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Typical First Year Experience in a Chemistry Graduate Program
The breadth and uniformity of undergraduate chemistry programs,
entering chemistry graduate students tend to indentify with on e the
the standard sub-disciplinary areas (analytical, inorganic, physical,
organic). During their first semester of graduate school, students
generally hold a teaching position and are clustered together ina
common office space. They usually interview with a large fraction of
faculty in the preferred sub-discipline area, and ultimately, generally
before the end of the first semester of graduate school, submit a
ranked list of the research groups i which the student wants to pursue
thesis work. The matching process is often a negotiated compromise
between the students' lists, the faculty advisors, the graduate
committee, and the department chair.
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Research Rotations
Research roatations are a process by which entering graduate students
join an ongoing research group for a period (a 'unit of roation' of 4-6
weeks is typical) Rotating through multiple laboratorie, gettign
hands-on experience prior to making the final request for a research
group, is commonplace in the biological sciences, where the research
techniques and areas of interest are broad, varied, and difficult to
represent comprehensively in the undergraduate program. After a
sememster of short rotations, or up to an academic year of longer ones,
the mathching process takes place and the students begin their thesis
work.
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Rotations in Chemistry Departments In
recent years, a few chemistry departments have begun to implement
research roations in their graduate education programs. The growth of
interdisciplinary research areas in bio-related chemistry and materials
sciences has resulted in training grant programs the generally require
research rotations as a way to espose students to the different
disciplinary areas from which the interdisciplinary thesis work will
derive. In this way, departments of chemistry have gained exposure and
familiarity with research rotations.
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University of Michigan Research Rotation Program Research
rotations within the chemistry department at the University of Michigan
are a part of all entering graduate students educational experience, a
required course. Entering graduate students participate in two semester
long research rotations. Ideally, rotations are in different labs and
exposefirst year students to a broader range of senior graduate
students and additional faculty members as mentors for aiding in
strengthing and integrating first year students into the community of
the department.
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Survey on the Research Rotation Program In
colaboration with Professor Janet Lawrence, Center for the Study of
Higher and Post-Secondary Education, an survey of research rotations at
the University of Michigan is underway. A collaboration effort is vital
for ensureing experts in the corresponding area are involved and the
chemistry department does not include their preconceived view of what
the evaluation will show. Additionally, a degree of separation provides
assurances of animinity for graduate students. During the Fall 2004 -
Winter 2005 academic year, composition of the student body provides a
uniquie setting for conducting an survey, as the research rotation
program is in the fourth year at this time. The fifth year cohort, and
above, did not participate in research rotations, many have served in
the capacity as mentoring graduate students for rotating students and
these cohorts are now PhD candidates. The fourth and third year cohorts
have participated in reseach rotations in the initial implimentation
period, and currently these cohorts may be encountered as mentors for
rotating students. The second and first year cohorts have recently
experienced research rotations, and are not PhD candidates at this time.
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Survey Now
that three cohorts of graduate students have progressed through
research rotations, and a fourth cohort is participating, the chemistry
department wishes to survey students about the impact of the research
roation experience on students' academic preparaation, sense of
community within the department, relationships with collegues and
perception of the fairness and transcparency of research roation
matching process. The initial phase of the survey involes a snapshot of
the current graduate student composition. Univeristy of Michigan is one
of a select number of chemistry departments incorporating research
rotations as an integral part of graduate student education. The survey
will assist department leadership in making changes to address
deficiences in this model of research rotations and improve the
experience of graduate students. Additionally, appropriate and
pertinate survey results will be posted upon completion of data
annalysis, anticipated time frame of may 2005.
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