General Facts

There is little to no academic difference between the people who complete their degrees and those who drop out as measured by their GRE scores and undergraduate grades.  

Some students drop out because they know or heard about new Ph.D.'s who couldn't find jobs

Some fellowship recipients are so unconnected with academic culture that they violate university regulations and secretly take an outside job while receiving their fellowship checks. 

Students are effectively discouraged from voicing complaints while they are still actively enrolled

Accumulated silence of previous "dropouts" reinforces the view faculty prefer to hold: the problem is with the student, not the program.

Enrollment

Survey of Graduate Enrollment ▪ 2% increase in 2007▪ Minority growth has been concerted for African

Americans (from 8 to 13 percent of the total grad student population) and Hispanic students (from 5 to 8 percent of the total).

The basic problems:▪ Number of minority students who attend college is low▪ Dropout occurs in graduate school

Minority Numbers up From Last Year

The Bruin, November 17,2008

Aspirations to Graduate School (May 2008)

10% of U.S. residents currently hold master’s or doctoral degrees.

▪ Fewer than 5% of African Americans and 3% of Latinos are master’s or doctoral recipients (U.S. Census Bureau, 2008).

▪ Minorities are less likely to aspire to attend graduate school, are less likely to complete high school, and are less likely to attend four-year colleges immediately after finishing high school.

Graduate Schools

Ethnic Group Total   Men   Women  

Total U.S. Citizens + Permanent Residents

1,227,352 100% 460,495 100% 755,716 100%

Native American/Alaska Native

9,197 1% 3,184 1% 5,886 1%

African American 155,230 13% 42,931 13% 111,829 15%

Asian/Pacific Islander 75,820 6% 34,397 6% 41,011 5%

Hispanic/Latino 96,570 8% 34,827 8% 61,127 8%

White, non-Hispanic 890,535 72% 345,156 73% 535,863 71%

November 30, 2007 Insidehighered.com

U.S. Graduate Enrollment by Racial/Ethnic Group,Fall 2006

Unfinished Business

Reasons for not completing Graduate School

Underutilized Resources

Lack of support – Mentor

Resources

New Start Summer Programhttp://www.ui.arizona.edu/newstart/

Hispanic Newshttp://www.hispanic7.com/53%25_of_hispanic_students_fail_to_graduate_from_college.htm

The University Record, November 19, 1996Minority enrollment figures reach highest numbers everhttp://www.ur.umich.edu/9697/Nov19_96/artcl11.htm

In graduate school, Boost for minoritieshttp://www.insidehighered.com/news/2007/11/30/gradschools

The Hidden Crisis in Graduate Education: Attrition From Ph.D. Programshttp://www.aaup.org/AAUP/pubsres/academe/2000/ND/Feat/lovi.htm

Provost's group to review minority grad student issues http://news-service.stanford.edu/pr/93/931206Arc3025.html

Minorities discuss lack of diversity in grad school

http://media.www.dailylobo.com/media/storage/paper344/news/2007/01/24/News/Minorities.Discuss.Lack.Of.Diversity.In.Grad.School-2671416.shtml