Dear Colleagues,
I write to share with you information about our participation in a national study called gradSERU (Graduate Student Experience in the Research University). The study is co-sponsored by the Graduate College at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Minnesota, and the Center for Studies in Higher Education at the University of California, Berkeley.
In the coming weeks, graduate students will receive an email invitation to participate in the research study by taking an online survey. The survey asks questions about academics, research and teaching engagement, advising, program climate, career plans, and satisfaction. Some graduate students may receive additional questions about international student experience, online student experience, health and well-being, incivility and harassment, or professional development. Participation is completely voluntary.
The study will provide us with information about student needs, student challenges, and campus climate. The results will be shared via Graduate College data tools such as Grad Experience. Because this survey is part of a national study, we will be able to provide, for the first time, cross-institutional comparisons. We believe the survey results will be a useful resource for graduate programs and units who work with graduate students, as it will help identify best practices in graduate education and factors that contribute to graduate student success.
Please encourage graduate students to look for the email and consider participating in the survey.
Sincerely,
Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko
Dean of the Graduate College
