Initiative 3: Enhancing quality and impact of our graduate education programs.

Graduate education, research and scholarship, and training are fundamental to meeting workforce needs of the 21st century, and our college is well positioned to be a leader in Maine and an important contributor nationally and globally. We will build on the successes of our existing programs to expand and enhance the quality, access, and impact of our graduate education.

We recognize that today’s complex issues require creative solutions, often with interdisciplinary approaches. We will bridge disciplinary gaps in the college to link environmental, health, natural resource, and economic fields to educate students for both cross-cutting and specific workforce needs.  We will catalyze greater student networking within the college, and continue to emphasize student-led research and scholarship.  We will make graduate student success and a high-quality student experience points of emphasis.

Our success with this initiative will ensure a high post-graduation employment rate, contribute to increased research and scholarly activity, and foster greater student interaction across disciplines.  Our success will help the college produce professionals with the disciplinary and intellectual skills required to confront the challenges of the coming decades in Maine and beyond.

Objectives:

  • Expand training in broad career skills so that research-intensive students leave their programs with the ability to effectively compete for a wide range of employment opportunities.
  • Facilitate greater student interaction to encourage networking and sharing of experiences, challenges and possibilities across disciplines.
  • Determine and reach enrollment capacity in thesis and non-thesis programs to maximize impact and effective use of human and institutional resources.
  • Create a system for training early-career faculty in advising and mentoring to improve the student experience and outcomes.