Doctoral Fellowships Benefit University Two Ways: Funding for Students and Recruiting of Faculty

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Twelve Southern Regional Education Board-State Doctoral Scholars are fully funded fellows in the Graduate School, in various stages of earning their doctoral degrees. The fellowships these students have are designed for underrepresented students and provide full financial support for up to five years, plus professional development, networking, job search assistance, knowledge and skills training, mentoring, advocacy and other support.

“These fellowships are part of the important efforts that help the University of Arkansas enhance our overall diversity,” said Sharon Gaber, provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. “We are pleased to have this many SREB fellows studying here through this generous funding.”

Patricia Koski, associate dean of the Graduate School and International Education, has been the leading force in identifying students for the fellowships.

“Pat Koski has led the way in placing students in these fellowships,” said Todd Shields, interim dean of the Graduate School and International Education. “Without Pat’s tenacity we would not have this many fellows, nor as many close to graduation as we do now.”

Begun in 1993 with support from the Pew Charitable Trusts and the Ford Foundation, the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program has supported more than 1,000 scholars at 105 institutions in 32 states. In 2010, the program was recognized nationally with the prestigious John Hope Franklin Award in higher education, and also celebrated its 500^th Doctor of Philosophy. As Ansley Abraham, the national program director, is often heard to say, the fellowship is “not just a check and a handshake.” Each year, the Southern Regional Education Board, as part of the Compact for Faculty Diversity, hosts the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, the nation’s largest gathering of minority doctoral students, as part of its ongoing mission to increase the number of underrepresented faculty at colleges and universities. Attendance at the institute is required for students on the fellowship. As part of the fellowship package, students receive full funding to attend the institute for the first three years.

Each doctoral scholar is required to have a mentor, and the mentors also receive funding to attend the institute with their students. During the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, students and mentors may choose from a variety of workshops that address topics designed to foster successful completion of the doctoral degree and the transition to faculty positions for the students, including choosing a dissertation committee, work-life balance, successful teaching techniques, how to present research, and how to prepare for job interviews. Mentors may attend workshops designed specifically to increase their mentoring skills and knowledge.

The university’s two newest SREB doctoral fellows, Renee Deshommes (public policy,) and Joshua Sutterfield (anthropology), attended the 17^th annual Institute for Teaching and Mentoring held in Tampa this past October for the first time, along with continuing doctoral students Cora Davis (public policy), Russell Frazier (public policy), Rod Williams (public policy), Melissa Haley (counselor education), Benjamin Newton (microelectronics-photonics), and Melissa Shabazz (mathematics). Elena Foulis (comparative literature and cultural studies) was recognized at the awards dinner as a December 2010 graduate. SREB-State Doctoral Scholars not attending were Cassandra Boston (public policy), Tyrone Price Dooley (public policy), Angela Hines (public policy), and Adele Norris (public policy).

One benefit provided to SREB-State Doctoral Scholars is assistance in searching for that first faculty position. For many colleges and universities, the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring is an excellent venue for recruiting future faculty. More than 50 institutions, including the University of Arkansas, had recruiting tables at this year’s conference.

Charles Robinson, vice provost for diversity, said, “Because the number of recruiting institutions is limited, we are pleased that this was our third year of participation in the recruiting sessions at the institute. We also get access to the SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Directory, a list of doctoral students and recent doctoral graduates searching for faculty positions, plus we can post our open faculty and post-doctoral positions through SREB. And, we share all of this information with our academic departments seeking new faculty, especially new assistant professors, as we strive to increase our own diversity.”

Also representing the university this year at the institute were Shani Farr, assistant director of graduate recruitment and diversity programs, and Vicky Hartwell, director of graduate fellowships and associate director of graduate recruitment. Departments interested in obtaining access to the doctoral scholars’ database may contact the university’s office of diversity.

The Compact for Faculty Diversity is a partnership of regional, federal and foundation programs that focus on minority graduate education and faculty diversity. The compact partnership consists of:

• The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB)

• The Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education (WICHE)

• The National Institutes of Health (Bridges to the Professoriate NIGMS-MARC)

• The National Science Foundation (Alliance for Graduate Education and the Professoriate)

• The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation

• The Office of Federal TRIO Programs, United States Department of Education (Ronald E. McNair Program).

Undergraduate students from these programs also attend the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, which gives the recruiters from the University of Arkansas Graduate School the opportunity to recruit well-prepared minority students to our graduate programs.

Students who are interested in applying for an SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Fellowship or a one-year Dissertation Fellowship should visit www.sreb.org.