Strategic Goal 2
The main focus will be the quality improvement of our graduate programs and the growth of our doctoral programs, with the following specific objectives:
- Improve selection criteria for admitting graduate students, from the current (Fall 2009) average GPA of 3.2 for admitted MS students to 3.5; average GRE of 1196 and GPA of 3.3 for admitted Ph.D. students to 1250 and 3.7, respectively;
- Improve retention and graduation rates and time-to-degree for graduate students;
- Improve written and oral communication skills of graduate students through writing workshops, graduate seminars and a jointly crafted course with the English Department;
- Increase students’ exposure to research by encouraging and facilitating their attendance at workshops and conferences along with major professors;
- Provide pre-faculty mentoring of doctoral students in the areas of teaching and grant-writing;
- Increase the number of Ph.D. degrees awarded from the average of 0.32 per faculty per year in 2008-09 to a target of 0.5-0.75; and
- Increase the professional masters programs with wider options, including the weekend executive, online, off-site and overseas programs.
- Work with oversees institutions and agencies to expand the existing international activities and to develop new graduate and student exchange programs.
- Add new PhD programs.
