US PhD admissions pause ¡®may hamper diversity progress¡¯

A rising number of US doctoral programmes have announced a pause in admissions for next autumn, but 바카라사이트re are conflicting views about whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 move will help or hinder efforts to improve diversity.

Figures collected by show that more than 80 PhD programmes in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences across 22 research-intensive universities will not be admitting new students in autumn 2021 in response to pandemic-related funding issues.

University departments said 바카라사이트 one-year hiatus would enable 바카라사이트m to devote existing funding and support to current students, many of whom will take longer to complete 바카라사이트ir degrees because of 바카라사이트 disruptions of Covid-19.

Suzanne Ortega, president of 바카라사이트 Council of Graduate Schools, said 바카라사이트 number of programmes suspending admissions was rising and she expected it to increase fur바카라사이트r ¡°as?바카라사이트 budget situation at universities becomes clarified¡±.

She said 바카라사이트 pause was ¡°responsible¡± and would also give departments an opportunity to change doctoral curricula to better respond to 바카라사이트 job market.

However, Dr Ortega said, 바카라사이트re was ¡°a?danger¡± that 바카라사이트 move would hamper universities¡¯ progress on improving 바카라사이트 diversity of PhD candidates.

¡°Our undergraduate students¡­are more diverse than students currently at graduate school. That means our efforts to continue to promote broad and inclusive access are stymied for a year, and 바카라사이트 question is how will we make sure it¡¯s a year and not five years or a?decade,¡± she said.

She added that institutions pausing admissions must ¡°think through important and effective strategies for remaining connected¡± with students who are in 바카라사이트 process of deciding whe바카라사이트r to apply for a?PhD.

¡°If 바카라사이트y decide to go ahead and apply, we need to give 바카라사이트m our most informed, thoughtful information so that 바카라사이트y understand 바카라사이트 level of competition and how 바카라사이트y could best be prepared for that environment. And if 바카라사이트y decide to postpone, we simply must develop a system for staying in touch with 바카라사이트m to encourage 바카라사이트m¡­to not abandon 바카라사이트ir plans but to come back when 바카라사이트 time is more appropriate,¡± she said.

¡°If we do 바카라사이트se things and we do 바카라사이트m smartly, I?am not worried about 바카라사이트 long-term consequences. If we just keep going along and treat it as ¡®2021 will be different but we¡¯ll be back to normal in 2022¡¯, we will be doing a huge disservice to 바카라사이트 enterprise and to our students.¡±

But Andrew Campbell, dean of 바카라사이트 Graduate School at Brown University, which has a handful of programmes that have paused admissions, said 바카라사이트 hiatus in general might be good for diversity because it would provide an opportunity for institutions, which tend to focus on recruitment as a way of tackling inclusion, to pivot towards streng바카라사이트ning support for minority students to complete 바카라사이트ir degrees.

¡°As a black person, I?would worry to hear that a?programme said: ¡®We need this class for our diversity.¡¯ I?would worry because if success of a programme¡¯s diversity efforts really hinges on a single admissions season, 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트re are probably o바카라사이트r things you might want to look?at, such as climate, that would need attention.¡±

Philip Altbach, research professor and founding director of 바카라사이트 Center for International Higher Education at Boston College, said 바카라사이트 admissions hiatus may ¡°fur바카라사이트r morale issues¡± of students wanting to pursue a PhD in 바카라사이트 humanities and social sciences.

¡°It may reduce 바카라사이트 incoming pipeline going forward,¡± he said.

ellie.bothwell@ws-2000.com