Rethinking the PhD in the Humanities

Russell A. BermanStanford University

Importance of Doctoral Education

• Contributions to the Social Good• Intellectual and Career Growth for the Student• Vitality of the Research Community in its

Pursuit of Knowledge

Why Change Now?

Many current problems are hardly new—especially the limited academic job market. What makes these matters especially urgent today?

Why Change Now?

• Long Standing Problems Reach a Tipping Point:

• Post 2008 Academic Job Market• Student Debt Crisis• Casualization of the Academic Workforce• Time To Degree

Doctorate Recipients in English Reported on the U. S. Survey of Earned Doctorates and MLA Job Information List Ads in English, 2004–05 to

2011–12

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1,400

1,600

1,800

2,000

2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12

JIL ads in English

PhD recipients in English (SED)

Ads tagged as tenure-trackassistant professor positions

Doctorate Recipients in Spanish Reported on the U. S. Survey of Earned Doctorates and MLA Job Information List Ads Tagged for Spanish, 2004–

05 to 2011–12

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12

JIL ads tagged for Spanish

PhD recipients in Spanish (SED)

JIL ads tagged for Spanish andtenure-track assistant professor

Percentage of Doctorate Recipients Completing Degrees in Six Years or Less,

by Discipline, 1961–65 to 2006–10

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

70.0

Humanities Life Sciences Physical Sciences Social Sciences

1961–65 1966–70 1971–75 1976–80 1981–85 1986–90 1991–95 1996–2000 2001–05 2006–10

Initial Employment Placements of Graduates from U. S. Doctoral Programs in English,

Fourteen MLA Surveys of Doctoral Student Placement, 1976–77 to 2009–10

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1981–82 1983–84 1986–87 1991–92 1993–94 1996–97 2000–01 2003–04 2006–07 2009–10

Tenure-track appointment

Non-tenure-track appointment

Postdoctoral fellowship

Academic administration

Other higher education

Outside higher education

Not employed

Initial Employment Placements of Graduates from U. S. Doctoral Programs in Languages Other than English, Fourteen MLA Surveys of

Doctoral Student Placement, 1976–77 to 2009–10

0.0

10.0

20.0

30.0

40.0

50.0

60.0

1976–771977–781978–791979–801981–821983–841986–871991–921993–941996–972000–012003–042006–072009–10

Tenure-track appointment

Non-tenure-track appointment

Postdoctoral fellowship

Academic administration

Other higher education

Placement outside higher education

Not employed

Snapshot: June 2014 Stanford DLCL

• 15 PhD’s: 14 firm placements• 2 TT placements: 14.3%• 8 NTT placements: 57.1%• NTT include 5 at Stanford, 1 international

• 4 Private Sector: 28.6%• Titles: Chief Content Officer, Partner Operations,

Digital Marketing Manager, Content Specialist: Trust and Safety Operations Team

Why Change Now?

• Opportunity to Respond to New Potentials• New Forms of Collaboration and

Communication• Digital Scholarship: Technology• Public Concern with Education (Learning

Outcomes)

Framing Principles of the MLA Task Force Report

• Excellence• Accessibility• Broadened Career Paths• Focus on Graduate Students’ Needs

Redesign the Doctoral Program

• Form and Pacing of Course Work• Non-course-based activities: paracurriculum• Modes of Evaluation• Character of Qualifying Exams• The Dissertation Prospectus

Engage More Deeply with Technology

Programs should link technology training to student research questions, supporting this training as they would language learning or archival research and partnering where appropriate outside the department to match students with relevant mentors or practicum experiences.

Reimagine the Dissertation

Departments should expand the spectrum of forms the dissertation may take. […]

Departments should advocate the validity of alternatives to the proto-print book dissertation as a basis for initial hire.

They should similarly challenge expectations for book publication as the primary criterion for conferral of tenure.

Reduce the Time To Degree

Departments should design programs that can normally be completed in five years. Because individual circumstances may vary, some students may take longer, while others will be able to complete more quickly.

Strengthen Teaching Preparation

Departments should provide sufficient teaching opportunities for students and ensure that their teaching experience is designed to enhance their professional development. Teaching opportunities should be accompanied by course work, practical experience, and mentoring.

Expand Professionalization Opportunities

While the opportunities for expanding the repertoire of skills will no doubt become part of currently established courses, departments should also build partnerships with other units on campus— a humanities center or institute, a digital lab in the library, or the graduate school.

Use the Whole University Community

Doctoral programs should look beyond their departmental boundaries and seek out professionals in the university, many of whom may not be regular faculty members, who can provide useful mentorship to graduate students, as a group and individually.

Redefining DGS and Placement Officer

• DGS as Change Agent• Placement Officer and Broader Perspectives

for advising

Validate Diverse Career Outcomes

Departments should guarantee that graduate students understand the full range of potential career outcomes.

Rethink Admissions Practices

Departments should develop admissions practices and policies appropriate to the changing character of doctoral education and the broadened range of career opportunities.

Points of Controversy

• Critics’ Call to Protect Jobs by Limiting Access

• Defense of the Long Time to Degree as Necessary

• Insistence that the PhD is only for Professorships

• See my comments in IHE July 21, 2014

Why This Can Happen

• Job Market Changes• Reforms Already Under Way• TTD is declining already (if slowly)• But Need for Leadership and Dedication