According to the Council of Graduate Schools, U.S. graduate school enrollment is a bit unstable at the moment, and has most recently been described as flat. Fortunately, that has not been the case at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. While enrollments across Polytechnic departments are mixed, they have risen steadily since 2014 from 485 to a current enrollment of 585. The goal is to continue to increase this number, and to that end, recruiting and program enhancements have become of primary importance.
Recruiting efforts continue both on campus and off, with increased attention being paid to participation in job fairs and use of social media to increase program visibility. A new pull-up banner and brochures for the Polytechnic graduate and PhD programs have recently been updated, and they can be requested by any department to assist in recruiting efforts. There is also a new supply of giveaways that can be used for departments at recruiting events. Other efforts to enhance recruiting include updates to the website and the PhD and MS student handbooks.
Just as important as recruiting are efforts to strengthen programs in the Polytechnic, with particular attention being paid to equipping graduates with excellent research skills. The Polytechnic Graduate Council has been working hard to initiate a new set of courses and research sequence that will raise the bar for both the MS and PhD students. The plan was approved by department heads last spring, and course development is underway with the hopes of initiating the new sequence in the fall of 2017.
At the department level, new courses and new areas of concentration will bring attention to specialized programs. A graduate program review is also in the works to help departments identify growth areas as well as opportunities for improvement.
The Center for Professional Studies (ProSTAR) also has been a bright spot for many Polytechnic departments that have found success in both hybrid and 100 percent online education programs aimed at working professionals. Over 220 students are in these graduate programs, and all indications are that enrollment will continue to grow. Some of that growth has recently been from the development of specialized certificate programs that enable students to explore graduate school and then move into the full MS program once they have success. This is a great way to start slow with new programmatic areas, and they can be developed into MS programs over time.
In addition to strengthening programs, availability of funding for graduate students is a high priority. The Dean’s Travel Grant was initiated last year to assist graduate students with travel costs to deliver accepted papers at conferences. With proof of acceptance of a paper, the Office of the Dean will match travel costs up to $300 for domestic travel and $600 for international travel. This program has been very successful and was reestablished this year. Read more about the program and download the application on the Graduate Studies web site.
Debbie Hulsey is the administrative assistant who is always able to assist with recruiting items or travel grants. For more information, contact the Polytechnic Graduate Programs Office at 765-494-6875.
Kathryne Newton is associate dean for graduate programs, special advisor for faculty success, and professor of supply chain management.