofStates 5 8 7 10*IncludesUSDepartmentofAgricultureoutreachcoordinatortoHSIs**CountseachinstitutionandstateonlyonceOurinitialfocuswasonaselectnumberofschoolsinFlorida,theU.S.GulfStatesandLosAngeleschosenfortheirdiversestudentbodies,andcloseproximitytoaRANDoffice,or,asisthecasewithFloridaInternationalUniversity,closetiestoRAND.ThesecondyearoftheprogramweextendedouroutreachtotwoHBCUsintheWashingtonD.C.areawhereRANDalsohasanoffice.Recommendationsfrompreviousparticipantsbroughtustwoparticipantsfromoutsideourtargetarea—TexasandIllinois.In2015,weexpandedouroutreachintheLosAngelesregionresultinginparticipantsfromCaliforniaStateUniversitySanBernardino(HSI)andanotherLA-basedprograminpsychology.Additionally,recommendationsfrompreviousparticipantsbroughtusfacultyfromuniversitiesinUtahandChicago,Illinois.
AsisevidentinTable6above,wehavesucceededinexpandingthenumberofinstitutionswehavereached,andasof2015wehavehadparticipationfrom19differentinstitutionsin10states.Moreover,ascanbeseeninChart1below,wehavehadmultipleparticipantsfromfiveuniversitiesallofwhichwerepartofourinitialtargetgroup.Wehavenoticed,however,thatparticipationfromHoward,Morehouse,TuskegeeandotherHBCUshasnotbeenasrobustaswehadanticipated.Wewillbewatchingtoseeifthischangeswiththe2016cohort,andifnot,willinvestigatetobetterunderstandthereasonsforthedropoffinparticipation.
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Chart1.TopFiveInstitutionsRepresented
ContentoftheProgramWehavebeengatheringdatawhichenablesustoevaluatewhataspectsoftheprogramaremostusefultoparticipantsandwhetherornottheparticipantsarelearningtheskillstheyneedtodosomethingmeaningfulwhentheyreturntotheircommunitiesandinstitutions.
Attendeeswereaskedtoreportonthefollowingfoursessions:IntroductiontoPolicyAnalysis(Monday);ResearchDesign(Tuesday);QuantitativeMethodsinPolicyAnalysis(Wednesday);PhasesofPolicy(Thursday)bycompletinganevaluationformaskingthemtoratethematerialonafourpointscalewith4being“stronglyagree”.BelowisasampleresponseforMonday’ssession.AppendixHcontainsresponsesfortheothersessionswhichonthewholearepositive.
Chart2:IntroductiontoPolicyAnalysis
012345678
TotalParscipants
FloridaInternasonalUniversityUniversityofAlabamainHuntsvilleXavierUniversityofLouisiana
CharlesR.DrewUniversityofMedicineandScienceJacksonStateUniversity
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Wealsoaskedparticipantstoprovideuswiththeiroverallassessmentofthemajorcomponentsoftheprogram.Resultsfor2015areinChart3below.WecanseethatthereisstillademandformoretimewithRANDresearchersandperhapslesstimecoveringacademiccontent.
Chart3:OverallAssessment
Post-ProgramEfficacyFinally,weareinterestedinlearningwhetherparticipantsareabletoincorporatewhattheylearnedinthepost-programacademicactivities.TheChart4belowindicatesthatthemajorityofparticipantsareintendingtoengageintheactivitiestheprogramisdesignedtoencourage.
Beyondproposingclassesandbriefingtheirdepartments,anumberofpastparticipantshaveengagedinpolicyanalysisintheircommunities.Somerecentexamplesinclude:Dr.RichardPeters,oftheBusinessdepartmentatXavierUniversityofLouisiana,isusinghisknowledgeofthetoolsofpublicpolicyanalysistopartnerwiththeUrbanLeaguetoaddressdisparitiesinemploymentamongminoritiesinNewOrleans.Dr.PatriciaWaldron-Moore,alsoofXavierandaprofessorofpoliticalscience,recentlydidfieldworkrelatedtoherWorkshopprojectcomparingpost-disasterknowledgeeconomiesinthreedifferentregions-includinginpost-KatrinaNewOrleans.AndDr.TaunjahBell-NeasmanofJacksonStateUniversityofMississippiusedpolicyanalysistoolslearnedtoimproveproceduresformentalhealthcrisisinterventionsbyfirstresponders.ArecenthighlightofherworkwasherfruitfulefforttohavethisissuerecognizedatthestatelevelthroughaproclamationbyGovernorBryantofMississippidesignatingFebruary2015as“CrisisInterventionTeamAwarenessMonth”.
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Chart4:Post-ProgramActivities
*Twoparticipantsdidnotfilloutthisportionofthesurveyin2014
Byalmostallmeasures,theinitiativehasbeenasuccessthusfar.WehavereachedadiversearrayofprofessorsteachingatHBCUs,HSIsandotherinstitutionsservingdiversepopulationscreatinganetworkforusof36alumnithatRANDandPardeeRANDcantapinto.Wehaveintroducedtheseparticipantstothefieldofpublicpolicyandpreparedthemtointroducetheirstudentstothefield.Forsome,theprogramhasenabledthemtopublish,competeforgrants,andassistpolicymakersintheircommunities.
Wedonotyetknowinwhatwaysandtowhatextentthesesuccesseswillcascadeandhaveimpactonthepipelineofstudentsinpublicpolicyprograms.Wehavebeguntoseesomeevidenceinourpre-applicationprocessthatprofessorsareencouragingtheirstudentstolookatthePardeeRANDprogram.WebelievethenextstepwillbetosecureadditionalfundingsothatwecanmoveintoPhaseIII—anationalorevenaregionalconferencewherewecangatherpreviousparticipantstogetherwithdeansandfacultyfromotherprominentpublicpolicyprogramstoshareideasabouthowbesttodrawunderrepresentedminoritiesintothefieldofpublicpolicyaswellascontinuetoofferoursummerprogram.Thisisthechallengewhichremainsandwewillcontinuetostriveoverthenextfewyearstoobtaintheresourcestomakeanimpact.
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IdentificationofOtherChangesandIssuesCurrentlyFacingtheInstitutionInstructions:Thisbriefsectionshouldidentifyanyothersignificantchangesthathaveoccurredorissuesthathavearisenattheinstitution(e.g.,changesinkeypersonnel,additionofmajornewprograms,modificationsinthegovernancestructure,unanticipatedchallenges,orsignificantfinancialresults)thatarenototherwisedescribedintheprecedingsection.ThisinformationwillhelptheInterimReportCommitteepanelgainaclearersenseofthecurrentstatusoftheinstitutionandunderstandthecontextinwhichtheactionsoftheinstitutiondiscussedintheprevioussectionhavetakenplace.
AFirmerFinancialFoundationAsmentionedearlierinthisdocument,wearenearingcompletionofa5-yearfundraisingcampaign.Ourinitialgoalwas$15millionandfewthoughtitachievable.However,wehavealreadyraisedover$27millionwithafewmonthsremaininginthecampaign.Inaddition,wehave$3millioninplannedgifts.Thesefundshavesolidifiedourfoundationandenabledustoenhanceouracademicprogramandprovidemorestudentsupport.AsyoucanseeinChart5below,ourendowmenthasgrownsubstantially(drivenby$16.6millioninnewgifts)overthepastfiveyears.Chart5:PardeeRANDEndowment
Overthesametimeperiod,weraisedmorethan$10.6millionforcurrentusegiftsincluding$1milliontosupportdissertations,$1.9milliontoprovidetuitionscholarships,$3millioningeneralstudentsupportusedtocovercostsassociatedwiththedeliveryofouracademicprogram,and$150,000toprovidecareerservices.
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Additionally,wereceivedagiftof$2milliontosupportfieldwork,dissertationsandinnovativeresearchandexperimentationonissuesrelatedtothepoorestofthepoorinAsiaandAfrica.ThePardeeInitiativeforGlobalHumanProgresshascreatedopportunitiesforourstudentsandfacultytopursueprojectsonfoodsecurityinAfrica,low-incomehousinginIndia,andtocreateaglobalindexoftheendowmentsoffood,energyandwaterbycountry.IthasalsosupportedsevendissertationsontopicsfromagricultureinChinatomaternalhealthcareinNigeria.Acombinationofannualgiftsandanendowedfund,theCazierInitiativeinEnvironmentalandEnergySustainabilityhasalsocreatednewopportunitiesforstudentsandfacultytoengagewitheachotherandwithoutsideexpertsthroughworkshops,pilotprojectsandvisitingscholars.Finally,anendowedgifttosupportfaculty,theHaroldandColeneBrownFacultyFellowsfund,hasgeneratedsufficientfundingfrom2015-2016tosupportmini-SabbaticalsforsixRANDresearchers/PardeeRANDfaculty,enablingthemtospenduptoonemonthinresidenceatPardeeRANDfocusingonresearchtopicsoftheirchoice(notclient-drivenprojects)andprovidingmentoringtoourstudents.In2015,theBrownsincreasedtheircommitmentwhichwillenableustoincreasethenumberoffacultyparticipatingintheprogram.Wearenowpoisedtobegintothinkingaboutanewlong-termdirectionfortheschool.Thepolicymakingenvironmentischanging—thereismoreinterconnectedness,alongwithare-distributionofpowertoindividuals,NGOs,andtheprivatesector.Thedefinitionofa“decisionmaker”haschangedsignificantlysince1970,andtheworldneedspolicyanalystswhounderstandallofthesenewstakeholdersandhowtointeractwiththem.Moreovertheworld’sbiggestproblemsareincreasinglycomplicatedandevenmorecomplex,requiringanewclassofagileproblemsolverswhoarecomfortablemovingacrossdisciplinaryboundariestocreatenewmethodsandadaptoldonesinnewways.Theincreasingrateoftechnologicaldevelopmentisaffectingeverything.Technologyismotivatingnewpolicyquestions,whilealsoofferingpowerfulnewproblemsolvingmethods.Tomorrow’spolicyanalystsmustbepreparedtounderstandallthis.Atthesametime,theRANDCorporation,itself,ischanging,withstrongeremphasisonandmoreresearchertrainingintransformingthefindingsfrompolicyanalysisintoconcretechangesinpolicyandpracticeandincreasedinvestmentinmethodologicalandotherkindsofinnovation.PardeeRANDwasontheforefrontwhenthefieldofpolicyanalysiswasdeveloping.Weaimtobeontheforefrontaswemovetowardsanewparadigm.Wehavejustbeguntoimaginewhatthepublicpolicyschoolofthefutureshouldlooklikeandhowweneedtocontinueourevolutiontobecomethatinstitution.WelookforwardtosharingourdiscoverieswithWASCastheydevelop.
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ConcludingStatementInstructions:ReflectonhowtheinstitutionalresponsestotheissuesraisedbytheCommissionhavehadanimpactupontheinstitution,includingfuturestepstobetaken.Asisapparentthroughwhatwehavereportedinthisdocument,wehavebenefittedgreatlyasaninstitutionfromthechallengesposedtousbytheCommissionin2011.Overtheintervening5years,wehaveaccomplishedalot.
TheProgramReviewprocesshelpedustorefineandsolidifymanyofthestructuresweputinplaceaspartofourre-accreditationprocesstomeasureandmonitorlearning.ThestabilityinourcorestaffatalllevelsfromDeantoRegistrarhasmeantthatwehavebeguntodevelopthecapacitytocollectandanalyzedataovertimeandtobuildsystemsthatwillbeenduringyetadaptableaswelearnandrefinethem.ItalsoenabledourAssociateDeanandAssistantDeanforAcademicAffairstoaugmenttheirindividualizedcounselingofstudentswithdataspecifictoeachstudentandattheprogramlevelsothattheguidancetheDeansprovidestudentsontheirstrengthsandweaknessesismoretargetedandbetterabletohelpstudentsovercomethespecificobstaclestheyareconfronting.Thiscombinationhasproventobetrulypowerful.
Challengedtoimprovegraduationratesforwomenandunderrepresentedminorities,wetooksomeimportantstepstowardscreatingamoresupportiveenvironmentforallstudents.Wehaveevidenceattheindividuallevelthattheseactionshavebenefittedminoritystudents.OfthetwoAfricanAmericanstudentswhoenteredtheprogramin2012,onegraduatedinlessthan4yearsandtheotherisalsoontracktograduate.Butwerecognizethatourjobisnotdone.
Thedatawearegatheringthroughourapplicationprocessandbeyondenablesustomonitorfourkeystagesofthepipeline:(1)thenumberandtypeofpeoplewhoapply;(2)thenumberandtypeofpeopleweadmit;(3)thenumberandtypeofpeoplewhoenroll;and(4)thosewhograduate.Ourgoalistoincreasediversity.Werecognize,likeallPhDprograms,wehaveapipelinechallengeforunderrepresentedminorities.Wehavefocusedonthisforthelastseveralyearsandwewillcontinuetodoso.
Thisleadsustowhatisperhapsthemostimportantandvaluableresultofthisprocess.Whilewehavelonghadrichcommunicationwithourfacultyandamyriadofpathwaysfordiscussionsrelatedtotheacademicprogram,thishasnotbeenthecaseforissuesrelatedtodiversityatPardeeRANDandRAND.ThisprocesshasspawnedsomeveryimportantconversationsonthistopicandpromptedustoreachoutwithinRANDandbeyond.Inseekingtobetterunderstandhowwecandoabetterjobofrecruitingunderrepresentedminorities,wehaveengagedwithoutsidegroupssuchasPPIAandtheMcNairScholarsandhavebuiltconnectionswiththeconstituenciesatRANDwhoalsoshareourgoalofcreatingamorediverseworkenvironment.ThePardeeRANDandRANDCommunitiesvaluenotonlythisdiscussion,buttheprogresswearemakingtowardsachievingouraspirations.
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Appendices
ProgramReviewSectionA. ProgramReviewSelf-Study(33pages)B. ReviewbyAlanB.Krueger,BendheimProfessorofEconomicsandPublicAffairs,Princeton
University(3pages)C. ReviewbyJamesB.Steinberg,Dean,MaxwellSchoolofCitizenshipandPublicAffairs,Syracuse
University(3pages)D. 2015OJTLearningChartsE. 2012-16ConferenceFunding
ImprovingDegreeCompletionF. 10-yeargraduationrates2005-2015G. 5-yearcompletionrates2010-2015
ServingtheUnderrepresentedH. CourseEvaluationsfor2015FacultyLeadersProgram