CID Summer 2005 Convening: Supporting Intellectual Community

Topic 1: Creating and Nurturing Robust Intellectual Communities

SUNY Stony Brook University - Chemistry Department


Building a Community of Scientists

Students in the Chemistry Department at Stony Brook are immersed in an intellectual community from the start of their research work, when they first join a research lab. In addition, students are assigned a thesis committee from the end of their first year. Beyond these specific support structures, the department has the potential to provide a wider community through social and professional events, shared governance, and shared resources.


Program Context - The Department

  • Our Ph.D. program has ~130 doctoral students, and grants 15-20 Ph.D's a year.
  • We do not have a separate master's program, but we graduate approximately 15 master's students a year.

  • Median time to degree for the Ph.D. is 5 to 5 1/2 years.
  • Students come from a dozen different countries, with roughly 1/3 domestic and 1/3 from China.

  • Celebrating a successful Ph.D. defense at the University Café
    Celebrating a successful Ph.D. defense at the University Café

    Research Groups

    All Ph.D. students in our department are members of research laboratories, or "groups". Group sizes at Stony Brook vary from less than 4 to more than 15 graduate students, with one faculty advisor. Groups often also include postdoctoral and undergraduate researchers.

    The research group provides the primary intellectual community for each graduate student. Most labs have weekly Group Meetings, where students gain much of their in-depth scientific knowledge and professional skills such as public speaking. In addition, research groups often organize their own social events. The strength of the sense of community within individual research groups varies, depending on the advisor and the makeup of the group.


    Students eating lunch in the grad lounge
    Students eating lunch in the grad lounge

    Shared Departmental Resources

    The department aids the development of intellectual community by providing shared resources, and training in how to use them. Such resources include:

  • Scientific equipment
  • Library and electronic literature-searching tools
  • Computers
  • Office space
  • Graduate lounge

  • Goals for the Community

    Developing a sense of community in the department is important to maintain satisfaction among students, postdocs, and faculty, and to encourage collaborations.
    A strong intellectual community will attract prospective students, improve research productivity, and increase the breadth of our students' professional and research skills.


    Summer department barbeque
    Summer department barbeque

    Advancement-to-Candidacy Committee (ACC)

    Students in the Chemistry Department at Stony Brook are assigned their thesis committees (ACCs) relatively early, at the end of their first year. Each ACC includes the student's advisor, as well as two other faculty members, one of whom serves as Chair.

    In response to student feedback in our Graduate Program Assessment, the policies and requirements for the ACC have been changed to increase the intellectual involvement of the ACC in each student's graduate career:

  • Both the Chair and 3rd member are chosen for their expertise in areas related to the student's research.
  • Students will meet with their ACCs once each year to discuss their research. Previously, students held only two meetings with their ACC, including the thesis defense, that focused on the student's research.

  • Winter holiday party
    Winter holiday party
    Departmental Social and Professional Events In addition to the individual communities of research groups and ACC's, the department offers a broader intellectual community to our students. Examples of departmental community-building events include:
  • First-year student orientation activities, such as pairing with a peer mentor
  • Colloquia and seminars*
  • Chemistry Research Day
  • University Café (a gathering spot after many seminars)
  • Sponsored social events, such as summer barbeques and winter holiday party
  • *As a result of the Graduate Program Assessment, we instituted a program of brown-bag lunches for interested students to meet with visiting seminar speakers.

    Chemistry Research Day
    A Snapshot describing the annual department-wide celebration of chemistry research at Stony Brook. The event includes lunch, a poster session, and a public lecture.

    Students enjoy the GSO/GCS barbeque.
    Students enjoy the GSO/GCS barbeque.

    Graduate Chemical Society

    Students in the chemistry department have recently created a social and pre-professional organization, the Graduate Chemical Society, whose purpose is to bring together graduate students, faculty, and staff from chemistry-related departments at Stony Brook. The GCS is an official university club, receiving funding from the Graduate Student Organization (GSO), that strives to improve integration and communication within the SBU chemical research community. A further goal is to publicize the chemistry research achievements of Stony Brook graduate students within the local and campus communities. The GCS provides support to major chemistry department events and activities, including the annual GSO/GCS Summer Barbeque, the chemistry holiday party, and Chemistry Research Day.


    Assessing Our Community

    A year and a half ago, our CID team organized a full assessment of our graduate program, from the point of view of the students. This assessment addressed several aspects of developing a strong intellectual community in our department. Among the findings:

  • Students want more opportunities to discuss their research with their thesis committee.
  • Events such as Chemistry Research Day provide important opportunities for social and professional interactions.
  • Students value a robust seminar program, and want to have opportunities to meet with visiting speakers.
  • Students take their cue on whether they should attend a departmental social or professional event from whether their advisor is attending.
  • Graduate Program Assessment
    A Snapshot of our Graduate Assessment

    Chemistry Research Day
    Chemistry Research Day

    Shared Governance

    Developing a robust intellectual community requires the treatment of all members as professional colleagues, each with a role in governance. The Graduate Program Assessment provided students with an opportunity to have a direct impact on our program. To continue this process, we reinstated a past practice, including two student members on the department's Graduate Affairs Committee. In addition to this mechanism for ongoing representation, we are now planning the first update to our Graduate Program Assessment.


    Unanswered Questions

    While we have made significant progress in building a sense of community in our department, there is still a significant disparity in the engagement of various populations of students and faculty. Several questions remain:

  • How do we increase the involvement of all students, especially foreign students, in the departmental community?
  • How do we foster an appreciation for the benefits of community among students from different cultures?
  • How do we institutionalize community-building activities and procedures?

  • Contact Information

    Nancy Goroff

    nancy.goroff@sunysb.edu

    Eryk Stolarzewicz

    estolarz@ic.sunysb.edu

    Kathy Parker

    kathlyn.parker@sunysb.edu

    Andisheh Abedini

    aabedini@ic.sunysb.edu


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