My latest post for University Affairs is a reflection piece on the many lived definitions of what PhD is and means and individuals.
Part of me is happy to say a PhD is meant to be flexible, and that much is left to each individual student — in collaboration with advisors, in conversation with other scholars — to make of it what they will. Beyond the dissertation, there’s often flexibility in what and how to teach, whether and how to publish, if and how to engage as a subject expert in the wider world, and how to contribute to the academic community — by sitting on committees, organizing conferences, and doing a whole host of other tasks, large and small. In this model of doctoral experience, each student can craft a unique experience that aligns with their own strengths and goals.
All that sounds great. But I’m not sure that graduate programs do a good job of this, even when they buy into the vision.
Read the post here.