Departmental Climate and Student Experiences in Graduate Geography Programs |
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| Authors: | Michael Solem Jenny Lee and Beth Schlemper |
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| Institution: | (1) Association of American Geographers, 1710 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20009, USA;(2) Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Arizona, P.O. Box 210069, Tucson, AZ 85721, USA;(3) Department of Geography and Planning, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA |
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| Abstract: | This study explores how graduate students enrolled in M.A./M.S. and Ph.D. geography programs perceive the social and academic
climate of their departments. A second objective is to understand how these students self-assess their own professional abilities,
values, and goals, and whether these self-assessments differ across demographic and institutional contexts. The survey instrument
for this research is based on data collected from graduate student focus groups and on validated constructs of academic culture
and climate from previous research. T-tests, ANOVA, and regression analyses identified significant differences among graduate students and their perceptions of
departmental climate when compared on the basis of gender, citizenship, race/ethnicity, disciplinary subfield, and institutional
type. Interview data provide additional context for analysis of the survey data. The primary areas in which we detected differences
in graduate students’ experiences were 1) diversity issues, 2) disciplinary and institutional cultures, 3) career planning
and development, 4) financial matters, and 5) quality of the learning environment. These differences result from the varying
social and academic dynamics of graduate programs, illustrating the importance of the local environment in shaping student
experiences.
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| Keywords: | Graduate education Departmental climate Professional development Disciplinary culture Geography |
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